Introduction to ‘Theoretical Pathways’: Thinking About Human Endeavour During the Middle Stone Age and Middle Palaeolithic

Abstract In this brief introduction, we present and contextualise ‘theoretical pathways’ elaborated in special issue, terms of understanding humanity from a deep-time perspective. The participating authors discuss wide range approaches related to thinking about human endeavour during the Middle Stone Age Palaeolithic ranging constraints technological niches Material Engagement Theory aspects palaeo-neurology, agent-based models self-domestication co-evolutionary model building. Together, contributions demonstrate that current theoretical aim explain require multi-disciplinary approaches, for some researchers, trend is move away symbolic standard or sudden mutation. By doing so, each contribution, its own way, enhances our ‘being’ ‘becoming’ time slice between 300,000 30,000 years ago. work represented here makes it increasingly clear singular particular aspect did not ‘give birth’ Homo sapiens Africa and/or Eurasia Palaeolithic. Instead, all complexity was probably shaped by broad factors processes took place over an extended period.