Spatial abilities, cognition and the pattern of Neanderthal and modern human dispersals

Burke, Ariane

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.10.029

Cited by 42 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Middle Paleolithic | symbolism | art | Iberia | cognition C onsiderable debate surrounds the Neanderthals' cognitive abilities (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7), and the view that the Neanderthals did not have the same cognitive capacities as modern humans persists in the literature (8) despite evidence to the contrary (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). One of the arguments against Neanderthals' modern cognition is their apparent inability to generate cave art (16)(17)(18)(19).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A rock engraving made by Neanderthals in Gibraltar

Rodriguez‐Vidal

d’Errico

Pacheco

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

230

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The production of purposely made painted or engraved designs on cave walls-a means of recording and transmitting symbolic codes in a durable manner-is recognized as a major cognitive step in human evolution. Considered exclusive to modern humans, this behavior has been used to argue in favor of significant cognitive differences between our direct ancestors and contemporary archaic hominins, including the Neanderthals. Here we present the first known example of an abstract pattern engraved by Neanderthals, from Gorham's Cave in Gibraltar. It consists of a deeply impressed cross-hatching carved into the bedrock of the cave that has remained covered by an undisturbed archaeological level containing Mousterian artifacts made by Neanderthals and is older than 39 cal kyr BP. Geochemical analysis of the epigenetic coating over the engravings and experimental replication show that the engraving was made before accumulation of the archaeological layers, and that most of the lines composing the design were made by repeatedly and carefully passing a pointed lithic tool into the grooves, excluding the possibility of an unintentional or utilitarian origin (e.g., food or fur processing). This discovery demonstrates the capacity of the Neanderthals for abstract thought and expression through the use of geometric forms.Middle Paleolithic | symbolism | art | Iberia | cognition

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

A rock engraving made by Neanderthals in Gibraltar

Rodriguez‐Vidal

d’Errico

Pacheco

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

230

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“…Interestingly, similar limits in the spatial abilities in Neandertals have been also hypothesized to interpret their patterns of land use and territory managements (Burke, 2012). Neandertals and modern humans may have displayed some relevant differences in the use of the landscape strategies, suggesting different capacities and abilities in their cognitive maps and cognitive representations.…”

Section: Praxis and Body Interface In Neandertalsmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…As a bridge between the sensorial world (visuospatial integration), memory, and inner levels of consciousness, it has been frequently hypothesized to be associated with empathy and autonoesis, both prerequisites for structuring the social context. This is even more intriguing when considering that limits in spatial abilities, influencing the landscape management, can also seriously constrain the social organization according to both neural and ecological parameters (Burke, 2012). The processes involved in internal and external spatial perception and exploration rely on shared neural factors, influencing search strategies, resource exploitation, and the dynamics of the social structure (Hills et al, 2015).…”

Section: Extending Mind Cognitive Archaeology and The Social Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extending mind, visuospatial integration, and the evolution of the parietal lobes in the human genus

Bruner

Iriki

2016

Quaternary International

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“…Both routes and maps must be acquired through experience. Burke has made the controversial argument that modern humans had an advantage over more archaic forms because they integrated both systems, using egocentric observations to constantly update survey knowledge. She does not suggest that archaic forms such as Neandertals lacked survey knowledge, only that they did not have a system for rapidly updating that knowledge, and thus were not as adept at learning new landscapes.…”

Section: Insight 2: Human Spatial Cognition Evolved Long Ago In the Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archeological insights into hominin cognitive evolution

Wynn¹,

Coolidge²

2016

Evolutionary Anthropology

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How did the human mind evolve? How and when did we come to think in the ways we do? The last thirty years have seen an explosion in research related to the brain and cognition. This research has encompassed a range of biological and social sciences, from epigenetics and cognitive neuroscience to social and developmental psychology. Following naturally on this efflorescence has been a heightened interest in the evolution of the brain and cognition. Evolutionary scholars, including paleoanthropologists, have deployed the standard array of evolutionary methods. Ethological and experimental evidence has added significantly to our understanding of nonhuman brains and cognition, especially those of nonhuman primates. Studies of fossil brains through endocasts and sophisticated imaging techniques have revealed evolutionary changes in gross neural anatomy. Psychologists have also gotten into the game through application of reverse engineering to experimentally based descriptions of cognitive functions. For hominin evolution, there is another rich source of evidence of cognition, the archeological record. Using the methods of Paleolithic archeology and the theories and models of cognitive science, evolutionary cognitive archeology documents developments in the hominin mind that would otherwise be inaccessible.

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Spatial abilities, cognition and the pattern of Neanderthal and modern human dispersals

Cited by 42 publications

References 73 publications

A rock engraving made by Neanderthals in Gibraltar

A rock engraving made by Neanderthals in Gibraltar

Extending mind, visuospatial integration, and the evolution of the parietal lobes in the human genus

Archeological insights into hominin cognitive evolution

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