The neurovisual resonance theory (NRT) proposes a framework for interpreting the earliest abstract engravings. It postulates that the first engraved marks produced by hominins reflected predilections of the early visual cortex for simple geometric patterns and served aesthetic rather than symbolic purposes. In a recent article published in this journal the proponent of this theory provides a synthesis of neuroimaging studies that he perceives as supporting his theory while criticising a recent neuroimaging study, conducted by some of us, that explores the possible symbolic function of the earliest engraved marks. In this paper, we point to a broader range of literature backing up our interpretation, scrutinize theoretical claims put forward by Hodgson, and test them against empirical evidence. We conclude that these data are supportive of the hypothesis that the earliest engravings served a representational purpose and may have played a symbolic function.
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