Radical AnthropologyIn our view, the most significant book on #humanorigins from last century, focused on the emergence of #symbolicculture is #ChrisKnight 's
'Blood Relations: Menstruation and the Origins of Culture' (1991, Yale UP)
A #marxist and structuralist, Knight saw the domain of symbolism as critical to becoming human. He produced a comprehensive interdisciplinary volume combining #huntergatherer ethnography, #primate #behaviouralecology and #archaeology -- even early molecular genetics (this was when #AfricanEve was 1st dated). Following primatologists like #SarahHrdy he put female strategies front and centre of his account.
From his #socialanthropology background, Knight was aware of taboos on #menstruation and initiation #rituals, and the #totemic logic of sexual and economic exchange in hunter-gatherer economics. He argued for a culture-creating #sexstrike as source of human solidarity ✊
#humanorigins #sexstrike #humanrevolution
You can download the book here
https://libcom.org/article/blood-relations-menstruation-and-origins-culture-chris-knight-complete-book
Blood Relations: Menstruation and the origins of culture - Chris Knight (complete book)
This highly original book presents a new theory of the origins of human culture. Integrating perspectives of evolutionary biology and social anthropology within a Marxist framework, Chris Knight rejects the common assumption that human culture was a modified extension of primate behaviour and argues instead that it was the product of an immense social, sexual and political revolution initiated by women.