Origins of Creativity

There is a mighty chasm between perceptions of our species’ origins (and the origins of our ancient predecessors) and the observed data. The Origins of Creativity interview series questions distinguished practitioners in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and philosophy—among others—about what our ancestors were capable of, how they lived, what they made, and how they used those things. This series by long-time contributor Will Corwin seeks to explore how and why we became the creative and artistic species we are today. Once we peer through the veil of assumptions specific to our time and culture, we may begin to answer a series of questions. What was the purpose of cave painting? Did artistic activity serve an evolutionary purpose? When did our ancestors begin to converse in articulate language?