The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn From Traditional Societies?

  infant bilingualism, 391–92

  infanticide, 177–79, 286, 287

  learning from traditional societies, 25, 174–76, 207–9, 462–63

  multi-age playgroups, 200–202

  play and education, 202–6, 208, 285–86

  responses to crying infants, 190–92, 208

  transportation of, 184–85, plates 21, 38, 39

  war and, 141, 146, 157, 163

  chimpanzees, 157, 183, 418

  China

  diabetes in, 430, 438table, 450

  elder status, 221, plate 23

  language diversity, 376, 377

  Mandarin Chinese language, 372, 405

  salt intake, 421, 426

  wars involving Chinese speakers, 164

  Christianity, 325, 345–46, 352, 358, 360, 361

  success of, 364, 365

  See also Catholicism; Mormonism

  Chukchi people, 215, 216, 228, 229

  Chumash Indians, 16, 17, 27fig., 133

  Churchill, Winston, 217, 407

  Cipriani, Lidio, 444table

  See also Andaman Islanders

  Cistercian order, 353

  Civil War, 145–46

  clans, 15

  climate, 307–8, 310, 377–78

  cognition, 239, 405

  Alzheimer’s disease, 392–95

  multilingualism and, 387–95

  origins of religion and, 336–40, 355

  Columbus, Christopher, 14

  communes, 362–63

  compensation processes, 29, 87–90, 94–95, 100–101, 102–4, 112

  New Guinea accidental death case, 80–81, 82–85

  in state justice systems, 103–4, 112, 117

  competition, age-based, 227–31

  competitive play, 204

  Confucianism, 221, 328

  Connolly, Bob, First Contact, 57, 58

  constructive paranoia, 30, 55, 243–75

  See also dangers; risk; specific types of danger

  conversation. See talk

  Cornish language, 408

  Costa Rica, 155–56

  Cowgill, Donald, 221–22, 223, 230

  cows, disputes over, 158

  Nuer raiding, 44, 137, 139, 146, 158, 165

  cradle boards, 184, 185–86

  creationism, 345–46

  Crespí, Juan, 133

  criminal justice, 99, 108–14, 117, 118, 167

  Cro-Magnons, 60, 64, 68table, 340, plate 25

  crocodiles, 280, plate 43

  Crow Indians, 215, 341table

  crowd diseases, 294–96

  crying infants, 190–92, 208

  cultural diversity, 7, 20–23, 28

  culture

  elders as stewards of, 213, 219–20, 235, 237–38

  language and, 370, 405, 406, 407–8

  dangers, 24, 30–31, 276–319, 464

  attitudes about fear, 284–85

  children’s exposure to, 173–74, 193, 197–200

  dangerous animals, 199, 200, 271, 279table, 280, 282–83, 285, 286, plate 43

  thrill-seeking, 318–19

  travel and stranger encounters, 49–50, 54–55, 271–72

  types and impacts, 245, 270–71, 276–78, plates 42, 43, 44

  See also accidents; constructive paranoia; disease(s); environmental hazards; food scarcity; risk; violence

  Dani people, 16, 55, 119, 416, plate 1

  children’s play, 203, 204

  map, 26fig.

