When a Sense of Place Lies at the Heart of a Community from the Upper Paleolithic to Glenorchy, New Zealand

Abstract

Little is specifically known of the hunter gatherer people who were cave artists in the Upper Paleolithic in Europe; however, much has been extracted from the archaeological record which speaks to a largely peaceful tradition in which cultural and artistic traditions lasted over nearly 20 millennia. Drawing from the work of Binford, Dunbar, Mithen, and Guthrie, this chapter initially examines ways in which the archaeological record suggests that humans evolved as co-relational figures in relationship with the natural world through a combination of small group sizes; a proclivity towards anthropomorphism; neurological development privileging storytelling, dance, and laughter; and a cultural ethos valuing conserving the natural world through a series of moral and ethical codes of behavior creating kinship relationships with the nonhuman world. Moving from the distant past, the author then examines these same concepts from within the modern day community of Glenorchy, New Zealand, and its capacity to thrive as a community which appears to privilege its relationship to the natural world. Looking at the connections between past and present, this chapter considers ways in which contemporary communities can draw from human history and position a strong sense of place as a source of personal identity to strengthen an outlook towards positive peace in the future.