Naturalistic evolutionist and anthropologist Christopher Stringer expresses his wonder at the archeological record thus:

"For millenia upon millenia, we had been churning out the same forms of stone utensils, for example. But about 40,000 years ago, a perceptible shift in our handiwork took place. Throughout the Old World, tool kits leapt in sophistication with the appearance of Upper Paleolithic style implements. Signs of use of ropes, bone spear points, fishhooks and harpoons emerge, along with sudden manifestations of sculpture, paintings, and musical instruments.

"We also find evidence of the first long distance exchange of stones and beads. Objects made of mammal bone and ivory, antlers, marine and fresh water shells, fossil coral, limestone, schist, steatite, jet, lignite, hematite, and pyrite were manufactured. Materials were chosen with extraordinary care: some originated hundreds of miles from their point of manufacture.

"It is an extraordinary catalogue of achievements that seem to have come about virtually from nowhere, though obviously they did have a source. The question is: What was it?"¹

Well, Dr. Stringer, with all due respect, perhaps those creatures that had previously been so primitive "for millenia upon millenia" were not "us." Perhaps the "extraordinary catalogue of achievements" suddenly appearing in the archeological record 40,000 years ago provides evidence, not of a sudden "leap" in evolution (a leap which evolution, as we all understand it, would never countenance), but instead evidence of a momentous event wrought by the Creator of the universe by means of which human beings made in His image suddenly came into existence immediately expressing this image (Genesis 1:26-28). I fully understand that this is likely not your preferred explanation, but might it not yet be the best explanation?

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy" (Hamlet, Act I, scene v).

"By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible" (Hebrews 11:3).

Blessings,

Arnie

¹Fazale Rana and Hugh Ross, Who was Adam, Navpress, 2005, 84.