- Palaeolithic Archaeology, Hominin Palaeontology, Evolutionary Psychology and Cognitive Psychology, Palaeoecology, Palaeoenvironment, and Palaeoclimate studies, Anthropological Genetics, Palaeopathology, Evolutionary psychology (Evolution), Cognitive Science, Cognitive archaeology, Ice Age Cave Art, Rock Art, and 11 moreChildrens Drawings, Material culture, Neuroarchaeology, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Visual perception, Cultural Anthropology, Archaeology, Aesthetics, Visual Culture, Human Evolution, Evolution, and Merlin Donaldedit
- My research interests include understanding the archaeological record from the perspective of Evolutionary Psychology... moreMy research interests include understanding the archaeological record from the perspective of Evolutionary Psychology, Palaeoneurology, and Neuroarchaeology, which involves demonstrating how the structure of the brain as well as associated cognitive processes, can be exploited to understand the material record. Also interested in understanding ways in which the brain of modern human differs from nonhuman primates in order to explain the evolution of hominin cognitive abilities. Palaeolithic art is also of special interest as well as stone tools, which is approached by applying the findings of the above disciplines.edit
Pareidolia (seeing meaningful things in patterns) is regarded as a concept that can help identify and interpret rock art. However, its usefulness is deceptive and, consequently, can give rise to significant problems with interpretation... more
Pareidolia (seeing meaningful things in patterns) is regarded as a concept that can help identify and interpret rock art. However, its usefulness is deceptive and, consequently, can give rise to significant problems with interpretation because it is such a fundamental attribute of the human visual system. In this paper, I show that the heuristics that underpin pareidolia can mislead researchers into accepting natural rock marks as examples of rock art. Nevertheless, the concept can, to some extent, be leveraged to provide a useful means to identify and interpret rock art by considering the tendency in the context of other types of imagery. By utilising the concept of 'hyperdolia', where the human visual system is primed by a range of evolutionary, psychological and socio-cultural factors, I demonstrate how that concept can provide a more reliable means than pareidolia that rock art researchers can exploit when assessing, for example, Upper Palaeolithic depictions of animals. By drawing attention to the similarities and differences between pareidolia and hyperdolia within the broader context of projective mental imagery, this paper shows how the differences can be valuable in furnishing a more nuanced understanding of the subtle characteristics that underpin the experience of imagery in different circumstances and psychological states that can be useful to rock art researchers.
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Pareidolia (seeing meaningful things in patterns) is regarded as a concept that can help identify and interpret rock art. However, its usefulness is deceptive and, consequently, can give rise to significant problems with interpretation... more
Pareidolia (seeing meaningful things in patterns) is regarded as a concept that can help identify and interpret rock art. However, its usefulness is deceptive and, consequently, can give rise to significant problems with interpretation because it is such a fundamental attribute of the human visual system. In this paper, I show that the heuristics that underpin pareidolia can mislead researchers into accepting natural rock marks as examples of rock art. Nevertheless, the concept can, to some extent, be leveraged to provide a useful means to identify and interpret rock art by considering the tendency in the context of other types of imagery. By utilising the concept of ‘hyperdolia’, where the human visual system is primed by a range of evolutionary, psychological and socio-cultural factors, I demonstrate how that concept can provide a more reliable means than pareidolia that rock art researchers can exploit when assessing, for example, Upper Palaeolithic depictions of animals. By drawing attention to the similarities and differences between pareidolia and hyperdolia within the broader context of projective mental imagery, this paper shows how the differences can be valuable in furnishing a more nuanced understanding of the subtle characteristics that underpin the experience of imagery in different circumstances and psychological states that can be useful to rock art researchers.
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Contents The Importance of Conveying Visual Information in Acheulean Society. The Background to the Visual Display Hypothesis Dr John McNabb, Centre for the Archaeology of Human Origins (CAHO), Department of Archaeology, University of... more
Contents The Importance of Conveying Visual Information in Acheulean Society. The Background to the Visual Display Hypothesis Dr John McNabb, Centre for the Archaeology of Human Origins (CAHO), Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 1BF, J.McNabb@soton.ac.uk The Identity Model: a theory to access visual display and hominin cognition within the Palaeolithic James Cole, Centre for the Archaeology of Human Origins (CAHO), Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 1BF, J.N.Cole@soton.ac.uk. Hominin Tool Production, Neural Integration and the Social Brain Derek Hodgson, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK dehogson@googlemail.com Rethinking Phylogeny and Ontogeny in Hominin Brain Evolution Fiona Coward, Department of Geography Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, fiona.coward@rhul.ac.uk Matt Grove, School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, G.09 Hartley Building, Brownlow Street, Liverpool L69 3GS, matt.grove@liverpool.ac.uk
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The organisation and evolution of the brain is beginning to provide clues as to how, why and when certain crucial behaviours may have arisen in hominins. As palaeoart constitutes evidence of such behaviour, it can therefore be understood... more
The organisation and evolution of the brain is beginning to provide clues as to how, why and when certain crucial behaviours may have arisen in hominins. As palaeoart constitutes evidence of such behaviour, it can therefore be understood within the broader context of hominin evolution as part of a series of connected biopsychosocial events that eventually led to the Upper Palaeolithic representations of animals. Iconic representation is accordingly shown to be linked in complex ways to how ‘representation’ occurred in the evolving brain in relation to the demands and dynamics of the evolutionary niche occupied by hominins.
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ABSTRACT Two recent papers in Current Anthropology (Henshilwood and Dubreuil 2011; Shea 2011) highlight a divide between those who still believe that “modern human behavior” can be accounted for by neurocognition and those who claim that... more
ABSTRACT Two recent papers in Current Anthropology (Henshilwood and Dubreuil 2011; Shea 2011) highlight a divide between those who still believe that “modern human behavior” can be accounted for by neurocognition and those who claim that this can be better explained by behavioral ecology. Unfortunately, each paper tended to remain within its own terms of reference and did not address the other’s concerns. This may have been because of the perceived incompatibility inherent in the opposing positions, but as is demonstrated below, there is much to be gained by taking a more conciliatory line.
