AboutJohn Shea Expertise Questions about Old World prehistoric archaeology (especially Stone Age) of Europe, Africa, and Western Asia, prehistoric human and hominid behavior, primitive technology, origin of modern humans, extinction of the Neandertals.
Experience
Publications Journal of Field Archaeology, Journal of Archaeological Science, Lithic Technology, Evolutionary Anthropology, Current Anthropology, Mitekufat HaEven (Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society), Paléorient, Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, American Anthropologist, Geoarchaeology.
Education/Credentials Ph.D (Anthropology) Harvard University, 1991.
BA (Archaeology) Boston University, 1982.
Expert: John Shea Date: 5/23/2008 Subject: language
Question Hello John,
Can you tell me when and where humans first developed spoken language? In particular, would there have been a language of a tribe from, say, Eastern Europe in the early bronze age or prehistory that they could have used for storytelling? Or when might such a language have first been developed... Thanks so much in advance for your reply.
Answer Hi Sharon
Very early Homo sapiens fossils already show the kind of basicranial flexion (sharply flexed basal cranial bones) that are necessary for articulate speech -and that simultaneously increase the risk of choking. From this one can infer there was already some natural selection for spoken language at work prior to 195,000 (date of oldest Homo sapiens fossils -from Omo Kibish). Given the amount of time involved, it is likely there was some natural selection for improved speech in the course of human evolution, and at least one study of fossils from Skhul Cave (Israel 80,000-130,000 years ago) shows variation in anatomical structures related to speech.
I have no answer for the second half of your question, but to suggest that because storytelling is a human cultural universal, its origin is probably very ancient in our species evolutionary past -long before the Bronze Age and probably in Africa, where our species originated.
My own admittedly subjective hunch is that storytelling (or the ability to convey information about non-immediate events) was a major factor in the origin of spoken language.
I hope this helps. If you want more information, check out Christine Kenneally's book The First Word.
Cheers,
John Shea
