This volume investigates the evolutionary origins of our musical abilities, the nature of music, and the earliest archaeological evidence for musical activities amongst our ancestors. It seeks to understand the relationship between our musical capabilities and the development of our social, emotional, and communicative abilities as a species.

• Preface


• Listof Illustrations


• 1: Conceiving Music in Prehistory


• 2: Implications of Music in Hunter-Gatherer Societies


• 3: Palaeolithic Music Archaeology 1: Pipes


• 4: Palaeolithic Music Archaeology 2: Other Sound Producers


• 5: The Palaeoanthropology of Vocalisation 1: Vocal Anatomy


• 6: The Palaeoanthropology of Vocalisation 2: The Brain and Hearing


• 7: Neurological Relationships Between Music and Speech


• 8: Vocal Versatility and Complexity in an Evolutionary Context


• 9: Vocal Control and Corporeal Control - Vocalisation, Gesture, Rhythm, Movement and Emotion


• 10: Emotion and Communication in Music


• 11: Rationales for Music in Evolution


• 12: Conclusions


• Appendix


• Bibliography


• Index

Dr Iain Morley is Lecturer in Palaeoanthropology and Human Sciences at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of St Hugh's College. He teaches human evolution and the evolution of human cognition. Particular areas of interest include the emergence of ritual and religion, Palaeolithic imagery, and the evolutionary origins and archaeology of music.