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The symmetry of Acheulean bifaces has been the focus of much controversy. This controversy has intensified with the discovery of increasing numbers of symmetrical handaxes from various archaeological horizons. Whether such discoveries can... more
The symmetry of Acheulean bifaces has been the focus of much controversy. This controversy has intensified with the discovery of increasing numbers of symmetrical handaxes from various archaeological horizons. Whether such discoveries can inform us about the cognitive profile of their makers is still a provocative question. Nevertheless, some progress has been achieved thanks to developments in neuroscience and associated disciplines. In this chapter, I present evidence that reinforces the importance of symmetry for understanding cognitive evolution but, more than this, I show how the ability to comprehend geometry is not just crucial for making handaxes but also led to the ability to produce the first non-functional marks. I contend that, in both scenarios, an aesthetic propensity was an essential prerequisite.
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In view of the growing consensus that ―modern human behavior‖ is unable to be identified simply by appealing to a trait list that was thought, for example, to provide evidence for the purported appearance MHB during the European Upper... more
In view of the growing consensus that ―modern human behavior‖ is unable to be identified simply by appealing to a trait list that was thought, for example, to provide evidence for the purported appearance MHB during the European Upper Palaeolithic, it is now essential to look towards other possible explanations and approaches. Population dynamics, especially when considered alongside how information is transmitted within and between groups, has provided a useful alternative means of understanding variability in the archaeological record that can, when linked to neuro-cognition, help clarify possible behavioral correlates. The explanatory scope of this approach has, however, been limited by appeals to embodied or enactive cognition that now requires updating. In what follows, a more feasible approach to understanding variability in the archaeological record will be set out by showing how population dynamics, transmission effects, and neuro-cognition can be accommodated within a broader theoretical framework that encompasses both embodied and disembodied cognition. It will be argued that such an analysis can provide a more useful way of determining the relationship between archaeology and human behavior.
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Spatial cognition is fundamental to producing stone tools, with specific, dedicated neuronal pathways. These arise from primary sensory areas and later interact with higher-level pathways for increasingly complex purposes. These higher... more
Spatial cognition is fundamental to producing stone tools, with specific, dedicated neuronal pathways. These arise from primary sensory areas and later interact with higher-level pathways for increasingly complex purposes. These higher processes involve visuospatial memory, visuomotor control, attention, and planning. Although clarifying the way these pathways interact helps explain cognitive evolution, there is the problem of ascertaining how these attributes interact and feed back with the materials undergoing modification. Determining when and in what way this feedback mechanism led to a reshaping of cerebral architecture within the context of evolution of the brain is problematic because the link with cerebral substructures is not straightforward. This partly results from a delay between a cognitive attribute and its expression. This chapter explores the intricacies of spatial cognition in relation to these issues, especially with reference to making and using stone tools.
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The organisation and evolution of the brain is beginning to provide clues as to how, why and when certain crucial behaviours may have arisen in hominins. As palaeoart constitutes evidence of such behaviour, it can therefore be understood... more
The organisation and evolution of the brain is beginning to provide clues as to how, why and when certain crucial behaviours may have arisen in hominins. As palaeoart constitutes evidence of such behaviour, it can therefore be understood within the broader context of hominin evolution as part of a series of connected biopsychosocial events that eventually led to the Upper Palaeolithic representations of animals. Iconic representation is accordingly shown to be linked in complex ways to how 'representation' occurred in the evolving brain in relation to the demands and dynamics of the evolutionary niche occupied by hominins.
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REPLYI welcome the robust response generated by my critique of Varella et al.'s target paper and associated commentaries. My reply to the points made by eminent colleagues, due to limitations of space, will be brief. Although... more
REPLYI welcome the robust response generated by my critique of Varella et al.'s target paper and associated commentaries. My reply to the points made by eminent colleagues, due to limitations of space, will be brief. Although Dissanayake suggests that there is no real disagreement between psychosensory byproduct and adaptive explanations, I would beg to differ. Thus, in response to both Varella et al. and Dissanayake's major point regarding proximate and distal causes, the proximate cause that induces individuals to engage in the arts appears to be based on its hedonistic appeal through 'sensory trap'. I would argue that this appeal derives from stimulating existing evolutionary constrained neural domains but this does not then ultimately lead to positive adaptive outcomes, rather the outcomes can be arbitrary depending on context. In effect, such outcomes can be neutral, maladaptive, or may occasionally appear to reinforce adaptation. From this perspective, there is...
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This paper provides a commentary on an article by Mellet et al (2019), which points out a number of inaccuracies and misinterpretations of neuroscientific data regarding the significance of the earliest engravings in the archaeological... more
This paper provides a commentary on an article by Mellet et al (2019), which points out a number of inaccuracies and misinterpretations of neuroscientific data regarding the significance of the earliest engravings in the archaeological record.
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Abstract The growing corpus of non-functional geometric marks produced by different hominins has spawned considerable debate as to their significance. Some authorities claim the marks are in some way representational or symbolic while... more
Abstract The growing corpus of non-functional geometric marks produced by different hominins has spawned considerable debate as to their significance. Some authorities claim the marks are in some way representational or symbolic while others are more cautious and view them as pre-symbolic in that they may derive from a proto-aesthetic bias linked to how the early visual cortex functions. Recent neuroscanning techniques have allowed these competing claims to be tested. This paper considers the implications of current neuroscanning data to understanding the derivation and import of the earliest geometric patterns. After considering the relevant neuroscientific research, it is concluded that the first nonfunctional marks may not be representational or symbolic but are closely tied to the way the early visual cortex processes visual information.
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Abstract Parallels are often made between the culture of San hunter-gatherers of southern Africa and that of European Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers. Despite different environmental conditions and lifestyles, the fact that both groups... more
Abstract Parallels are often made between the culture of San hunter-gatherers of southern Africa and that of European Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers. Despite different environmental conditions and lifestyles, the fact that both groups live by hunting provides a point of comparison that can afford insights into Ice Age art. Focusing on both groups' hunting relationships with prey animals can illuminate the intermeshing of human and animal traits in Upper Paleolithic art. We can now give a fairly precise account of the cognitive and affective neurological mechanisms that facilitate hunting and that also have an impact on depicting animals.
