Beauty and love: ancient concepts our hominid ancestors experienced?

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But actually, according to prominent philosopher Denis Dutton, beauty is a gift handed down from our hominid ancestors.

A Darwinian theory of beauty postulates that beauty is central to humanity – and that it leads to love. There is evidence that universal concepts of aesthetics have been with us throughout evolution. Our appreciation of landscapes, and the beauty of the night sky, for example, could have roots older than language itself.

According to Darwinian theorist Dutton, the archaeological record shows that early hominids developed an appreciation of beauty which affected them in the same way we are affected today – by way of a sensory experience that could illicit an emotional response similar to “love”, which triggered sexual competition, which, in turn, was the driver of sexual selection.
There is indisputable archaeological evidence from about 75 000 years ago which indicates ideas of beauty. Pieces of ochre carved with abstract designs have been found at Bloembos Cave in the southern Cape.

Similarly, the incredible beauty of objects such as the bone arrowheads discovered at Sibudu Cave in northern KwaZulu-Natal, which are currently on display at Maropeng as part of the Treasures of our Past fossil display, seem to testify to more than brute functionality.

These artefacts are clearly beautiful and, according to Dutton’s theory, their beauty would be enhanced by their ability to strike down animals and provide vital protein to feed the group. In other words, some female hominids would have been impressed by the arrowheads and their male counterparts would have taken care to craft exceptional examples which were better than the work of their peers. This might have helped to lead females to experiencing feelings similar to love.

However, Dutton’s theory takes us much further back in time, about 1.4-million years or so. Aesthetically pleasing tear-shaped stone hand-axes found all over the world were crafted for their beauty, he argues. Some of the hand-axes show no sign of wear and tear so Dutton has speculated that they were not necessarily functional.

The theory is that some of these hand-axes were essentially the world’s first art, created by hominids for their beauty. The tool-maker would have demonstrated fine motor control, the ability to plan, conscientiousness and intelligence. These impressive traits or skills would have resulted in a reproductive advantage over less capable hominids.

To celebrate your own love this Valentine’s Day, Maropeng Boutique Hotel in the Cradle of Humankind is offering a sumptuous dinner for R350. Start with a welcome drink and chilled strawberry soup while enjoying the views and the evocative wonder of Maropeng before sitting down to enjoy a starter, your choice of a main course and dessert. Of course, you can always choose to spend the night in one of Maropeng Boutique Hotel’s deluxe rooms (there’s a Valentine’s special on at the hotel) and enjoy breakfast the next morning.

Book with Maropeng online for the Valentine’s Day celebration dinner and accommodation special.