Small groups - big impact. The foundations of human community

Co-operation and competition are central concepts of our human existence in both evolutionary theory and management theory. Humans are capable of both types of behaviour. But which of the two characterises us? Are we better at one than the other? Our cultural memory only goes back to the beginning of written records. A search for traces of the hunter-gatherers of the Ice Age provides surprising insights into the beginning of our human existence. Until 10,000 years ago, hunting and gathering were the only form of political and economic organisation for humans worldwide. It has accompanied us for more than 4 million years, shaping our human development and the foundations of human community.