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ABSTRACT The role of the arts has become crucial to understanding the origins of ‘modern human behaviour’ but is highly controversial as it is not clear why the arts evolved and persisted. I argue that the arts evolved as a by-product of... more
ABSTRACT The role of the arts has become crucial to understanding the origins of ‘modern human behaviour’ but is highly controversial as it is not clear why the arts evolved and persisted. I argue that the arts evolved as a by-product of biological traits and expressions of gene culture co-evolution that facilitated group cohesion through costly signalling that led to increasing but, ultimately, unsustainable population densities. This paper therefore strives to defend the concept of costly signalling by demonstrating that the arts, by way of the extended phenotype, served as a device that initially enhanced group cohesion but which could also potentially lead to the demise of a community.
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ABSTRACT It has been assumed that the accumulating archaeological finds from the Middle Stone Age in southern Africa, including the geometric patterns on various objects from Blombos and Diepkloof, provide evidence of symbolic intent and... more
ABSTRACT It has been assumed that the accumulating archaeological finds from the Middle Stone Age in southern Africa, including the geometric patterns on various objects from Blombos and Diepkloof, provide evidence of symbolic intent and therefore modern human behaviour. These finds, some dating back to 100,000 years ago, have led to a reassessment of the probable timeline of the cognitive profile of Homo sapiens. However, the symbolic status of the patterns concerned continues to be debatable, not least because there are competing alternative explanations. Moreover, the patterns on the objects from the separate sites of Blombos and Diepkloof show distinct similarities with a progression from simpler lines to more complex motifs over a period of 25,000 years, and corresponding patterns have been found from other sites in southern Africa. This observation raises the question as to why these motifs are so similar over such an extended time span and from such disparate sites. A socio-cultural explanation would predict more variation in the patterns over time and between groups as a result of the different cultural imperatives obtaining. A further issue that needs to be explained concerns the reason why there was a preoccupation with abstract geometric shapes at such an early date rather than figurative representation, as the latter is obviously more meaningful due to its iconicity. Moreover, the fine motor control required for producing the Blombos and Diepkloof patterns suggests the individuals responsible were skilled enough to produce iconic figures. The aim of this paper is to show that the Blombos and Diepkloof patterns can be potentially explained by the Neurovisual Resonance Theory, which is a formal model based on how the early visual cortex processes visual information. This theory is based on the close interconnection between perception, the early visual cortex, the visuo-motor system, implicit awareness, and embodied processes. Important developments in neuroscience since 2000, when the theory was first outlined, will be presented that has provided verification of this theory. In particular, it has been established that neurons in early visual cortex are tuned to and detect basic aspects of form, or perceptual primitives, e.g., edges (lines), intersections (angles) etc., which conform to Gestalt principles of perceptual organization. As the South African motifs conform to the same Gestalt principles, and given the fact recent neuroscientific research confirms that the early visual cortex deals with sensory information in a similar way, a useful alternative approach towards helping to understanding the provenance of such “designs” is now possible. This presentation will therefore describe the relevance of the Neurovisual Resonance Theory to these issues by providing a detailed analysis of the dynamic interaction that takes place between perception, the early visual cortex, the visuo-motor system, and the earliest confirmed patterns from South African sites. Thus, it will be shown that, in view of the fact that a lower order “bottom-up” account is capable of accounting for the southern African motifs, a higher order symbolic explanation needs to be regarded with caution.
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Abstract The recent discovery that iconic depictions in caves on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi are more ancient than those from Upper Palaeolithic Europe raises questions as to when such images first arose and why the graphic outcomes... more
Abstract The recent discovery that iconic depictions in caves on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi are more ancient than those from Upper Palaeolithic Europe raises questions as to when such images first arose and why the graphic outcomes from the two locations are so similar. In this paper, we show that these questions can be addressed by exploiting the extensive research carried out over the recent past on the psychology of perception and the neuroscience of the visual brain that allows the proper place of iconic depictions in understanding cognitive evolution to be determined.
Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Human Evolution, Visual Studies, and 13 moreVisual Anthropology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Palaeolithic Archaeology, Visual perception, Evolution and Human Behavior, Prehistoric Rock Art, World Archaeology, Rock Art, Palaeoart, Ice Age Cave Art, Rock art research, Visual brain, and Routledge
There has been much discussion as to the significance of the refined symmetries that typify late Acheulian handaxes. Some investigators argue that this symmetry goes far beyond the functional requirements of a tool and may therefore be... more
There has been much discussion as to the significance of the refined symmetries that typify late Acheulian handaxes. Some investigators argue that this symmetry goes far beyond the functional requirements of a tool and may therefore be informative as to the cognitive outlook of those responsible for the end product (Wynn 2002). It certainly appears to be the case that these tools show a preference for symmetry absent in earlier Acheulian examples (Saragusti and Sharon 1998). One of the features of symmetry in later handaxes is their uniformity across wide geographical locations and throughout a considerable period of time. Conservatism of this order continues to perplex commentators who, for the most part, have tended to account for this homogeny in terms of functional demands or raw materials (Machin et al 2007; McPherron 2000; White 1998). However, as the symmetry of late Acheulian tools purportedly goes beyond functional requirements (Wymer 1982) it is assumed something about cog...
Mark-making seems to have an ancient derivation, predating the representational depiction of the Upper Palaeolithic by a considerable period. Shamanic, symbolic and phosphene theories have been proposed to account for their existence.... more
Mark-making seems to have an ancient derivation, predating the representational depiction of the Upper Palaeolithic by a considerable period. Shamanic, symbolic and phosphene theories have been proposed to account for their existence. These explanations are, for various reasons, shown to be either insufficient or to lack consistency. In an attempt to provide a more coherent explanation for the appearance and longevity of these marks, I submit a theory based upon how the visual cortex and visuo-spatial areas of the brain function in relation to the appearance of lithic technologies. This theory will also endeavour to show how the preference of hominids for natural occurring objects, such as crystals and fossils, and the ability to make sculptured items, can potentially be accommodated under the aegis of one all-embracing account.
