Language, and the ability to speak, is a characteristic of mankind which sets humans apart from living organisms of the plant and animal world. However, it has long been thought of as a recent evolutionary adaptation available to humans within the past 50,000 years. In this article, the author suggests that language had existed in early humans long before previously believed. Through his investigation on language in early hominid craniums, he points at evidence in support of spoken word from a very early date. His data consists of anatomical evidence on the organization of the human brain and of the vocal tract, stone tools, and abstractions through art and ritual behavior.
