Complex social interactions form the basis for all facets of our modern life. They are based on rules and regulations that individuals and groups have agreed upon. Today these agreements are often governed and orchestrated by social segmentation and hierarchical structures, a result of a diversification of our social environments that started all over the globe not earlier than in later Prehistory, masking and overprinting the complex array of social interactions scientifically documented. Thus, the existence of (potential) human behavioural universals remains heavily disputed and hard to assess.
A glimpse into deep history on a multi-disciplinary scale can contribute to a deeper understanding of our more ingrained human setup with questions such as to when did we adopt the perspective of others, when did we start to transform empathy into care or when did we start to view the world through the lens of rules and regu-lations that made us unique individuals? These are just some of the questions that might enable us to more closely understand what makes us human.
Scientific Organizers:
Prof. Dr. Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser (JGU, Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie)
Dr. Olaf Jöris (JGU, Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie)