Ancient Humans
From space dust to sapiens and beyond.
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History
Story
70,000 BCE
The Sentinelese people on North Sentinel Island
circa 60 to 70 thousand BCE
DNA
Extreme isolation preserves history—but it also creates vulnerability. The Sentinelese remind us that human populations evolved under vastly different conditions, and immunity is not universal. From a scientific standpoint, their existence proves modern human intelligence is at least 50,000 years old.
Holistic Paleolithic Framework: A New Look at Prehistory
A new look at dividing up the paleolithic era.
The Evolution of Vocabulary in Ancient Humans
The evolution of language is the evolution of communication. From touch which evolved about 800 million years ago to human words. Along the journey, communication ...
Human Extinction: A New Look From Homo habilis to the Neanderthals
When and where ancient humans died out.
Must-Reads
Ancient Humans
The Evolution of Vocabulary in Ancient Humans
The evolution of language is the evolution of communication. From touch which evolved about 800 million years ago to human words. Along the journey, communication ...
New Ideas
Ancient Humans
Holistic Paleolithic Framework: A New Look at Prehistory
A new look at dividing up the paleolithic era.
Updated
Did talking our way through life drive a million years of brain growth?
Human brain size increased rapidly over the last million years, and growing communication demands may have been a major evolutionary driver.
When did humans first start using language?
Language did not suddenly appear with modern humans; it likely evolved gradually, with language-like communication emerging hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of years earlier.
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Philosophy
FAQ
Did talking our way through life drive a million years of brain growth?
Evolution
We don’t see language fossilized, but we do see its likely impact. Once communication became central to survival—through teaching, storytelling, and coordination—intelligence itself became a selection pressure. Culture didn’t just use big brains; it may have built them.