OMLL - European Science Foundation

4. Highlights of the OMLL Collaborative Research Projects
1. Language
and Archaeology
From symbols to language:
The archaeology of the origin of language
and early diversification of languages
Principal investigators:
• Paul-Louis van Berg, Free University of Brussels,
Belgium
• Francesco d’Errico, Institut de la Préhistoire
et de la Géologie du Quaternaire, Talence, France
Funding organisations:
• Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/
National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
• Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique/
Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS)
By Francesco d’Errico
Embedding in the OMLL programme:
Studying the origin and the evolution of language was
considered a tricky endeavour before the launch of the
OMLL programme. It has become, in part as a consequence
of this programme, a productive field of study
and an ideal laboratory for interactions between a range
of disciplines and scholars that could not have made
contact without this collaborative research scheme.
Scientific results:
The members of our projects were able to demonstrate
that long-lasting symbolic traditions existed in Africa
well before the arrival of anatomically modern humans
in Europe. Since recursive oral language is arguably
an essential requisite for sharing and transmitting the
meaning of a symbolic material culture we argued that
human populations living in Africa were able to speak,
probably like us, at least 100 000 years ago.
Publications:
• Henshilwood, Ch, d’Errico F., R. Yates, Z. Jacobs,
C. Tribolo, G. A. T. Duller, N. Mercier, J. C. Sealy,
H. Valladas, I. Watts, A. G. Wintle. 2002. Emergence
of Modern Human Behavior: Middle Stone Age
Engravings from South Africa. Science, 295:
1278-1280.
• d’Errico F., Ch. Henshilwood, G. Lawson,
M. Vanhaeren, A.-M. Tillier, M. Soressi, F. Bresson,
B. Maureille, A. Nowell, J. Lakarra, L. Backwell,
M. Julien. 2003. Archaeological evidence for the
origins of language, symbolism and music.
An alternative multidisciplinary perspective.
Journal of World Prehistory, 17: 1-70.
• Vanhaeren M., d’Errico F., C. Stringer, S.L. James,
J.A. Todd, H.K. Mienis, 2006. Middle Paleolithic
shell beads in Israel and Algeria. Science,
312 (5781): 1785-1788.
• d’Errico F., Henshilwood C., Vanhaeren M., van
Niekerk K. 2005. Nassarius kraussianus shell
beads from Blombos Cave: Evidence for Symbolic
Behaviour in the Middle Stone Age. Journal
of Human Evolution 48: 3-24.
• Vanhaeren M., d’Errico F., 2006. Clinal distribution
of personal ornaments reveals the ethno-linguistic
geography of Early Upper Palaeolithic Europe.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 33: 1105-1128.
© Francesco d’Errico
Engraved abstract pattern on a slab of ochre found in the Middle Stone Age levels of Blombos Cave, South Africa, dated at 75 000 years
Origin of Man, Language and Languages (OMLL) Highlights | 11