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The structure and function of the early visual cortex has been shown to be relevant to the understanding of Pleistocene palaeoart. In order to obtain a more complete appreciation of how brain function may be relevant to this issue, it is... more
The structure and function of the early visual cortex has been shown to be relevant to the understanding of Pleistocene palaeoart. In order to obtain a more complete appreciation of how brain function may be relevant to this issue, it is necessary to take account of how the hominin visual cortex may relate to the visuo-motor areas. The ability to translate the "passively" experienced visual world into a visuo-motor frame of reference involving hand-eye co-ordination would have been vital before any purposely made Pleistocene palaeoart was possible. Delineating the probable course of this dynamic can provide clues as to the existence and timing of when particular kinds of palaeoart may have arisen and will constitute the main focus of this paper. There are three main topics relevant to this issue - the influence of the early visual cortex with regard to the making of geometric marks during the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic, the role of the visuo-motor cortex in relation to r...
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Link to full paper at: C:\Users\User\Desktop\My Files\palaeoa-my papers\Tracings of the mind the role of hallucinations, pseudohallucinations and visual memory in Franco-Cantabrian cave art.htm Franco-Cantabrian cave art continues to be... more
Link to full paper at: C:\Users\User\Desktop\My Files\palaeoa-my papers\Tracings of the mind the role of hallucinations, pseudohallucinations and visual memory in Franco-Cantabrian cave art.htm Franco-Cantabrian cave art continues to be the focus of much speculation but despite the many theories put forward there has been little progress in explaining the range of perplexing features typical of this "art." Only by regarding such wide ranging and anomalous characteristics as central to this debate might some progress as to derivation be possible. The account presented in this paper will demonstrate how the many "contradictions" of parietal art provide an important indication as to its provenance that can be explained through an understanding of how visual imagery is processed by the brain in the context of the everyday lives of Upper Palaeolithic communities. In this regard, classic hallucinatory experiences, although useful in understanding the various mechanisms...
The conservatism and standardisation of Oldowan and Acheulean tools have been the focus of much debate, especially as to how such conformity over a prolonged period might be informative regarding the cognitive profile of the hominins... more
The conservatism and standardisation of Oldowan and Acheulean tools have been the focus of much debate, especially as to how such conformity over a prolonged period might be informative regarding the cognitive profile of the hominins responsible for producing such artefacts. Thanks to the advent of brain scanning techniques, recent insights into the structure of both the nonhuman and human brain have, however, provided a means of understanding how the various neural tracts involved are associated with tool production and use. Such techniques have also promoted an understanding of how tool use might be related to other kinds of behaviour that can help clarify when socially mediated factors began to impact on the making and using of tools. This paper will, therefore, demonstrate how an understanding of the neurostructure of the modern human brain, when compared to nonhuman primates, can help clarify issues concerning the appearance of important cognitive markers in hominin evolution. ...
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The issue as to what factors led to the behavioral and associated psychological make-up of modern humans has been beset with controversy over the past two decades. This controversy revolves around two main criteria; first, whether human... more
The issue as to what factors led to the behavioral and associated psychological make-up of modern humans has been beset with controversy over the past two decades. This controversy revolves around two main criteria; first, whether human behavior arrived suddenly and relatively late at the end of the Pleistocene as a result of some decisive neuro-cognitive event or, second, whether it derived from a more protracted process stretching back to the middle Pleistocene involving a much more convoluted scenario. The intensity of this debate has been inflamed by new findings from various disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, genetics, neuroscience, and psychology, which has generally led to advocates of the above approaches selecting those findings that support their particular viewpoint while ignoring insights that may prove contradictory. The aim of this chapter is to show that the reason the debate on this issue has become so polarized is due to the various proponents not taki...
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ABSTRACT http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Qbg5,rVDBBDja The significance of symmetry to understanding the cognitive profile of the hominins responsible for making Acheulean handaxes has been contentious. Recent finds and analytical... more
ABSTRACT http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Qbg5,rVDBBDja The significance of symmetry to understanding the cognitive profile of the hominins responsible for making Acheulean handaxes has been contentious. Recent finds and analytical techniques have allowed a reassessment of the relevance of symmetry to evaluating the cognition of archaic humans by highlighting differences in the shape of Early to Late Acheulean bifaces. In this paper, I critically examine issues regarding the symmetry of handaxes as well as models of cognitive evolution that refer to the structure of Acheulean bifaces.
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ABSTRACT It has been assumed that the most productive approach for gauging when modern human behaviour emerged consists of considering when particular artefacts appeared in the archaeological record from which inferences can then be made... more
ABSTRACT It has been assumed that the most productive approach for gauging when modern human behaviour emerged consists of considering when particular artefacts appeared in the archaeological record from which inferences can then be made as to the cognitive profile of those responsible. As a result, the florescence of artefacts that appeared approximately 40,000 BP is regarded as evidence of an important neuro-cognitive event. As anatomical modern humans are thought to have appeared around 200,000-180,000 BP an alternative approach suggests that this florescence can be explained by demographic factors thus discounting the need for cognitive explanations. Although the two approaches explain the timing of events in radically different ways, there nevertheless appears to be some scope for assimilation, especially in relation to the flexibility inherent to neuro-cognitive factors when these are associated with the ability to engage in informed imitation in relation to socio-cultural criteria typical of Homo sapiens. This paper will therefore demonstrate how such assimilation can be realised as well as the implications arising thereby.
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Several aspects of the depiction of animals in rock art can be explained by certain perceptual correlates relating to the visual brain and evolutionary factors. Recent evidence from neuroscience and the visual brain not only corroborates... more
Several aspects of the depiction of animals in rock art can be explained by certain perceptual correlates relating to the visual brain and evolutionary factors. Recent evidence from neuroscience and the visual brain not only corroborates this claim but provides important new findings that can help delineate which graphic features relate to biological/genetic criteria. In addition to highlighting how the insights from visual science and evolutionary studies can promote a greater understanding of the depictive strategies employed to portray animals, this paper will also explore ways in which the findings from these disciplines can be assimilated with semiotics that provide novel insights into the preference for depicting animals in a particular format over an extended period. The emphasis throughout is placed on dual-inheritance theory where culture and evolutionary determinants are seen as complementary.