  territoriality, 42, plate 13

  trade, 66, 68table, 71–72, 73

  Dani warfare, 15, 54–55, 119–28, 165, plate 36

  features of, 120–21, 143–44, 145, 146

  mortality rates, 127–28, 139, plate 36

  time-line, 121–27

  Danish language, 402–3

  Daribi people, 16, 26fig., 68table, 70, 297–98, 308

  Dead Birds (film), 120

  death

  religion and, 329, 351–52

  See also mortality

  death penalty, 110

  Dennett, Daniel, 327table

  diabetes, 4, 31, 292–93, 413, 427–49

  in Europeans, 438table, 447–49

  genetic factors, 431–32, 434, 436–37, 441–47

  in India, 430, 431, 433, 437, 438table, 440–41, 450

  Nauru Islanders, 435–37, 439table, 446, 449

  Pima Indians, 434–35, 439table

  rates of, 429–30, 433, 438–39table, 447

  risk factors, 417, 431–34

  types of, 430–31

  Wanigela people, 411, 439table

  dialects, 372–74

  diet

  diabetes and, 429, 430, 432–33, 434, 440, 443

  food availability and, 310, 313–15, 316

  hypertension and, 417–21, 423–25

  learning from traditional societies, 462, 465

  salt intake, 415–17, 425–28

  sugar and carbohydrates intake, 428–29

  Westernized, non-communicable diseases and, 413–14, 432–33, 449–50

  See also food entries

  Dingane, 137

  Dingiswayo, 148

  Dinka people, 44, 54, 137, 139, 146, 158

  disease(s), 292–96, 353, 412, 435

  food scarcity and, 299

  responses to, 296–98, 339

  Western lifestyle adoption and, 411–14, 432–33, 449–50

  See also diabetes; hypertension

  dispersal and aggregation, 291, 310, 315–16

  dispute resolution, 160, 466, plates 15, 16

  attribution of fault, 96, 102–3

  by fighting, 95

  international disputes, 101–2

  See also state justice systems; traditional dispute resolution; warfare

  divorce, 90–91, 105–6

  dowsing, 342, 350–51, plate 46

  Driver, Daniel, 98, 109

  drowning, 281

  Dugum Dani people. See Dani people

  Durkheim, Émile, 327table, 328

  Dwyer, Michael, 57

  Eaton, S. Boyd, 414, 450

  Eble, Mary, 113

  economic specialization, 10, 11, 15, 16–17, 18

  trade specialists, 62–63, 66

  education

  educational play, 202–6

  formal, 200–201, 205, 235, 399, 401

  storytelling as, 285–86

  Efe Pygmies, 187, 188, 191

  egalitarianism, 12, 13, 14, 197

  child-rearing and, 194, 197, 198

  religion and, 353

  elders, 24, 30, 210–40

  abandonment, neglect, or killing of, 213, 214–17, 286

  Alzheimer’s disease and multilingualism, 392–95

  as children’s care-givers, 187, 188, 218

  as cultural stewards, 213, 219–20, 235, 237–38

  defining old age, 211

  learning from traditional societies, 236–40, 465–66

  modern trends affecting, 231–36

  social reinforcement of elder authority, 227–31

  social values and elders’ status, 221–27

  talents, strengths and weaknesses of, 238–40, plates 40, 41

  usefulness of, 212, 217–20, 221, 224, 225–26, 232, 235–39, plate 22

  widowhood, 233

  See also life expectancies

  electricity-producing fish, 334–36

  Ember, Carol, 161

  Ember, Melvin, 161

  emotional security, 180–81, 192, 208–9

  enemies, 49

  defeated, fate of, 141, 146, 158–59

  demonization of, 120, 125, 159, 168–70

  religion and, 352, 358–59, 366

  unsuspected, travel and, 54–55

  See also killing(s); strangers; territoriality; violence; warfare

  Enga people, 26fig., 68table, 75, 479–80

  England, 304, 306, 311–12

  See also Britain

  English language, 372, 373–74, 379–80, 395, 400, 401, 407–8

 
environmental conditions

  evolution and, 334

  language diversity and, 378

  salt intake and, 420

  territoriality and, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 155

  trade patterns and, 71–72

