Neanderthal Language - Demystifying the Linguistic Powers of Our Extinct Cousins

By appraising controversial inferences from prehistorians and other scientists, the book addresses the fascinating question of whether Neanderthals had language.

List of contents

Part I. Preliminaries: 1. Pursuing an intriguing but murky matter; 2. Telltale Neanderthal teeth; Part II. Symbolic behaviours: 3. Making and wearing personal ornaments; 4. Producing cave art; 5. Beautifying bodies; 6. Burying the dead; 7. Leaping to language; Part III. Non-symbolic behaviours: 8. Making stone tools; 9. Teaching stone-tool making; 10. Hunting big game; Part IV. Implications: 11. Dispersing the murk; Notes; References; Index.

About the author

Rudolf Botha is Emeritus Professor of General Linguistics, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and a former Honorary Professor of Linguistics at Utrecht University. Previous works include Language Evolution: The Windows Approach (Cambridge, 2016).

Summary

The book is for scientists and laypersons intrigued by the question whether Neanderthals had language and, if they did, what it was like. It illuminates the linguistic powers of Neanderthals and provides an answer to the question whether modern humans are unique in being the only species that has language.

Additional text

'… a paradigm shift for anthropologists, this book challenges the faulty reasoning that has led to over-generous or specious conclusions about Neanderthals' language capabilities. A tour de force in logic, it should be mandatory reading for anyone who is interested in in such discussions.' Frederick L. Coolidge, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Product details

• Authors: Rudolf Botha, Rudolf (University of Stellenbosch Botha, Rudolf Philip Botha
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.06.2020
• EAN: 9781108491327
• ISBN: 978-1-108-49132-7
• No. of pages: 220
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography, Early Man, Social and cultural anthropology, Historical & comparative linguistics, Historical and comparative linguistics, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Neanderthals; language; behaviour; symbolism; communication