When Did We Become Mentally Modern? (Essay Sample)

When Did We Become Mentally Modern?
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When Did We Become Mentally Modern?
Human evolution is a vital topic, researchers and anthropologists such as Charles Darwin use to explain the changes in nature. The subject touches on various aspects of our world, including the stages man and other living things have gone through to become what they are in the current, modern days. As such, the anthropologists search for evidence to prove their theories and show the changes that man has had over the years, for example. Charles Darwin and other anthropologists have provided concrete proof of the changes man, and other living organisms went through the years during the evolution process (Spiegel, 2010). However, few of the renowned anthropologists have sought to provide evidence of the time man became mentally modern. The big question is when humans turned from acting like other animals in the environment. The modern man is mentally advanced as evidenced by the creations he has made, for instance. Thus, it is clear that at some point in the past years, he gained an edge over other living organisms by undergoing mental development.
Alex Spiegel (2010) presents an intriguing article addressing the moment man developed his mental thinking to a level advanced than the rest of the living things. It is notable that symbolism is a crucial aspect of the modern man. Symbols are a common feature used by man and help in the communication process. Thus, it is clear that if man underwent mental development, symbolism is one of the features to have gained. Using symbols is a part of the current man’s world, for example, using flags, having demarcations between nations, dressing in uniforms and lingual differences (Spiegel, 2010). All the aforementioned cases are examples of modern symbols that man has embraced and created an edge over all other living things.
In the article, Alex talks about a crucial discovery that answers the query about when man became mentally modern (Spiegel, 2010). Chris Henshilwood, a Norwegian academic, unraveled what seemed like shells in a cave in South Africa. However, upon closer observations of the shells, he discovered that they were beads, given the constant perforations on the small stones at the same positions. In his conclusion, Chris determined that the beads were about 75000 years old (Spiegel, 2010). Moreover, he established that the beads formed something like a ring when attached with a string. As such, the ring was a symbol among the humans about 75000 years ago (Spiegel, 2010).
Given that using symbols are a modern aspect, it shows that its discovery is the time man started the modernization process. Creating a beaded ornament was a strong sign of the modernization of man’s mentality. Additionally, the precision of the perforations of the beads was also a sign that humans had created tools. The art created with the beads strongly suggests that man’s talent in the same grew at around 75000 years ago (Spiegel, 2010). The creativity displays man’s capability of having an edge over other living things.
Currently, man’s works around the world are advanced, and none of the animals have shown such a level of intelligence, which is a clear sign that man has an edge over other living things. Recognizing the essence of the symbolism in life is a crucial modern way of life and it separates man from other living things. Man’s creation of a symbolic item at such an early stage in the evolution process reveals his development of the brain. In addition, it represents a moment when man gained an edge over other living things.
Charles Darwin believed that living things undergo the natural selection process (Spiegel, 2010). The strongest fit in the natural world and man has proved to come out as a strong species. Man’s strength to survive in the world is represented by the fact that he has never f...