  travel/geographic knowledge and, 55–56

  warfare and, 155, 156, 160, 161–62

  environmental hazards, 277–78, plates 42, 43, 44

  avoidance and vigilance, 243–44, 282–86

  child autonomy and, 198–200

  Erikson, Erik, 174–75

  Esen, Tevfik, 397

  Eurasian peoples, 26fig., 309table, 311

  See also specific groups

  Europe

  aggregation and dispersal cycles, 315

  child punishment, 193, 194

  criminal punishment, 110, 111, 118

  diabetes rates, 438table, 447–49

  dialects, 373–74

  elder treatment, 223–24

  food in, 309table, 416–17, 448–49

  homicide rates, 288

  language diversity and loss, 371, 396, 399

  multilingualism, 383

  See also specific countries and languages

  European contact. See first contacts

  European expansion and colonialism, 14, 18, 22, 57, 132

  anthropological studies and, 477–78

  effects on violence, 132, 133–34, 148–54, 288–89

  language diversity and, 380, 398

  wars of conquest, 144, 360

  euthanasia, 232

  Evans-Pritchard, E. E., 53, 95, 158, 301

  Everett, Daniel, 176–77, 188, 194–95, 197, 198, 444table, 479

  executive control, multilingualism and, 388–89, 391

  exogamy, 43, 76, 291

  linguistic, 384, 385

  Explorations into Highland New Guinea (Leahy), 58

  Eyak language, 397, 408, plate 47

  famines. See food scarcity

  farming, 7, 10, 19, 303–6

  See also food production

  farming societies, 14, 15, 16, 348, 353

  aggregation and dispersal cycles, 315–16

  children in, 180, 194, 195, 198

  elder authority, 229, 230

  food sharing and storage, 301, 309table, 311

  infectious diseases, 295

  language diversity, 379, 380–81

  war in, 139, 156

  See also specific groups

  Faroese language, 401

  fathers, 178, 186–87

  Fayu people, 26fig., 133, 279table, 297–98, 480–81

  warfare, 132, 133, 134, 165

  feasting, 137, 291, 303, plates 26, 27

  feuds, 89, 95–96, 129–30, 131

  fighting, 95, 138, 286, 289, 290

  See also violence; warfare

  Fiji, 151, 210

  Finland, 162–63, 421, 427

  First Contact (Connolly and Anderson), 57, 58

  first contacts, 56–59, 263, 480–81, plate 29

  with New Guineans, 2, 57–59, 119, plates 30, 31

  fish, electricity-producing, 334–36

  food

  disputes over, 93

  trade in, 68–69table, 70, 71, 72

  food acquisition, 10, 187, 203, 205, 218, 278, 282–84

  See also hunting

  food availability

  burdensome elders and, 214, 217

  fluctuations in, 299, 300–303, 307–8

  gluttony and, 443–44, 444table

  language diversity and, 379

  thrifty-gene hypothesis, 442–47

  warfare and, 150–51, 160

  weaning and, 180

  See also food scarcity

  food production

  political organization and, 16, 19, 356

  population size/density and, 10, 12, 13, 19

  See also farming

  food scarcity, 277, 298–316, 445

  aggregation and dispersal and, 310, 315–16

  diabetes and the thrifty-gene hypothesis, 442–49

  diet broadening, 310, 313–15

  field scattering and, 303–6

  food sharing mechanisms, 300–303

  infanticide and, 177

  infectious diseases and, 292

  malnourishment and starvation, 292, 298–300, 308

  seasonal fluctuations, 307–8

  storage and preservation methods, 300, 309table, 310–13, 416

  food taboos, 227–28

  foraging. See food acquisition

  Fore language, 7, 273, 274

  Fore people, 16, 26fig., 94–95, 271–72, 273–74, 300

  France and the French, 140, 146–47, 156, 319

  Breton language, 399, 465

  Frazer, James, 327table

  French language, 381, 401

  in Canada, 375, 403, 404, 409

  Freud, Sigmund, 175

  friendship, 49, 51–53

  Frisian language, 404, 408–9

  functional change, 334–36

  of religion, 344–45, 367–68, 367fig.