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ABSTRACT There has been much debate regarding when modern human cognition arose. It was previously thought that the technocomplexes and artifacts associated with a particular timeframe during the Upper Paleolithic could provide a proxy... more
ABSTRACT There has been much debate regarding when modern human cognition arose. It was previously thought that the technocomplexes and artifacts associated with a particular timeframe during the Upper Paleolithic could provide a proxy for identifying the signature of modern cognition. It now appears that this approach has underestimated the complexity of human behavior on a number of different levels. As the artifacts, once thought to be confined to Europe 40,000 years ago onwards, can now be found in other parts of the world well before this date, especially in South Africa, this suggests that modern cognition arose well before this period. Moreover, the variability of the archaeological record from the time when anatomically modern humans appeared 200,000 years ago suggests cognitive factors alone are unable to explain the obvious unevenness. In this article, it will be demonstrated how neuro-cognition can be assimilated with population dynamics and the transmission of information between individuals and groups that can provide important insights as to the nature and origins of modern human cognition.
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... The prefrontal cortex, however, was not activated to any great extent in either study that adds ... memory, which is often associated with the executive functions of the frontal cortex, did not ... concluded that a sophisticated... more
... The prefrontal cortex, however, was not activated to any great extent in either study that adds ... memory, which is often associated with the executive functions of the frontal cortex, did not ... concluded that a sophisticated analysis of shape appears to be a common human heritage. ...
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The debate regarding the status of the Blombos ochre engravings and shell beads for gauging the timeline of when cognitive abilities and symbolic intent appeared has been controversial. This is mainly due to the fact that what is referred... more
The debate regarding the status of the Blombos ochre engravings and shell beads for gauging the timeline of when cognitive abilities and symbolic intent appeared has been controversial. This is mainly due to the fact that what is referred to as symbolic is often too loosely defined and is therefore attributed to artefacts in an indiscriminate way. Recent evidence from various concurrent sites in southern Africa, including Blombos, provide the opportunity for a more nuanced analysis of the probable level of symbolic intent and how this relates to neuro-cognitive precursors. In what follows, it will be shown that, although some of the southern African artefacts do indeed demonstrate particular kinds of ‘symbolic’ intent, others need to be approached with caution. Data from the visual brain is presented that provides crucial evidence as to the appropriate level of intent suggested by the engravings and shell beads from the southern Africa context.
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There has been much controversy recently regarding Lewis-Williams's assertion that altered states of consciousness and shamanism can explain Palaeolithic art. Evidence now seems to be accumulating that this account is unable to... more
There has been much controversy recently regarding Lewis-Williams's assertion that altered states of consciousness and shamanism can explain Palaeolithic art. Evidence now seems to be accumulating that this account is unable to provide a sustainable explanation for Upper Palaeolithic depictions. This proposition will be explored and substantiated by examining further weaknesses contained therein. Additionally, in response to claims by those defending altered states that no alternative explanation for palaeoart has been proposed as a viable alternative, it will be shown that such a description does exist but has not been given the attention it deserves because of a misplaced concern for shamanism.
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Palaeolithic Art is generally thought to be based primarily upon the explicit conscious aspects of recognition and memory. Recent research into perception and cognition, however, has revealed a ‘hidden’ substructure of processing, known... more
Palaeolithic Art is generally thought to be based primarily upon the explicit conscious aspects of recognition and memory. Recent research into perception and cognition, however, has revealed a ‘hidden’ substructure of processing, known as implicit perception and memory, that functions in a different way to overt modes of cognisance but, yet, by dovetailing with consciously defined determinants helps to define how these are structured. As the making of Palaeolithic Art would have been contingent on the perceptual/recognition/visual memory system, it is therefore admirably suited to an understanding from the standpoint of implicit processes. Here I will demonstrate how the enduring features of this art can be investigated from the perspective of implicit, or covert, psychological factors and the consequences of this approach for the genesis of this art.
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Franco-Cantabrian cave art continues to be the focus of much speculation but despite the many theories put forward there has been little progress in explaining the range of perplexing features of this ‘art’. Only by regarding such... more
Franco-Cantabrian cave art continues to be the focus of much speculation but despite the many theories put forward there has been little progress in explaining the range of perplexing features of this ‘art’. Only by regarding such wide-ranging and anomalous characteristics as central to this debate might some progress as to derivation be possible. The account presented in this article will demonstrate how the many ‘contradictions’ prevailing might provide an important indication as to provenance that can be explained through an understanding of the shifting nature of visual imagery in the context of the everyday lives of Upper Palaeolithic communities. This will be based on the notion that the visual world as perceived can be disrupted by certain types of psychological effects that can be subsequently triggered by particular kinds of stimulus cues and evocative situations.
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ABSTRACT Neuroscientific theories of visual perception and recognition, usually with reference to the accounts of either Gibson (1973, 1979) or Marr (1982), are often referred to by psychologists who seek to understand children's... more
ABSTRACT Neuroscientific theories of visual perception and recognition, usually with reference to the accounts of either Gibson (1973, 1979) or Marr (1982), are often referred to by psychologists who seek to understand children's drawing strategies. This type of approach has led to some interesting speculations as to why children draw in particular ways. Notwithstanding these endeavours, there has been a considerable amount of recent progress in the neurophysiology of the visual brain which goes considerably beyond the purview of these theories. This paper seeks to demonstrate how a greater understanding of children's depictive strategies can be gained through an assessment of such neuroscientific studies.
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Turing instabilities are invoked by Froese, Woodward, and Ikegami in support of the neural dynamics of the primary visual cortex that give rise to subjectively experienced geometric patterns or form constants. Although the authors provide... more
Turing instabilities are invoked by Froese, Woodward, and Ikegami in support of the neural dynamics of the primary visual cortex that give rise to subjectively experienced geometric patterns or form constants. Although the authors provide a convincing case for the relevance of such instabilities to understanding the provenance of form constants, their reliance on altered states of consciousness and shamanic practices of Lewis-Williams is less convincing as the latter’s proposal continues to be controversial. In this commentary, I will show that abnormal subjective states are neither necessary nor essential to understanding the universality of geometric art. In effect, the geometric art from the Middle Stone/Palaeolithic Age and later can be sufficiently explained by recourse to the normal function of the visual cortex in the context of the regular engagement with everyday materials.
