The evolution of symbolic artefacts: How function shapes form

TY - JOUR

T1 - The evolution of symbolic artefacts

T2 - How function shapes form

AU - Pagnotta, Murillo

AU - Wisher, Izzy

AU - Petersen, Malte Lau

AU - Riede, Felix

AU - Fusaroli, Riccardo

AU - Tylén, Kristian

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors

PY - 2024/5

Y1 - 2024/5

N2 - Despite the indisputable significance of human symbolic cognition and behavior, we still lack a detailed understanding of the mechanisms by which such capacities evolved during the Paleolithic. An important source of evidence is constituted by archaeological findings of intentional markings left on rock and bone surfaces, but these are often opaque with respect to their original meaning and function. Here we present experimental work that systematically addresses the relation between properties of intentional markings and their cognitive implications to support inferences about their past functions. Participants reproduced engraved markings dating to c. 100.000 years ago from the South African Blombos and Diepkloof sites in three conditions of cultural transmission: as part of an aesthetic, identity marking, and communicative activity. Their reproductions were then used as stimuli in a suite of five perceptual experiments to investigate differences in their cognitive implications over time and explore similarities with the archaeological record.

AB - Despite the indisputable significance of human symbolic cognition and behavior, we still lack a detailed understanding of the mechanisms by which such capacities evolved during the Paleolithic. An important source of evidence is constituted by archaeological findings of intentional markings left on rock and bone surfaces, but these are often opaque with respect to their original meaning and function. Here we present experimental work that systematically addresses the relation between properties of intentional markings and their cognitive implications to support inferences about their past functions. Participants reproduced engraved markings dating to c. 100.000 years ago from the South African Blombos and Diepkloof sites in three conditions of cultural transmission: as part of an aesthetic, identity marking, and communicative activity. Their reproductions were then used as stimuli in a suite of five perceptual experiments to investigate differences in their cognitive implications over time and explore similarities with the archaeological record.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189696069&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2024.03.003

DO - 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2024.03.003

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85189696069

SN - 1090-5138

VL - 45

SP - 261

EP - 267

JO - Evolution and Human Behavior

JF - Evolution and Human Behavior

IS - 3

ER -