Children of hunter-gatherers, the way of

learning and the evolution of modern humans

Hideaki Terashima, Kobe Gakuin Univ.

1

ⓒ K.Imamura

ⓒ K.Imamura

ⓒ K.Imamura

ⓒ K.Imamura

“Replacement drama”• Neanderthals disappeared about

30,000 years ago.

• How and why did that happen?

• Many theories and debates:

• Competitive replacement by the violence or pathogens?

• Did Neanderthals fail to adapt to changing environment?

• Interbreeding or absorption by H. sapiens?

• H. sapiens survived and prospered, but how and why?

旧人ネアンデルタール 新人サピエンス

2

Neanderthals Sapiens

50,000~60,000 BP 40,000~50,000 BP

ca. 40,000 BPca. 30,000 BP

Replacement of Neanderthals by Homo sapiens 3

ヨーロッパ大陸における交替劇の証拠：旧人( )と新人( )遺跡の盛衰パタン（遺跡移動平均値は van Andel et al 2003に基づく）

��������

道具箱ムステリアン

オーリナシアン

Mousterian

Aurignacian

ice age

coldlast ice age : coldest and

longestwarmwarm

Neanderthals Sapiens

x1000 years ago

num

ber

of s

ites

per

1000

yrs cold

Differences in stone tools and replacement drama 4

Neanderthals Homo sapiens

section 1 simulates

evolution of learning ability

and human distribution

section I1 reconstructs and compares

learning behavior

section III inspects

function of reconstructed

fossil brain

differenceof

learningability

Learning theory and the “replacement drama” project

section of coordination

paleoecologypopulation geneticscomputer simulation

archaeology cultural anthropology

paleoanthropologybrain science

from 2010 to 2014

developmental psychology

5

Learning theory• “social learning”

• imitative learning; effective cultural transmission

• “individual learning”

• innovation by each person; creating new culture

• Neanderthals --- good at social learning, but not at individual learning ⇒ being limited in a familiar environment

• Homo sapiens --- good at social learning, and also at individual learning ⇒ actively moving to new environments

6

Learning behavior of children among hunter-gatherers

• Necessity of ethnography of children in hunting and gathering societies

• How do children learn in hunting and gathering societies?

• How does cultural transmission take place?

• How do children develop creativity?

• Problems so far

• little concern to children due to “little adults” image

• seeing children only from adult’s viewpoint⇒ “socialization theory”• less attention to changes that existing patterns (structure)

7

3 key points of the researchhunting

and gathering

children

play

→ background of human evolution

→ long learning period in childhood

→ good activity for learning and innovation

→ learning ability and creativity

→ spontaneous participation by own decision

→ multi-aged group for cultural transmission and learning

life style

subjects of

learning

place of learning

8

cultural transmission and creation

Learning through participation to play groups

children

adults

indirect orientation

band & family

play groupimitation

innovation

growth

spontaneous participation

no schoolno teaching

9

ⓒ H.Terashima

ⓒ N.Kamei

ⓒ H.Terashima

ⓒ H.Terashima

ⓒ H.Terashima

play

children

hunting & gathering

Participant observation among children’s world

★viewpoint of children

★ children playing with peers★relationship in a multi-age play group

★ children’s own aims and motivation

freedom

autonomy

creativity

fun and joy

10

Plays among the Baka

play related to subsistence activities hunting, fishing, gathering, ... 15 kinds

(64 cases)

song, dance, music play song, dance, drum play, ... 13 (65)

play related to body and physical exercise wrestling, chasing, tag, ... 13 (23)

playing house cooking, making a house, ... 20 (36)

Play with modern toys toy cars, toy radio, toy motorcycles ... 9 (29)

play of competitive games soccer, group game, board game 3 (26)

others mimicking workers, art drawing, magic play, ... 12 (26)

85 kinds in 269 cases observed（Kamei, N. 2010）11

Hunter-gatherers and learning behavior

• Play activities are learning by themselves.

• Hunting and gathering is full of fun and joy. Children learn through imitating subsistence activities in play groups.

• Collaborate learning in play groups leads to smooth development of children to adulthood.

• Non-teaching learning enhances autonomy and creativity of children.

• Smooth transition occurs from play to real subsistence activities through multi-aged play group.

12

People in this project

Mbuti

Baka & Aka

Inuit

Aborigines

Bushmen　

13

ⓒ H.Terashima

ⓒ S.Kubota

ⓒ K.Imamura

ⓒ K.Omura

ⓒ S.Kubota

ⓒ K.Imamura

ⓒ N.Kamei

Learning through observation

observation&

imitation

music play

cracking nut shells making arrows

preparing a spear

fish cooking

fishing

adult to childchild to child

14

all photos ⓒ H.Terashima

Imitation of adults’ activities 15

ⓒ S.Kubota

ⓒ H.Terashima

ⓒ S.Kubota

ⓒ N.Kamei

ⓒ S.Kubota

ⓒ K.Imamura

ⓒ S.Kubota

ⓒ K.Imamura

ⓒ H.Terashima

ⓒ N.Kamei

Play and play groups 16

ⓒ S.Kubota

ⓒ S.Kubota

ⓒ H.Terashima ⓒ H.Terashima

ⓒ K.Imamura

ⓒ H.Terashima

ⓒ K.Omura

ⓒ K.Imamura

ⓒ K.Omura