In the 19th century's most influential archaeology textbook, Pre-historic Times, as Illustrated by Ancient Remains, and the Manners and Customs of Modern Savages (1865), John Lubbock argued that:
A) because the world's food supply is inherently inadequate, infants in primitive societies must struggle to survive; those who do survive possess favorable characteristics, and thus pass these characteristics on to future generations.
B) conflict between societies and between classes within the same society benefits humanity in the long run because it removes unfit individuals and social forms.
C) contemporary "primitives" were living approximations of what Europeans used to be (in other words, these primitives had not evolved to the same degree that Europeans had).
D) human cultural evolution could be divided into three phases: savagery, barbarism, and civilization.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

John Lubbock's argument in "Pre-historic Times" reflects a Eurocentric view of human development, suggesting that contemporary "primitive" societies were living examples of earlier stages of European development, implying a lack of evolution or progress compared to European societies.

In the 19th Century's Most Influential Archaeology Textbook, Pre-Historic Times