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Re: Waking up covered in dew
Paul Crowley (Paul@crowleyp.demon.co.uk)
Fri, 16 Aug 96 17:19:37 GMT
In article <rfoyDw75Bs.FEp@netcom.com> rfoy@netcom.com "Richard Foy" writes:
> Paul Crowley <Paul@crowleyp.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> >Clothing/blankets would have become important "possessions" of
> >the hominid society, to be transported whenever the group moved.
> >Females, infants and young would have needed them, so a cohesive,
> >responsible, caring, almost certainly monogamous, society is
> >required. The ownership of blankets implies other possessions
> >as well. All this is fine for Hss, but questionable earlier.
>
> I agree with mnost of this, but why does is it "almost certainly
> monogamous?"
I think I should have said "probably monogamous or possibly
polygamous". What I was trying to get at was that the weaker
members of the society: females, infants and juveniles would have
needed special protection to prevent the robbery of property on
which their lives depended. Theft by an adult male from a
juvenile would have had to entailed risks. So a strong male-
dominated family structure would have been essential.
I can't see personal property developing without fixed home
bases. It would be much easier when these also acquired some
kind of accomodation or shelter. But by then dew would not be a
problem. So, in short, I don't see a viable hominid society
outside dew-free areas until it was capable of erecting night
shelters: H.erectus, at least.
Paul.
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