Toward Periodization of the Biosocial Era of the Big History: A Reanalysis

We have undertaken an attempt to propose a periodization of the Big History Biosocial (Anthropogenesis) Era on the basis the most recent scientific data. This periodization is complexity-based, that is, the boundaries of the identified epochs are marked with complexity jumps, that is, in our case, such phase transitions that result in significant increases in both biological and sociocultural complexity of the evolving planetary biosocial systems. This has allowed us to identify the following epochs: (1) Australopithecine Epoch – from c. 4.2 million BP up to c. 2.9–2.4 million BP – emergence of the australopithecines with subsequent (rather vague) indications of increases in sociocultural complexity. (2) Oldowan-Habilis Epoch – from c. 2.9–2.4 million BP up to c. 2 million BP – emergence of the Oldowan stone tool industry and the first Homo species. (3) Early Acheulean-Erectus Epoch – from c. 2 million BP to c. 900–500 thousand BP –emergence of Homo erectus followed by the invention of Early Acheulean stone tool technology. (4) Late Acheulean-Heidelbergensis Epoch – from c. 900–500 thousand BP to c. 300,000 BP – emergence of Homo heidelbergensis followed by the invention of Late Acheulean stone tool technology, including production of first composite tools, and other major advances in sociocultural complexity – systematic use of fire, construction of dwellings etc. (5) Middle Paleolithic Epoch – epoch of Neanderthals, Denisovans, and early Homo sapiens – from c. 300,000 BP to c. 50,000 BP – emergence of the three most advanced and complex Homo species (Neanderthals, Denisovans, and early Homo sapiens), in comparison with all the previous species of our genus; major advances in sociocultural complexity (Middle Paleolithic Levallois-based stone technologies, intentional burials with ritualistic elements, personal ornaments and pigment use, engraved art and mark-making, structured use of space and so on). Note that, within the proposed Big History periodization, the Upper Paleolithic Revolution (c. 60–40 thousand years ago) marks the end of both the Middle Paleolithic Epoch –epoch of Neanderthals, Denisovans, and early Homo sapiens – and the end of the BH Biosocial Era. It is also shown that most extent complexity based periodizations of the Big History (including the ones proposed by Theodore Modis and Alexander Popov) contradict significantly the presently available scientific data on human evolution and need serious amendments as regards the periodization of the BH Biosocial Era. On the other hand, it has been shown that this does not invalidate our earlier calculations of the planetary complexity growth patterns based on the mathematical analysis of the Modis and Panov series. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that after the replacement of Modis’ and Panov’s dates of the Big History Biosocial Era complexity jumps with more accurate dates, the calculation continues to detect essentially the same patterns of the hyperbolic acceleration of the planetary biosocial complexity growth.