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Archaeologists have struggled for more than a century to explain why the first representational art of the Upper Palaeolithic arose and the reason for its precocious naturalism. Thanks to new data from various sites across Europe and... more
Archaeologists have struggled for more than a century to explain why the first representational art of the Upper Palaeolithic arose and the reason for its precocious naturalism. Thanks to new data from various sites across Europe and further afield, as well as crucial insights from visual science, we may now be on the brink of bringing some clarity to this issue. In this paper, we assert that the main precursors of the first figurative art consisted of hand prints/stencils (among the Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens) and a corpus of geometric marks as well as a hunting lifestyle and highly charged visual system for detecting animals in evocative environments. Unlike many foregoing arguments, the present one is falsifiable in that five critical, but verifiable, points are delineated.
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Research Interests:
Mark making on a range of objects and the manufacture of artifacts seem to have an ancient derivation, predat ing the representational depiction of the Upper Paleolithic by a considerable period. In an attempt to provide a coherent... more
Mark making on a range of objects and the manufacture of artifacts seem to have an ancient derivation, predat ing the representational depiction of the Upper Paleolithic by a considerable period. In an attempt to provide a coherent explanation for the appearance and longevity of these items, I submit a theory based upon how the visual cortex and visuo-spatial areas of the brain function in relation to the emergence of symmetry in lithic tech nologies. This theory endeavors to show how the preference of hominins for natural occurring objects, such as crystals and fossils, and the ability to make sculptured items, can potentially be accommodated under the aegis of one all-embracing explanation. It shows how various parts of the visual brain have influenced the preference for certain marks and shapes in that different regions of the visual pathways are shown to resonate or respond dis proportionately according to the nature of the stimulus. These preferences are deemed to have become s...
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Mellet et al. in their response to Hodgson’s (2019) paper endeavour to defend the proposition that the earliest engravings are representational and possibly symbolic. Hodgson’s Neurovisual Resonance Theory (NRT), however, contends that... more
Mellet et al. in their response to Hodgson’s (2019) paper endeavour to defend the proposition that the earliest engravings are representational and possibly symbolic. Hodgson’s Neurovisual Resonance Theory (NRT), however, contends that such engravings can be accounted for by long-standing evolutionary factors that shaped the early visual cortex in the same way that reading and writing are constrained by the same fundamentals. In this response, Hodgson provides further and more recent evidence to support NRT while at the same time elucidating some inaccuracies and misunderstandings made by Mellet et al. in their critique. Keywords: Neurovisual Resonance Theory, Brain Scans, Earliest Marks, Visual Cortex, Perception, Cognition. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Doubts concerning Changizi et al. 3. Natural scene statistics and geometric features 4. Feedforward and feedback streams and Local Combination Detector 5. Nonhuman primates and proto-aesthetics 6. Adaptive mechanism giving rise to neural resonance 7. Pre-semantic, intermediate, and proto-aesthetic stage 8. Variation in media and pattern continuity 9. Size of engravings 10. Temporal aspects of the proto-aesthetic stage and demographics 11. Butchery, cut-marks, and resonance 12. Graphic codes and memory aides 13. Accidental and natural marks listed in Table 1 14. Cultural neural reuse and VWFA 15. Conclusion
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Perceptual psychology has provided a number of revealing insights into the phenomenon of palaeoart. The value of the discipline is underlined by the fact that it has provided new ways of exploring how Upper Palaeolithic cave art first... more
Perceptual psychology has provided a number of revealing insights into the phenomenon of palaeoart. The value of the discipline is underlined by the fact that it has provided new ways of exploring how Upper Palaeolithic cave art first arose, both on a theoretical and a practical level. Despite this, the approach has been accused of overstating the importance of perceptual factors to the detriment of cultural criteria. In this paper, I demonstrate how perceptual psychology can be exploited to provide useful hypotheses regarding the cultural issues associated with early parietal art.
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The engraved bone of Nesher Ramla is regarded by Prévost et al., as symbolic. The authors, however, fail to consider other possible interpretations that do not rely on symbolic criteria. In this commentary, a more compelling... more
The engraved bone of Nesher Ramla is regarded by Prévost et al., as symbolic. The authors, however, fail to consider other possible interpretations that do not rely on symbolic criteria. In this commentary, a more compelling interpretation of the intentional marks is described based on a proto-aesthetic interest with respect to the Neurovisual Resonance Theory (NRT), embodied cognition and recent neuroscientific research on perception.
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Since the Neurovisual Resonance Theory (NRT) was first presented as a way of understanding the preference of fossil humans for certain geometric forms, intense neuroscientific research has provided intriguing insights as to its relevance.... more
Since the Neurovisual Resonance Theory (NRT) was first presented as a way of understanding the preference of fossil humans for certain geometric forms, intense neuroscientific research has provided intriguing insights as to its relevance. The theory presented a novel approach to issues concerning the increasing interest in the symmetry of Acheulean handaxes and how such a proclivity was exapted for making autonomous engraved patterns. With the development of sophisticated neuroscanning techniques for assessing the active human brain when subjects engage in viewing or interacting with geometrical forms, not only do these new empirical data provide useful support for the NRT but they also indicate that the NRT has a wider application to understanding the precursors that make humans different to non-human primates. In this regard, the precursors that underwrite the sense of geometry will be explored and compared with concomitant cognitive domains such as language, reasoning, and number that will allow a more nuanced understanding of cognitive evolution. More generally, this chapter sets out to investigate those factors from the perspective of Material Engagement Theory and human evolution.
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When did information first become a material commodity susceptible to human manipulation? This book seeks to answer that question by detailing the ancient precursors and how they eventually gave rise to writing and modern digital... more
When did information first become a material commodity susceptible to human manipulation? This book seeks to answer that question by detailing the ancient precursors and how they eventually gave rise to writing and modern digital information systems through outsourcing cortical systems. Given that during early human evolution information mainly unfolded within the brain, identifying the momentous event when it first “escaped” the cerebral cortex, to become a material commodity, is crucial. The reader is taken on a journey beginning with the increasing concern for the shape of the earliest stone tools, then to the first engravings—consisting of repetitive lines and grids on various materials—which set the scene for the earliest writing systems and the digital information technologies that followed. In describing that journey, the latest findings from archaeology, neuroscience, perceptual psychology, and etymology are explored in order to provide a firm footing for the discussion.
