Evolution of human societies
Just read a terrific book, The Great Human Diasporas: The History of
Diversity and Evolution, by Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza and Francesco
Cavalli-Sforza, translated from the Italian and published by Addison-Wesley
in 1995. The first chapter, on Bushmen life styles, is alone worth the
price of admission, but the genetic and linguistic maps make it even
better. The isle of Britain, when dominated by hunter-gatherers, was
occupied by less than 10,000 people. The argument for social change
by demic (population) expansion more than by cultural diffusion seems
to be strong. Factor (PCA) analysis of European genetic components
reveals five principal components -- summarized as 1. the spread of
Neolithic agriculture (a kilometer a year) 2. genetic/linguistic: North to
South (Uralic languages are in the North) 3. the spread of Indo-European
nomads, centered on the Ukranian steppe 4. the Greek expansion and 5.
the Basque "impansion" (the basques do indeed seem to be the original
people of Europe!). Great stuff for Glorantha, if "crossed-over!"
Jim Chapin
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