Technological Mimesis: The Echo of a Prae-Human Civilization in the Lithic Industry of the Lower Paleolithic
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This working paper presents a formal thought experiment that expands upon the foundations of the "Silurian Hypothesis" (Frank & Schmidt, 2018). It addresses the deep-time sustainability paradox: if a highly advanced, technologically sophisticated non-human civilization existed during the Mesozoic era (the age of the dinosaurs) and operated under a strict ecological, zero-waste paradigm, it would remain entirely invisible to the traditional fossil and geological record due to tectonic recycling and surface erosion over 66 million years. Building on this premise, the paper introduces the hypothesis of "Technological Mimesis." It proposes that highly standardized, geometrically precise stone tools of the Lower Paleolithic (such as the Acheulean handaxes crafted by Homo erectus) could be reinterpreted not as independent primitive inventions, but as morphological mimicry. Early hominids encountering extremely durable, uncomprehended technological relics (composed of titanium, ceramics, or advanced glasses) may have meticulously replicated their external shapes using the only materials available to them: lithic resources. Furthermore, the paper explores the striking, synchronized global transition of hominid societies toward sedentarism and monumental architecture approximately 11,500 years ago, analyzing whether this "Neolithic Revolution" was a reaction to an abrupt global climate shock or the dispersion of a localized cultural spark carried by survivors of a preceding era. Ultimately, the hypothesis frames evolutionary and technological progress within the cosmic law of collapse and creation, offering a novel perspective on cognitive evolution and the interpretation of the archaeological record.
Author: Rachle, D.
Language: English
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225729650
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