The Threshold of Civilization: An Experiment in Prehistory by Fairservis, Walter A., Jr - 1975

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975. 1st Printing. Trade Paperback. Very Good. First printing. Bottom corner of rear wrapper lightly creased. 1975 Trade Paperback. xii, 256 pp. "Man as man has probably existed on the earth for more than a half million years, but has lived a civilized life for only the last five thousand. Though it is certain that modern life is civilized life, civilization itself seems to escape definition. There is no certainty as to exactly what it is, what purpose it serves in human history, or where it is leading. In The Threshold to Civilization Walter A. Fairservis, Jr., analyzes three important prehistoric sites--Terra Amata on the French Riviera, Dolni Vestonice in Slovakia, and Catal Huyuk in south central Turkey--in terms of their levels of cognition. He shows that the stages of awareness characteristic of the three sites are strikingly similar to those exhibited by infants at various stages of their mental growth. Prehistory can thus be seen as the time in which a consciousness of the human potential came into being and brought man to the threshold of civilization. The knowledge gained through the proper study of that prelude should give man an insight into the meaning and direction of civilization. The three sites examined are famous for their extensive preservation, and the artifacts that have survived can be used like clues in a detective story. With sufficient background and insight it is possible to deduce from these artifacts not only the customs of the people who used them but their attitudes and beliefs as well. From his examination of the evidence, Dr. Fairsvervis concludes that the progression indicated by the three sites testifies to a direction in man's cultural evolution which, properly understood, holds out considerable hope for the future."--rear wrapper