Homo Sapiens Rediscovered: The Scientific Revolution Rewriting Our Origins
£19.30£23.80 (-19%)
Who are we? How do scientists define Homo sapiens, and how does our species differ from the extinct hominins that came before us? This illuminating book explores how the latest scientific advances, especially in genetics, are revolutionizing our understanding of human evolution. Paul Pettitt reveals the extraordinary story of how our ancestors adapted to unforgiving and relentlessly changing climates, leading to remarkable innovations in art, technology and society that we are only now beginning to comprehend.
Drawing on twenty-five years of experience in the field, Paul Pettitt immerses readers in the caves and rockshelters that provide evidence of our African origins, dispersals to the far reaches of Eurasia, Australasia and ultimately the Americas. Popular accounts of the evolution of Homo sapiens emphasize biomolecular research, notably genetics, but this book also draws from the wealth of information from specific excavations and artefacts, including the author’s own investigations into the origins of art and how it evolved over its first 25,000 years. He focuses in particular on behaviour, using archaeological evidence to bring an intimate perspective on lives as they were lived in the almost unimaginably distant past.
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Additional information
| Publisher | 1st edition (15 Nov. 2022), Thames and Hudson Ltd |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 320 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0500252637 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0500252635 |
| Dimensions | 16.26 x 3.56 x 24.38 cm |
by J. Sharman
“Homo Sapiens Rediscovered” provides a fascinating and insightful look at our origins, as well as the ongoing efforts to uncover our history. Pettitt’s writing style is both engaging and informative, making the book accessible to interested laypeople without sacrificing important details. This book is highly recommended for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.
by Marianne
I’ve been waiting years to read such a book, as an enthusiastic amateur. Splendid stuff – nice threads of humour make it an easier read than many stuffy scientific books. You can read it as the true story of the everyday life of our ancestors, then re-read to better understand the amazing & complex new sciences underpinning the discoveries. Longevity is the best thing about this book – it will not gather dust on your shelf or coffee table, as it can be read on so many levels. I’m having many cosy extra hours in bed, self-educating in comfort. What can be better than this?
by D. Parkin
As somebody with a longstanding love of archaeology and history,I have seldom dipped into the prehistoric since my university days in any depth, but this book has impressed me by the pace at which scientific progress has been made over the past few decades. Pettitt is an assured guide who treads a persuasive path through a past that is becoming more accessible through the use of science to challenge the reader to look anew at our roots, early motivations and practices.
I really enjoyed it,and think that it would appeal to a general reader as well as to anyone with an interest in finding out about current thinking and developments in this field.