We often overlook the role of children in prehistory, assuming they were naive figures free of responsibility. But recent research is revealing the way Ice Age children contributed meaningfully to their community, from herding animals to making stone tools. Take for example a roughly 10,000 year old child’s burial in France, where hundreds of tiny beads made from Dentalium shells were found around their body. It likely would have taken 15-20 hours to produce the nine metres of beads found embroidered onto the child’s clothing, showing the grief their community must have felt at their passing. Read full article here
Culture
The Priest in the Arena
The phrase “man in the arena” has been popularized in recent years, but a lesser known, more dangerous archetype is the “priest in the arena”. This figure is responsible for a process called theocratic capture, where an institution surrenders to a cult demanding unaccountable authority, fueled by claims to privileged knowledge. These cults often target powerful institutions and attempt to monopolize conversations with scaremongering tactics and hostile treatment of allies. It is important to identify and stop theocratic capture before it can gain control. Read full article here
Merv
May 29, 2023
