ABSTRACT
Archaeology has very few big global questions that have stood the test of time. Three of them concern the origins of civilization, agriculture and modern humans, whilst hominid origins and evolution form a fourth. Research into these questions goes through a regular cycle. First they become a hot topic fuelled by international conferences, the formation of opposed sides, heated exchanges in the press as the topic catches public attention, and an escalation of papers, books and especially peer review comment. Then, gradually, the topic grows cold for several years until it re-emerges again on the front-burner of research.
