Izzy Wisher | Aarhus University (original) (raw)

Papers by Izzy Wisher

Research paper thumbnail of Children as playful artists: Integrating developmental psychology to identify children’s art in the Upper Palaeolithic

Hunter Gatherer Research, 2024

Children’s agential behaviours in the archaeological record have often been overlooked. Despite e... more Children’s agential behaviours in the archaeological record have often been overlooked. Despite efforts to centre children in the past through ‘an archaeology of childhood’, there remains a fundamental challenge of rigorously distinguishing children’s behaviours from those of adults. In Upper Palaeolithic art, this has been addressed through the analysis of anatomical measurements of traces produced by hands and figures, demonstrating that children were often engaging in artistic behaviours. However, the dependency on anatomical measurements limits the cases for Upper Palaeolithic children’s art. We here integrate developmental psychological research on children’s drawings into a framework within which children’s art in the Upper Palaeolithic record can be identified, without needing to rely on anatomical measurements. This work emphasises the intangible dimensions of narrative and play inherent within modern children’s art making behaviours as a starting point for understanding children as artists in the Upper Palaeolithic. Focusing on a case study of the Panel of the Masks from Las Monedas cave (Cantabria, Spain), this approach is demonstrated to have significant potential in both detecting children’s art and appreciating the playful nature of its making. We further propose ways that this approach can be employed to identify additional cases of children’s art in the Upper Palaeolithic record through specific methods that facilitate in-depth analysis of the properties of possible cases of children’s art.

Research paper thumbnail of The deep past in the virtual present: developing an interdisciplinary approach towards understanding the psychological foundations of palaeolithic cave art

Nature: Scientific Reports, 2023

Virtual Reality (VR) has vast potential for developing systematic, interdisciplinary studies to u... more Virtual Reality (VR) has vast potential for developing systematic, interdisciplinary studies to understand ephemeral behaviours in the archaeological record, such as the emergence and development of visual culture. Upper Palaeolithic cave art forms the most robust record for investigating this and the methods of its production, themes, and temporal and spatial changes have been researched extensively, but without consensus over its functions or meanings. More compelling arguments draw from visual psychology and posit that the immersive, dark conditions of caves elicited particular psychological responses, resulting in the perception—and depiction—of animals on suggestive features of cave walls. Our research developed and piloted a novel VR experiment that allowed participants to perceive 3D models of cave walls, with the Palaeolithic art digitally removed, from El Castillo cave (Cantabria, Spain). Results indicate that modern participants’ visual attention corresponded to the same topographic features of cave walls utilised by Palaeolithic artists, and that they perceived such features as resembling animals. Although preliminary, our results support the hypothesis that pareidolia—a product of our cognitive evolution—was a key mechanism in Palaeolithic art making, and demonstrates the potential of interdisciplinary VR research for understanding the evolution of art, and demonstrate the potential efficacy of the methodology.

Research paper thumbnail of Conversations with Caves: The Role of Pareidolia in the Upper Palaeolithic Figurative Art of Las Monedas and La Pasiega (Cantabria, Spain

Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2023

The influence of pareidolia has often been anecdotally observed in examples of Upper Palaeolithic... more The influence of pareidolia has often been anecdotally observed in examples of Upper Palaeolithic cave art, where topographic features of cave walls were incorporated into images. As part of a wider investigation into the visual psychology of the earliest known art, we explored three hypotheses relating to pareidolia in cases of Late Upper Palaeolithic art in Las Monedas and La Pasiega Caves (Cantabria, Spain). Deploying current research methods from visual psychology, our results support the notion that topography of cave walls played a strong role in the placement of figurative imagesindicative of pareidolia influencing art making-although played a lesser role in determining whether the resulting images were relatively simple or complex. Our results also suggested that lighting conditions played little or no role in determining the form or placement of images, contrary to what has been previously assumed. We hypothesize that three ways of artist-cave interaction ('conversations') were at work in our sample caves and suggest a developmental scheme for these. We propose that these 'conversations' with caves and their surfaces may have broader implications for how we conceive of the emergence and development of art in the Palaeolithic.

