I tend to agree with you on dating method accuracy vs the likelihood of a 14,000 year period of activity. Such a long period of activity seems like a stretch.
Regarding cultural evolution. There seems to be a historical trend of accelerating evolution. Projected 10s of thousands of years back in time, this means that 1,000 years of technological evolution produced very little change. Prehistoric artifacts that survive are a small fraction of those made but those we have lots of (mainly stone tools) do follow an accelerating evolution path. Going back to cro magnum and older subspecies, we find 100,000s of years where technology remains unchanged. Big stone axes manufactured in the same places with the same methods. The Oldowan industry of ancient hominins existed, often using the same quarries for hundreds of thousands of years.
Also, we have cave painting sites in Australia with thousands of years of artwork where the tradition of cave painting survived into modern times. Some ancient sites even recorded the arrival for colonialists.
Ancient human history is strange. I agree on every point but… I think it's also good to keep an open mind and not allow our modern ideas of how human societies change, especially the pace of change colour our conclusions too much.
Regarding cultural evolution. There seems to be a historical trend of accelerating evolution. Projected 10s of thousands of years back in time, this means that 1,000 years of technological evolution produced very little change. Prehistoric artifacts that survive are a small fraction of those made but those we have lots of (mainly stone tools) do follow an accelerating evolution path. Going back to cro magnum and older subspecies, we find 100,000s of years where technology remains unchanged. Big stone axes manufactured in the same places with the same methods. The Oldowan industry of ancient hominins existed, often using the same quarries for hundreds of thousands of years.
Also, we have cave painting sites in Australia with thousands of years of artwork where the tradition of cave painting survived into modern times. Some ancient sites even recorded the arrival for colonialists.
Ancient human history is strange. I agree on every point but… I think it's also good to keep an open mind and not allow our modern ideas of how human societies change, especially the pace of change colour our conclusions too much.