Before Us
Every living person can trace their ancestry back to Africa, where modern humans evolved some 300,000 years ago before expanding out of Africa and around the world. Those early humans lived lives filled with emotions and challenges much like people today and their journeys stand as a testament to human intelligence, ingenuity, creativity, and resilience. But, what does the archaeological record tell us about their lives, their successes, their failures, and who we are today? In this podcast, world-recognized experts in maritime and prehistoric archaeology, Dr. Helen Farr and Dr. Erich Fisher, reveal the people and the world that existed “Before Us.” This season, we take a deep dive into the origins and development of Maritime Adaptations, tracing humanity's journey from the earliest interests in aquatic resources to the global expansion of modern humans via oceans, coastlines, and waterways. As the old saying goes, “smooth seas make boring stories” and this season promises to be an auditory adventure around the world and across millennia as told through captivating interviews with leading scholars in fun and down-to-earth discussions. Tune in weekly for new episodes on your favorite podcast app.
Before Us
Flame-kissed fins
Homo erectus is widely believed to be the first human species to leave Africa, expanding into parts of Europe and Asia. They were also the first to control and use fire. In this episode, we speak with Josephine Joordens and Irit Zohar to explore these early time periods, approximately 2 million years ago. We delve into when and how hominins first developed an interest in aquatic resources, the transformative impact of cooking fish, and why a stable, year-round food source like fish was crucial for hominin survival and their dispersal across the globe.
Key Places
Key Hominins
Key People
For more reading:
- Zohar, I., Alperson-Afil, N., Goren-Inbar, N. et al.Evidence for the cooking of fish 780,000 years ago at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, Israel. Nat Ecol Evol 6, 2016–2028 (2022).
- Joordens, J., d’Errico, F., Wesselingh, F. et al. Homo erectus at Trinil on Java used shells for tool production and engraving. Nature 518, 228–231 (2015).
- Joordens, Josephine CA, et al. "Relevance of aquatic environments for hominins: a case study from Trinil (Java, Indonesia)." Journal of Human Evolution 57.6 (2009): 656-671.
