In some recent posts, I have written about something I’ve been calling “The Organised Ape”. What is it, and what is it all about?
To go back to the beginning, it was the very first session of the u3a Online Group on Archaeology that I attended, several months ago now. At that session (presented over Zoom) I was seriously impressed by a lady who did an hour long presentation on fashion in the Neolithic era and other ages.
Now, admittedly, I didn’t know anything about this lady, so in theory she could be a Professor of Archaeology, or a PhD student studying the topic. I suspect reality is that is a normal person who enjoys the subject.
It got me thinking, and asking the question; could I ever do an hour long presentation on an archaeological topic? Well, I don’t know until I try.q§1
I then recalled a feeling I’d had when I started reading about The English Civil, War, and how that made me explore further back in time – to the Plantagenets, then following the timeline forward to the civil war. I’d chosen the Plantagenets very specifically, as I thought this would a good era when I could rely upon there being a good (never 100% accurate,, of course) record of historical events.
Reading the books about those times, there was one consistent thought that kept going through my brain; How did they know how to do this? Do what, you ask, to which I would respond; Organise Society.
That question being asked, I have been recommended two b7 ooks; Sapiens by Harari, and The Dawn of Everything by Graeber & Wengrow. At the moment, I am not trying to fully read these books, but am studying in sufficient depth to map them, so that i at least understand their value to me as reference books. I
also have a book about the Domesday Book. Not about who and what was measured, but a study of how consistent results were obtained from the survey, which for 1066 meant there had to be an organised society, the question for me is how did we get here, today from the time Sapiens started to get organised. \\not answered yet, but studying.
I’ll keep you updated on my learnings.
Bills Posts 