Patterns in Prehistory

by Robert J. Wenke

This comprehensive review of world prehistory is organized around the five topics central to the origins of culture, the development of physically "modern" people, the Pleistocene cultures, the establishment of agricultural economies, and the rise of complex states and empires. It presents a coherent philosophy of the field, reflecting the "new archaeology" of the 1960s and 70s while reviewing the methodological revisions of the 1980s, and relates the archaeological data from hundreds of sites to the great questions of prehistorical change.
Thoroughly revised and brought up to date in light of recent scholarship, the second edition is more compact and even easier to use. It features expanded coverage of Egypt and Mexico, 25 new illustrations, and a wealth of anecdotal material. Clear and lively, Patterns in Prehistory is that rare book that will fascinate general readers and students alike.

Genres: History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Nonfiction, Prehistory, Science, Textbooks

500 pages, Hardcover

First published February 7, 1985

Reviews

[Matt Wingett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. I started reading it to find descriptions of earlier cultures as part of the research for a novel I'm writing, and I was not disappointed. It's a masterpiece in explaining and exploring the development of human beings as they adapt to the environment, and what particular stages of development mean in terms of cultural practice, agriculture, population growth, and much more.

Wenke starts the book by asking the question "what is culture?", among other things, and the answers are challenging. Wenke's approach to the whole book is revealed in that first chapter. He is not there to promulgate his own definite theory of human development, but to do a survey across numerous experts in archaeology, palaeo-anthropology, palaeontology and much more besides. The breadth and detail and the sheer level of research is deeply impressive.

There are surprises along the way. One of the answers to that question about culture is to define it as a means of using energy more efficiently. That is: that when you learn how to do something (make pots, grow crops, build spaceships, etc), the next generation isn't then forced to discover it again. They are taught how to do what the previous generation learned through culture. "On the shoulders of giants..." etc. That's only one definition, but it shows you how you're going to have to think around things and entertain fresh perspectives.

The first part of the book is dedicated to the fossil record of the earliest hominids, right back to australopithecus and earlier, then reconstruct the life and mindset through the findings of experts. It's absolutely gripping to see human traits begin to reveal themselves early on, and to follow the development of humans by studying the fossil record.

The survey is of the whole world, with Wenke looking at whatever archaeological evidence is available and comparing how different humans developed in Africa, China, Indonesia, Europe, the Americas and so on. This is the format for each section of the book.

So it is that we follow human development through Homo Erectus, Homo Sapiens Neanderthelensis to Homo Sapiens Sapiens. It's not a straight line, though, as Wenke makes clear. There are overlaps in the species coexisting at times, or huge gaps in the fossil record. Yet there are startling moments when a completely different species shows itself to be recognisably like us. It's brilliant.

Thus we go on through the development of hunter-gatherer cultures, fisherfolk and others of the Pliocene and Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, until suddenly, maybe 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, there's a sudden step-change in culture as the great civilizations arise. Sumeria, Babylonia, Egypt, China - all apparently reliant on the new invention of agriculture, leading to a massive rise in population and technology.

What's strange to contemplate thereafter is how humans took literally millions of years to get to that point, and then from there to here it's only a few thousand years in which the gallop of cultural development accelerated so fast that in that brief time we are now able to destroy the world with our cultural "advances". It's quite a thought to think that we have nuclear weapons in the hands of people who are not so different from the people who were cultural productions of the New Stone Age.

This is an extraordinary book that invites you to contemplate the nature of being. Highly recommended.

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a highly informative text although dry. I wouldn't recommend it for people that are just lightly interested in archaeology but those that are invested in the subject. The pictures are mainly in black and white, archaic, and the writing itself is redundant and heavy. It has a lot to teach though, but I wouldn't read it for fun.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch as civilizations erupt before your eyes. Excellent scientific speculation on the emergence of organized societies on Earth.

[Riversue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating if a little dated.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

While parts of the book can get dry and repetitive, the majority of the material was extremely interesting and presented in a clear, elucidating style. The first half of the book is focused on paleoarchaeology, theories for the rise of complex societies, and the development of human prehistory as a science. The second half is presented as a series of case studies examining early human societies around the globe, with tentative assertions linking the creation of diverse, complex societies to a general framework. This book is both a satisfactory introduction and overview for anyone interested in either archaeology or human prehistory.

[Emily Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for an Anthro class. Sadly, the book didn't prove very useful for me, as it was for an introductory class and I already knew all of the information. Layout is pretty decent, but it's a little bland, especially for people who aren't into this stuff. Good for a start.