Heat & Light at Lascaux
The environment in which some of humanity’s first–and still best–works of art, in the cave of Lascaux nearly thirty … Continue Reading Heat & Light at Lascaux
What the Earliest Forms of Literacy Looked Like
from David Carr’s book on literacy and the creation of literature in the ancient world: … many ancient texts were … Continue Reading What the Earliest Forms of Literacy Looked Like
The Hooded Lady of Brassempouy
from Randall White’s Prehistoric Art: The best known of the statuettes from Brassempouy is the 25,000 year-old “dame à la … Continue Reading The Hooded Lady of Brassempouy
How Picking Fleas Led to the Evolution of Language
From Steven Mithen’s Prehistory of the Mind: The anthropologist Robin Dunbar looked at the size of the brain of H. habilis … Continue Reading How Picking Fleas Led to the Evolution of Language
The Earliest Human Communities
From Steven Mithen’s The Prehistory of the Mind: There is good circumstantial evidence that H. habilis [2.1 to 1.5 million years … Continue Reading The Earliest Human Communities
We Were All Animals Once: The Beginning of Anthropomorphic Thinking
from Steven Mithen’s The Prehistory of the Mind: This propensity to think of the natural world in social terms is … Continue Reading We Were All Animals Once: The Beginning of Anthropomorphic Thinking
Understanding Religious Fundamentalism
I am always thrilled to reread these two passages by Erik Hornung, and to find in them just about the … Continue Reading Understanding Religious Fundamentalism
Humanity’s Earliest Rituals
Three passages on prehistoric religion from the book Becoming Human: One of the pervasive themes of [this book] is … Continue Reading Humanity’s Earliest Rituals
The Archaeology & Mythology of Caves
The archaeologist Jean Clottes writes that, besides the more famous paintings in the ice-age caves of France and Spain, it … Continue Reading The Archaeology & Mythology of Caves
The Palace of Winds (rereading “The English Patient”)
Our love for certain books or movies or pieces of music are so intense that we like to imagine our … Continue Reading The Palace of Winds (rereading “The English Patient”)
Female Figurines and a Shipwreck: Two Poems from “Bone Antler Stone”
Here are two of my favorite poems from Bone Antler Stone: one on the famous ice age “Venus” figurines from 20-30,000 … Continue Reading Female Figurines and a Shipwreck: Two Poems from “Bone Antler Stone”
Cauldron & Drink (poem)
CAULDRON & DRINK They love their honey and they love the vine, the wine and beer they engender with fire … Continue Reading Cauldron & Drink (poem)
“Bone Antler Stone”: A Reading List for Ancient Europe
Here’s a roll call for all the books & scholars I gained so much from, in writing the poems in … Continue Reading “Bone Antler Stone”: A Reading List for Ancient Europe
“Bone Antler Stone” now available
“Our prehistory now has its poet laureate.” – Barry Cunliffe, Oxford University Download readings from the book below, or read … Continue Reading “Bone Antler Stone” now available
The Island, the Museum, the Church: 3 Readings from “Bone Antler Stone”
My poetry collection Bone Antler Stone—a panorama of ancient Europe from the painted caves of Lascaux to contact with Greece … Continue Reading The Island, the Museum, the Church: 3 Readings from “Bone Antler Stone”
On “Bone Antler Stone”: Ancient Europe, the Narrow Book & Finding Poetry Again
My poetry collection Bone Antler Stone—a panorama of ancient Europe from the painted caves of Lascaux to contact with Greece … Continue Reading On “Bone Antler Stone”: Ancient Europe, the Narrow Book & Finding Poetry Again