Research paper thumbnail of Beyond the image: Interdisciplinary and contextual approaches to understanding symbolic cognition in Paleolithic parietal art

Symbolic cognition-the ability to produce and use symbols, including (but not limited to) linguis... more Symbolic cognition-the ability to produce and use symbols, including (but not limited to) linguistic symbols-has often been considered a hallmark of human achievement. Given its importance, symbolic cognition has been a major topic of interest in many academic disciplines including anthropology, archeology, and the cognitive sciences. 1-6 Paleolithic rock art holds vast potential for understanding the early roots of symbolically mediated behavior. Specifically, geographic and temporal differences in parietal motifs across sites may provide important evidence about the sociocognitive processes that occurred in the deep past of our lineage, how they varied across groups, and how they changed over time. However, the fragmentary nature of the rock art record often makes direct inferences about past symbolic behaviors difficult to assert. Additionally, because scholars working within different disciplines may differ in their interests, theories, methodologies, epistemologies, and terminology, interdisciplinary dialog can be challenging. If we accept the challenge, however, we believe that interdisciplinary dialogs can increase our understanding of this important topic. Through interdisciplinary approaches we can, for instance, integrate information from dating and materials used, with insights into the particular conditions and sociocultural contexts in which the art could have been made and experienced.

Research paper thumbnail of Illuminating palaeolithic art using virtual reality: A new method for integrating dynamic firelight into interpretations of art production and use

Approaches to Palaeolithic art have increasingly shifted beyond the traditional focus on engraved... more Approaches to Palaeolithic art have increasingly shifted beyond the traditional focus on engraved or depicted forms in isolation, to appreciating the sensorial experience of art making as integral to shaping the form of depictions and the meaning imbued within them. This kind of research appreciates an array of factors pertinent to how the art may have been understood or experienced by people during the Palaeolithic, including placement, lighting, accessibility, sound, and tactility. This paper contributes to this "sensory turn" in Palaeolithic art research, arguing that the roving light cast by the naked flame of fires, torches or lamps is an important dimension in understanding artistic experiences. However, capturing these effects, whether during analysis, as part of interpretation, or presentation, can be challenging. A new method is presented in virtual reality (VR) modellingapplied to Palaeolithic art contexts for the first time-as a safe and non-destructive means of simulating dynamic light sources to facilitate analysis, interpretation, and presentation of Palaeolithic art under actualistic lighting conditions. VR was applied to two Magdalenian case studies: parietal art from Las Monedas (Spain) and portable stone plaquettes from Montastruc (France). VR models were produced using Unity software and digital models of the art captured via whitelight (Montastruc) and photogrammetric (Las Monedas) scans. The results demonstrate that this novel application of VR facilitates the testing of hypotheses related to the sensorial and experiential dimensions of Palaeolithic art, allowing discussions of these elements to be elevated beyond theoretical ideas.

Research paper thumbnail of Art by firelight? Using experimental and digital techniques to explore Magdalenian engraved plaquette use at Montastruc (France

Palaeolithic stone plaquettes are a type of mobiliary art featuring engravings and recovered prim... more Palaeolithic stone plaquettes are a type of mobiliary art featuring engravings and recovered primarily from Magdalenian sites, where they can number from single finds to several thousand examples. Where context is available, they demonstrate complex traces of use, including surface refreshing, heating, and fragmentation. However, for plaquettes with limited or no archaeological context, research tends to gravitate toward their engraved surfaces. This paper focuses on 50 limestone plaquettes excavated by Peccadeau de l'Isle from Montastruc, a Magdalenian rockshelter site in southern France with limited archaeological context; a feature common to many art bearing sites excavated across the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Plaquette use at Montastruc was explored via a programme of microscopy, 3D modelling, colour enhancement using DStretch©, virtual reality (VR) modelling, and experimental archaeology, the latter focusing on limestone heating related to different functional and non-functional uses. While the limited archaeological context available ensures the results remain only indicative, the data generated suggests plaquettes from Montastruc were likely positioned in proximity to hearths during low ambient light conditions. The interaction of engraved stone and roving fire light made engraved forms appear dynamic and alive, suggesting this may have been important in their use. Human neurology is particularly attuned to interpreting shifting light and shadow as movement and identifying visually familiar forms in such varying light conditions through mechanisms such as pareidolic experience. This interpretation encourages a consideration of the possible conceptual connections between art made and experienced in similar circumstances, such as parietal art in dark cave environments. The toolset used to investigate the Montastruc assemblage may have application to other collections of plaquettes, particularly those with limited associated context.

