One of the intriguing analogies Mithen uses in the book is resurrecting an old (discredited) biological pardigm: Haeckel's ontongeny recapitulates phylogeny. He points out the cognitive abilities of infants, toddlers, etc are somewhat correlated with the putative evolution of modern human intelligence. He describes this evolution as a "play in four acts":
Act I: 6-4.5 mya. An empty stage inhabited by the hypothetical common ancestor of apes and man. No tools, no artifacts. The actors characterized by a type of "generalized problem solving" intelligence similar to our nearest living relatives. Very much like a human new-born: certain hard-wired problem-solving rules, but little else.
Act II: 4.5-1.8 mya.
A. ramidus and
A. anamensis in scene 1, the gracile Australopithecenes in scene two. Props are the Omo Complex toolset (~3 mya) culminating in the Oldowan Complex toolset (~2-1.8 mya). Mithen takes the existence of purpose-built tools - even if highly primitive - as the beginning for the development of specialized "intelligence modules" dealing with physics of inanimate objects, the biology of living objects etc. The fact that these stones were worked indicates the user had an understanding of final form, utility, etc. Somewhat like a toddler of around three. Note the significant difference between this capability and the tools used by chimps, for instance.
Act III: 1.8 mya - 100 kya. Many scenes, and many actors. Major "events" are referenced by not only a myriad of different hominids, but also by the advances in toolmaking - the Acheulian hand axes of
H. habilis and
H. erectus, to the bi-facial worked blades of the Lavallois Complex, finally culminating in the beautiful blades of the Aurignacian and Amudian Complexes. Right at the end of this period - when
H. sapiens and
H. neanderthalensis coexist - we see the first beginnings of ritual and religion. Mithen believes this corresponds to the development of "mapping across domains" where the various "modules" begin sharing information rather than operating independently.
Act 4: 100 kya - present: The most exciting act with the dominance of modern humans, the development of agriculture and cities, etc. Evidence of true "religion" appearing around 40 kya (with Asgara's figurine, for instance). Multiple mental "modules" working together and the first development of the capability to have "concepts about concepts". A fully adult mind.
This is just a brief summary - and doesn't adequately express either the evidence or the argument Mithen makes in the book. I really will post a Book Nook topic when I finish.