  gambling, 350

  Gammage, Bill, 58

  Ganesan, A., 441

  garden farmers, 14

  See also Dani people; Machiguenga Indians; New Guinea and New Guinean peoples

  Gardner, Robert, 120

  Geertz, Clifford, 328table

  Geimer, Samantha, 110

  genetic factors

  diabetes, 431–32, 434, 436–37, 441–49

  elder treatment, 212–13

  in evolution, 333–34

  hypertension, 421–22, 424–25

  in warfare, 155–57

  geographic knowledge, 29, 54–56, 75

  geography

  language diversity and, 376–82

  See also environmental conditions

  German language, 373, 375

  Germany, 156

  before World War II, 102, 130, 161, 165

  infant and child care, 190–91, 193

  military technology, 142

  Talheim pit burial, 134–35

  war mortality, 139–40, 319

  gift-giving, 61, 62, 65–67, 94

  gluttony, 444, 445, plate 27

  Goetz, Bernhard, 107

  Goland, Carol, 304, 305–6

  Goldman, Ron, 112

  Goodale, Jane, 91, 216, 284

  gossip, 274

  government. See political organization; states

  Grady, Mark, 107–8

  grandparents, 187, 188, 218, 236–37

  See also elders

  Great Basin Shoshone Indians, 27fig., 47–48, 156, 315–16

  food storage, 309table, 310, 311, 315–16

  Great Plains Indians, 151, 309table, 311

  See also specific groups

  Greenland Inuit, 156, 381

  Greenland Norse, 290, 308

  Gretzky, Wayne, 270, 283

  group affiliation, 16, 49–54, 75–76, 343

  language and, 376, 407–8

  religions as social groups, 329, 330, 331, 332, 343–44, 363, 368

  territoriality and, 43, 45, 47, 50–51

  See also enemies; friends; social bonds; strangers

  Guarani language, 398

  Guns, Germs, and Steel (Diamond), 19

  Gwembe Tonga farmers, 314

  Hadza people, 26fig., 188, 200, 218, plates 5, 21

  Haitian revolution, 138

  Handwerker, W. Penn, 347

  Harvard Baliem Valley expedition, 119–20, 122, 132, 153

  Harvard investments, 307, plate 45

  head-hunting, 151, 158–59

  healers (shamans), 297–98, 339, 348, 355–56

  health, 24, 31–32, 410–51

  Alzheimer’s disease, 392–95

  of elders, 231

  infections, 281–82

  learning from traditional societies, 414, 462, 465

  See also diabetes; disease(s); hypertension; mortality

  Hebrews, ancient, 229, 230

  Heider, Karl, 59, 120, 127, 203

>   Heine, Steven, 8

  Henrich, Joseph, 8

  herding societies, 15, 16, 19

  children in, 194, 195–96, 198

  elders in, 229, 230

  food and food storage, 301, 309table, 311

  See also specific groups

  hermits, 330, 353

  Hewlett, Bonnie, 456

  high blood pressure. See hypertension

  Hill, Kim, 178

  See also Ache Indians

  Hindi, 372

  hippopotamus, 280

  Holmberg, Allan, 60, 179, 215, 297, 444table

  Hopi Indians, 214

  horses, 158

  Howell, Nancy, 178–79, 212, 287, 288

  Hrdy, Sarah Blaffer, 191

  Huangdi neijing suwen, 418

  hunter-gatherer societies, 7, 353

  breast-feeding and birth intervals, 179–81, 182–83

  child autonomy, 196–200

  child care, 187–88

  child punishment, 194–95

  egalitarianism, 13, 14, 197, 198

  food acquisition and scarcity, 187, 301, 309table, 315–16

  infant-parent contact, 181–82, 184

  information sources and quality, 478

  multi-age playgroups, 201–2

  political organization and, 10, 13, 14, 15, 17–18

  war in, 139, 156

  See also nomadism; specific peoples

  hunting, 348

  children’s training, 203–4, 205–6, 349

  hazards of, 271, 272–73, 278, 279table, 280, 281, 284–85

  salt intake and, 415

  territoriality and, 42–43

  uncertainty of success, 300–303

  Hurtado, A. Magdalena, 178

  See also Ache Indians

  Hutterite colonies, 363

  hyenas, 154–55

  hygiene, 293–94, 296–97

  hypertension, 4, 31, 32, 292, 411, 417–28

  causes, 421–25

  salt intake and, 417–21, 423–25

  Iceland Norse, 290

  Icelandic language, 401

  identity. See group affiliation

  Iliad, 143

  independence, 224

  child autonomy, 173–74, 188–89, 192, 196–200, 205, 208–9

  India

  diabetes in, 430, 431, 433, 437, 438table, 440–41, 450

  language diversity, 371, 401

  individualism, 91–92, 224, 457

  Indonesia, 396

  Indonesian New Guinea, 5

  See also New Guinea

  Indonesian traders, 67

  inequality, 12, 13, 17, 18, 481

  child-rearing and, 194, 198

  religion and, 353

  See also egalitarianism; power relationships

  infanticide, 177–79, 286, 287

  infants. See children

  infections, 281–82

  infectious diseases, 292, 293–96, 412, 435

  insect bites, 281–82

  Inuit, 228, 315, 341table

  elder treatment, 214, 215

  expansion and language diversity, 381, 386

  hunting and environmental hazards, 272–73, 278, 279table

  traditional food storage, 309table

  See also Alaska North Slope Inuit; Iñupiat; other specific groups