Research Interests: Information Systems, Evolutionary Psychology, Aesthetics, Visual Culture, Embodied Cognition, and 9 morePalaeolithic Archaeology, Visual perception, Cultural Evolution, Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroarchaeology, Development of Early Writing Systems, Acheulean (Archaeology), Brain Plasticity, and Palaeoneurology
Why ancient humans first began to represent animals is a question that has led to a bewildering number of theories since cave art was discovered in the 19th century. Drawing on insights from visual science, evolution, and art theory, the... more
Why ancient humans first began to represent animals is a question that has led to a bewildering number of theories since cave art was discovered in the 19th century. Drawing on insights from visual science, evolution, and art theory, the book takes the reader on a unique and intriguing journey showing how the development of visual imagery in the human brain throughout evolution eventually led to the first figurative depictions of animals 37,000 years ago
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The symmetry of Acheulean bifaces has been the focus of much controversy. This controversy has intensified with the discovery of increasing numbers of symmetrical handaxes from various archaeological horizons. Whether such discoveries can... more
The symmetry of Acheulean bifaces has been the focus of much controversy. This controversy has intensified with the discovery of increasing numbers of symmetrical handaxes from various archaeological horizons. Whether such discoveries can inform us about the cognitive profile of their makers is still a provocative question. Nevertheless, some progress has been achieved thanks to developments in neuroscience and associated disciplines. In this chapter, I present evidence that reinforces the importance of symmetry for understanding cognitive evolution but, more than this, I show how the ability to comprehend geometry is not just crucial for making handaxes but also led to the ability to produce the first non-functional marks. I contend that, in both scenarios, an aesthetic propensity was an essential prerequisite.
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Why ancient humans first began to represent animals is a question that has led to a bewildering number of theories since cave art was discovered in the 19th century. Drawing on insights from visual science, evolution, and art theory, the... more
Why ancient humans first began to represent animals is a question that has led to a bewildering number of theories since cave art was discovered in the 19th century. Drawing on insights from visual science, evolution, and art theory, the book takes the reader on a unique and intriguing journey showing how the development of visual imagery in the human brain throughout evolution eventually led to the first figurative depictions of animals 37,000 years ago.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper will demonstrate how the Upper Palaeolithic figurative depictions originated from a complex interaction of important precursors. One such precursor will be shown to consist of basic geometric forms, the making of which provided... more
This paper will demonstrate how the Upper Palaeolithic figurative depictions originated from a complex interaction of important precursors. One such precursor will be shown to consist of basic geometric forms, the making of which provided the skills necessary for exploiting the perceived resemblance of natural occurring features to certain objects through “seeing in.” A second consists of activities that involved transforming the body in various ways that were associated with ritual. These precursors will also be shown to be closely linked to how the visual brain deals with ambiguity. In addition, the relevance of enhanced social abilities to understanding the onset and continuance of pictorial representation will be explored. It will be argued that Upper Palaeolithic iconic depictions were preceded and derived from an important range of representational antecedents that existed long before the Aurignacian.
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The issue as to what factors led to the behavioral and associated psychological make-up of modern humans has been beset with controversy over the past two decades. This controversy revolves around two main criteria; first, whether human... more
The issue as to what factors led to the behavioral and associated psychological make-up of modern humans has been beset with controversy over the past two decades. This controversy revolves around two main criteria; first, whether human behavior arrived suddenly and relatively late at the end of the Pleistocene as a result of some decisive neuro-cognitive event or, second, whether it derived from a more protracted process stretching back to the middle Pleistocene involving a much more convoluted scenario. The intensity of this debate has been inflamed by new findings from various disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, genetics, neuroscience, and psychology, which has generally led to advocates of the above approaches selecting those findings that support their particular viewpoint while ignoring insights that may prove contradictory. The aim of this chapter is to show that the reason the debate on this issue has become so polarized is due to the various proponents not taking full account of what the new evidence implies. In what follows, recent research from neuroscience and related disciplines will be explored in a way that will help clarify and hopefully dispel some of the continuing disagreements.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Mellet et al. in their response to Hodgson’s (2019) paper endeavour to defend the proposition that the earliest engravings are representational and possibly symbolic. Hodgson’s Neurovisual Resonance Theory (NRT), however, contends that... more
Mellet et al. in their response to Hodgson’s (2019) paper endeavour to defend the proposition that the earliest engravings are representational and possibly symbolic. Hodgson’s Neurovisual Resonance Theory (NRT), however, contends that such engravings can be accounted for by long-standing evolutionary factors that shaped the early visual cortex in the same way that reading and writing are constrained by the same fundamentals. In this response, Hodgson provides further and more recent evidence to support NRT while at the same time elucidating some inaccuracies and misunderstandings made by Mellet et al. in their critique.
Keywords: Neurovisual Resonance Theory, Brain Scans, Earliest Marks, Visual Cortex, Perception, Cognition.
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Doubts concerning Changizi et al.
3. Natural scene statistics and geometric features
4. Feedforward and feedback streams and Local Combination Detector
5. Nonhuman primates and proto-aesthetics
6. Adaptive mechanism giving rise to neural resonance
7. Pre-semantic, intermediate, and proto-aesthetic stage
8. Variation in media and pattern continuity
9. Size of engravings
10. Temporal aspects of the proto-aesthetic stage and demographics
11. Butchery, cut-marks, and resonance
12. Graphic codes and memory aides
13. Accidental and natural marks listed in Table 1
14. Cultural neural reuse and VWFA
15. Conclusion
Keywords: Neurovisual Resonance Theory, Brain Scans, Earliest Marks, Visual Cortex, Perception, Cognition.
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Doubts concerning Changizi et al.
