Recognizing Complex Cognition through Innovative Technology in Stone Age and Palaeolithic Sites
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6044501 |
|---|---|
| Authors | L Wadley (0000-0003-0053-0813, University of the Witwatersrand, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2013 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 163-183 |
| Publication date | 2013-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cambridge Archaeological Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0959-7743 • E-ISSN: 1474-0540 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0959774313000309 |
| OpenAlex | W2098858953 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 95 |
| References cited | 94 |
Cognitive complexity is defined here as the capacity for abstract thought, analogical reasoning, cognitive fluidity, innovative thought, complex goal-directed actions, flexibility in problem-solving, multi-tasking, task switching, response inhibition and planning over long distances or time. Some of these attributes are archaeologically recognizable in transformative technologies such as heat treatment of rocks and ochre, and the manufacture of compound adhesives and paints. Advanced executive functions of the brain are also required for remote capture during snaring, which is implied by circumstantial archaeological evidence. Some technologies seem good indicators of complex cognition and the emphasis here is on making the connection, but this does not mean that cognition necessarily drove innovation in the past any more than it does today. The recursive relationships between cognition, social behaviour and technology mean that change cannot be attributed to a single stimulus
Archaeology · Circumstantial evidence · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Cognitive science · Developmental psychology · Transformative learning · Ancient Near East History · History · Language and cultural evolution · Neuroscience · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Psychology
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Ethnoarchaeology of compound adhesive production and scraper hafting
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New evidence of adhesive as hafting material on Middle and Upper Palaeolithic artefacts from Gura Cheii-Râşnov Cave (Romania)
Crystallographic and structural transformations of sedimentary chalcedony in flint upon heat treatment
Effect of heat treatment on siliceous rocks used in prehistoric lithic technology
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Art Mobilier' from the Apollo 11 Cave, South West Africa
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Pigments from the Middle Palaeolithic levels of Es-Skhul (Mount Carmel, Israel)
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Cemented ash as a receptacle or work surface for ochre powder production at Sibudu, South Africa, 58,000 years ago
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Heat treatment in the South African Middle Stone Age
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Engraved ochres from the Middle Stone Age levels at Blombos Cave, South Africa
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| Unique citing works | 95 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 7,31 |
| Citation span | 2013 - 2027 (15) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 92 |