Java Man : How Two Geologists' Dramatic Discoveries Changed Our Understanding of the Evolutionary Path to Modern Humans

by Carl C. Swisher III, Garniss H. Curtis, Roger Lewin

With their revolutionary discovery about human origins, a pair of maverick geologists single-handedly shook the foundations of science and philosophy. Here, for the first time, is the inside story. For much of the twentieth century, anthropologists believed in a simple, linear picture of evolution: the human family was born in Africa and remained there until "Homo erectus," a relatively advanced form of human, migrated into eastern Asia about one million years ago. All later humans, these anthropologists thought, developed through a steady modernization process from "Homo erectus." But when Garniss Curtis and Carl Swisher of the Berkeley Geochronology Center applied advanced potassium/argon dating techniques to previously studied -- and incorrectly dated -- fossils in Indonesia, their findings shocked the anthropological community and drastically altered our current view of human evolution.

With lucid prose and infectious enthusiasm for the subject, the authors take us on a journey to the Indonesian island of Java, where Curtis and Swisher made two important discoveries: first, that human ancestors left the Cradle of Mankind -- the African continent -- and migrated east almost two million years ago, much earlier than anthropologists had believed, and second, that "Homo erectus" might have survived until as late as 27,000 years ago, suggesting that "Homo erectus" actually coexisted with "Homo sapiens" and was probably not an evolutionary precursor. Their findings not only destroy the straight line of human evolution, but also call into question the inevitability of the evolution of "Homo sapiens."

Eventually, politics and a lack of funding find their way into the story,providing a realistic, if unfortunate, look at the travails that accompany scientific discovery. Swisher's and Curtis's findings are often met with skepticism, and their scientific methods are called into question. But conviction and determination lead them to conclusions that not only redefine their field but raise philosophical questions about what it means to be human.

Genres: Science, Evolution, Nonfiction, Anthropology, History, Palaeontology, Creation Science

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 21, 2000

Reviews

[Kalle Wescott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read /Java Man: How Two Geologists Changed Our Understanding of Human Evolution/, by Carl Swisher, Garniss Curtis, and Roger Lewin:

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/10/bo...

We all learned about Java Man in school, but I didn't know the details. This book was fascinating!

[melancholinary · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the popular science books on palaeoanthropology that I consider to be very well written and enjoyable to read. The dynamics surrounding the discovery of "Java Man" (in quotation marks because here Java Man is understood not only the Trinil Man, but also homo erectus from Mojokerto and) are very gripping, particularly the academic politics regarding the sustainability of a research centre and the jockeying for position following the publication of the journal—an aspect I rarely encounter in popular science books. Many theories in palaeoanthropology are discussed in depth here, irrespective of the book’s focus on Java Man. It covers everything from the possibility of prehistoric technology and its various divisions (in this context, I often imagine that if 'culture' existed in its most primitive form one million years ago, then the Movius Line could be conceived as a cosmotechnic prehistoric marker), to geochronology and its methods, to the categorisation of human evolutionary traits and related theories such as the multiregional origin hypothesis, the single species hypothesis, and so on, as well as briefly and critically addressing evolution and racial theories. The debates and the wild theories of the nineteenth century regarding human evolution are also thoroughly engaging, not least the ambition and passion of Eugène Dubois (his obsession with Lemuria and Ernst Haeckel is something I feel I need to explore further). Above all, the process of fossil hunting, the experience of discovering the Mojokerto fossil in Java, and the tension with Teuku Jacob, a controversial Indonesian archaeologist and palaeoanthropologist, are very compelling. It is a real page-turner.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I had actually visited one of the Java Man sites, Sangiran in Indonesia. I was interested in finding out more about this famous hominid fossil and its discovery.
The book indeed discusses the discovery of Java Man and the author's part in re-discovering the site where the remains were first found--making it some what of a mystery book. It also discusses the fierce rivalries in the field of human evolution and the way that new technologies are helping clear up some of the long-standing questions about human evolution.