3. Natural scene statistics and geometric features
4. Feedforward and feedback streams and Local Combination Detector
5. Nonhuman primates and proto-aesthetics
6. Adaptive mechanism giving rise to neural resonance
7. Pre-semantic, intermediate, and proto-aesthetic stage
8. Variation in media and pattern continuity
9. Size of engravings
10. Temporal aspects of the proto-aesthetic stage and demographics
11. Butchery, cut-marks, and resonance
12. Graphic codes and memory aides
13. Accidental and natural marks listed in Table 1
14. Cultural neural reuse and VWFA
15. Conclusion
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Renfrew’s sapient paradox refers to the perceived absence of “complex” cultural materiality from around 200,000 years ago, when anatomically modern humans first appeared, up until the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic when artefacts... more
Renfrew’s sapient paradox refers to the perceived absence of “complex” cultural materiality from around 200,000 years ago, when anatomically modern humans first appeared, up until the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic when artefacts ostensibly underwent a sudden enrichment that presaged the settled communities of the Holocene. Over the past two decades, archaeological finds from southern Africa and, to a lesser extent, other diverse areas have led to a reassessment of this timeline that suggests the existence of cultural complexity at least 100,000 BP. Recent evidence from the perspective of embodied material engagement can potentially help provide novel insights into the southern African corpus. This presentation will explore the archaeological record in the light of these discoveries by showing how material engagement relates to the unfolding of cognitive evolution. This will involve presenting evidence from neuroscience and cultural evolution by showing how these disciplines can usefully help to understand the significance of specific artefacts deriving from the southern African context.
Research Interests: Cultural Studies, Neuroarchaeology, Cognitive Evolution, and Palaeolithic Europe, Palaeolithic archaeology, Mesolithic archaeology, Prehistoric transitions, Environmental archaeology, Archaeozoology, Pleistocene fauna, Palaeoclimate, Refugia and recolonisation, Spatial analysis, Palaeolithic art and symbolism
It has been assumed that the accumulating archaeological finds from the Middle Stone Age in southern Africa, including the geometric patterns on various objects from Blombos and Diepkloof, provide evidence of symbolic intent and therefore... more
It has been assumed that the accumulating archaeological finds from the Middle Stone Age in southern Africa, including the geometric patterns on various objects from Blombos and Diepkloof, provide evidence of symbolic intent and therefore modern human behaviour. These finds, some dating back to 100,000 years ago, have led to a reassessment of the probable timeline of the cognitive profile of Homo sapiens. However, the symbolic status of the patterns concerned continues to be debatable, not least because there are competing alternative explanations. Moreover, the patterns on the objects from the separate sites of Blombos and Diepkloof show distinct similarities with a progression from simpler lines to more complex motifs over a period of 25,000 years, and corresponding patterns have been found from other sites in southern Africa. This observation raises the question as to why these motifs are so similar over such an extended time span and from such disparate sites. A socio-cultural explanation would predict more variation in the patterns over time and between groups as a result of the different cultural imperatives obtaining. A further issue that needs to be explained concerns the reason why there was a preoccupation with abstract geometric shapes at such an early date rather than figurative representation, as the latter is obviously more meaningful due to its iconicity. Moreover, the fine motor control required for producing the Blombos and Diepkloof patterns suggests the individuals responsible were skilled enough to produce iconic figures. The aim of this paper is to show that the Blombos and Diepkloof patterns can be potentially explained by the Neurovisual Resonance Theory, which is a formal model based on how the early visual cortex processes visual information. This theory is based on the close interconnection between perception, the early visual cortex, the visuo-motor system, implicit awareness, and embodied processes. Important developments in neuroscience since 2000, when the theory was first outlined, will be presented that has provided verification of this theory. In particular, it has been established that neurons in early visual cortex are tuned to and detect basic aspects of form, or perceptual primitives, e.g., edges (lines), intersections (angles) etc., which conform to Gestalt principles of perceptual organization. As the South African motifs conform to the same Gestalt principles, and given the fact recent neuroscientific research confirms that the early visual cortex deals with sensory information in a similar way, a useful alternative approach towards helping to understanding the provenance of such “designs” is now possible. This presentation will therefore describe the relevance of the Neurovisual Resonance Theory to these issues by providing a detailed analysis of the dynamic interaction that takes place between perception, the early visual cortex, the visuo-motor system, and the earliest confirmed patterns from South African sites. Thus, it will be shown that, in view of the fact that a lower order “bottom-up” account is capable of accounting for the southern African motifs, a higher order symbolic explanation needs to be regarded with caution.
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As visual information is processed by the brain in different areas to that of language, and given the fact that visual culture is closely associated with discrete regions of the visual cortex, this has implications for understanding the... more
As visual information is processed by the brain in different areas to that of language, and given the fact that visual culture is closely associated with discrete regions of the visual cortex, this has implications for understanding the emergence of materially engaged practices (usually referred to as “art”). In addition, visual perception, imagery, and memory are underwritten not just by sensory criteria but also semantic factors that allow images to be understood as such. Visual art can engage any one of these levels of visual processing, which are realized through implicit and explicit cognitive mechanisms. In addition, as the visual brain is a product of long standing evolutionary determinants, it remains constrained by certain overriding perceptual criteria and embodied factors. These constraints seem to have been important in determining the format of the earliest visual cultures that arose around 100,000 years ago and continue to exert an influence even in the modern world. This paper will accordingly describe the relevance of such constraints to the first visual art as well as the importance of such determinants in understanding modern day visual culture
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(This is a much longer unpublished paper from 2003 based on The Biological Foundations of Upper Palaeolithic Art: Stimulus. Percept and Representational Imperatives. Rock Art Research. 2003, 20 (1): 3-22.) 2 Although typical viewing... more
(This is a much longer unpublished paper from 2003 based on The Biological Foundations of Upper Palaeolithic Art: Stimulus. Percept and Representational Imperatives. Rock Art Research. 2003, 20 (1): 3-22.) 2 Although typical viewing perspective is widely accepted as an important and consistent attribute of Upper Palaeolithic Art this feature is in danger of being taken for granted due to its very pervasiveness. Despite several useful principles having been established concerning some more formal aspects of the tradition, this has not involved an analysis of the possible underlying "meaning" involved. As a "convention" which persisted for 20,000 years this suggests there are deeper questions to be asked regarding signification. This essay seeks to answer some of these questions in relation to recent neurocognitive insights and ethological considerations.