Early Human Kinship

Early Human Kinship brings together original studies fromleading figures in the biological sciences, social anthropology,archaeology, and linguistics to provide a major breakthrough in thedebate over human evolution and the nature of society.* A major new collaboration between specialists across the rangeof the human sciences including evolutionary biology andpsychology; social/cultural anthropology; archaeology andlinguistics* Provides a ground-breaking set of original studies offering anew perspective on early human history* Debates fundamental questions about early human society: Wasthere a connection between the beginnings of language and thebeginnings of organized 'kinship and marriage'? How far didevolutionary selection favor gender and generation as principlesfor regulating social relations?* Sponsored by the Royal Anthropological Institute of GreatBritain and Ireland in conjunction with the British Academy

List of Tables.List of Figures.List of Illustrations.Preface.Acknowledgements.Notes on Contributors.INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND.Why 'Kinship'? New Questions on an Old Topic (WendyJames).A Brief Overview of Human Evolution (John A. J. Gowlett andRobin Dunbar).PART I Where and When: The Archaeological Evidence for EarlySocial Life in Africa.1 Kinship and Material Culture: Archaeological Implications ofthe Human Global Diaspora (Clive Gamble).2 Deep Roots of Kin: Developing the Evolutionary Perspectivefrom Prehistory (John A. J. Gowlett).PART II Women, Children, Men - and the Puzzles ofComparative Social Structure.3 Early Human Kinship Was Matrilineal (Chris Knight).4 Alternating Birth Classes: A Note from Eastern Africa(Wendy James).5 Tetradic Theory and the Origin of Human Kinship Systems(Nicholas J. Allen).6 What Can Ethnography Tell Us about Human Social Evolution?(Robert Layton).PART III Other Primates and the Biological Approach.7 Kinship in Biological Perspective (Robin Dunbar).8 The Importance of Kinship in Monkey Society (Amanda H.Korstjens).9 Meaning and Relevance of Kinship in Great Apes (JuliaLehmann).10 Grandmothering and Female Coalitions: A Basis for MatrilinealPriority? (Kit Opie and Camilla Power).PART IV Reconstructions: Evidence from Cultural Practice andLanguage.11 A Phylogenetic Approach to the History of Cultural Practices(Laura Fortunato).12 Reconstructing Ancient Kinship in Africa (ChristopherEhret).13 The Co-evolution of Language and Kinship (AlanBarnard).EPILOGUE.Reaching across the Gaps (Hilary Callan).Appendices to Chapter 12.Bibliography.Index.