Space, Time and Man
A Prehistorian's View

A remarkable account of man's understanding of his place in space and time, from prehistory to the present.

Grahame Clark (Author)

9780521467629, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 25 March 1994

184 pages, 48 b/w illus.
21.5 x 13.5 x 1.3 cm, 0.255 kg

'Grahame Clark studies the human animal in a vast perspective of space and time, showing how the adventure of human exploration has shaped our understanding of the world and of our place in it. It is a remarkable survey, taking a broad sweep, and probably only Grahame Clark, author of World Prehistory, could have written a work so comprehensive in its scope.' Colin Renfrew

Human understanding of time and space has been developing since the most primitive societies began to record an awareness of their history and environment. Grahame Clark, a distinguished prehistorian, describes that process and its extension with the emergence of technology, social organisation and the capacity for abstract thought. Moving from preliterate to civilised societies, he charts the various phases of transition, marked most notably by the growth of geographical discovery culminating in the circumnavigation of the earth, and the growth of a deeper, more critical view of human history. Our own period takes this fascinating account into the exploration of outer space and the search for an understanding of man's place in the cosmos.

List of figures
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. From animal ecology to human history
2. Space in preliterate societies
3. Time in preliterate societies
4. Civilization and the expansion of space
5. Civilization and the deepening of historical time
6. Evolution and world prehistory
7. Extraterrestrial space and time
8. Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Prehistoric archaeology [HDDA]