Embers of society: Firelight talk among the Ju/’hoansi Bushmen

摘要: Much attention has been focused on control of fire in human evolution and the impact cooking anatomy, social, residential arrangements. However, little is known about what transpired when firelight extended day, creating effective time for social activities that did not conflict with productive subsistence activities. Comparison 174 day nighttime conversations among Ju/’hoan (!Kung) Bushmen southern Africa, supplemented by 68 translated texts, suggests talk centers economic matters gossip to regulate relations. Night steer away from tensions singing, dancing, religious ceremonies, enthralling stories, often people. Such stories describe workings entire institutions a small-scale society formal teaching. plays an important role evoking higher orders theory mind via imagination, conveying attributes people broad networks (virtual communities), transmitting “big picture” cultural generate regularity behavior, cooperation, trust at regional level. Findings are compared other hunter-gatherer societies related widespread use intimate conversation our appetite evening stories. The question raised as happens economically unproductive firelit turned artificial lighting.