Research paper thumbnail of Animal-Human Interactions: Becoming, Creating, Relating

Archaeology has begun to challenge anthropocentric approaches, appreciating the way that relation... more Archaeology has begun to challenge anthropocentric approaches, appreciating the way that relations cross-cut categories such as human/animal/object and individual/group/species. Relational thinking challenges the divide between active human agents and passive animal resources. Instead, relational archaeologies consider the possibility that this boundary was blurred in the past. This enables discussions of potential transformations between human and animal states; the process of becoming human or animal; past societies' dependency on, and orientation around, animals; animal sociality and agency; and action that defies categories like 'nature' or 'culture'. From this perspective, material culture can be understood as a medium to negotiate 'animal-ness' and 'human-ness'-or to transcend the binary altogether. What does an archaeology of animals that embraces these insights look like? This section explores the multifaceted ways animal-human relations have been explored in a breadth of different archaeological contexts, from Neanderthal hunting strategies to the conceptualisation of dogs in the Viking period.

Research paper thumbnail of Have you got the tine? Prehistoric Methods in Antler Working

EXARC, 2019

Antler working was prevalent throughout prehistory, with a breadth of intricately detailed and te... more Antler working was prevalent throughout prehistory, with a breadth of intricately detailed and technologically complex antler artefacts observed within the archaeological record. In particular, during the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic, antler working with flint tools would have been a time-consuming process. While the chaîne opératoire of producing certain antler artefacts has previously been explored (Elliott and Milner, 2010; Marquebielle, 2011; Langley, 2014) there is a debate surrounding whether the soaking of antler was a necessary stage in this process. Soaking antler as a part of the chaîne opératoire is yet to be explored in depth, and thus the full implications of this stage to antler working processes in prehistory have not been considered. Where soaking antler has been explored, no distinction is made between soaking antler beams whole (for example, with no prior modification) or soaking antler which has had tines removed to expose the interior of the antler. We present the results of experiments which tested whether there is a significant difference between the workability of dry, soaked-whole antler, and soaked-exposed antler. We argue that there is a missing stage in current understandings of the chaîne opératoire of antler artefact manufacture. We conclude this stage could be responsible for the observed deposits of tine-removed antler in wetlands at prehistoric sites, such as Star Carr.

Books by Izzy Wisher

Research paper thumbnail of New Frontiers in Archaeology: Proceedings of the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology Conference 2019

Archaeopress Archaeology, 2020

This volume is the result of the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology Conference (CASA), held at ... more This volume is the result of the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology Conference (CASA), held at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research from September 13–15, 2019. CASA developed out of the Annual Student Archaeology Conference, first held in 2013, which was formed by students at Cambridge, Oxford, Durham and York. In 2017, Cambridge became the home of the conference and the name was changed accordingly. The conference was developed to give students (from undergraduate to PhD candidates) in archaeology and related fields the chance to present their research to a broad audience.

The theme for the 2019 conference was New Frontiers in Archaeology and this volume presents papers from a wide range of topics such as new geographical areas of research, using museum collections and legacy data, new ways to teach archaeology and new scientific or theoretic paradigms. From hunting and gathering in the Neolithic to the return of artefacts to Turkey, the papers contained within show a great variety in both geography and chronology. Discussions revolve around access to data, the role of excavation in today’s archaeology, the role of local communities in archaeological interpretation and how we can ask new questions of old data. This volume presents 18 papers arranged in the six sessions with the two posters in their thematic sessions.

Conference Presentations by Izzy Wisher

Research paper thumbnail of Making Art in the Magdalenian:  New insights into the relationship between Upper Palaeolithic parietal and portable art using digital and experimental approaches

Conference presentation at the Graduate Archaeology at Oxford conference.

Research paper thumbnail of Plaquettes as performance: Reflections on experimental replication of Magdalenian engraved limestone plaquettes

Conference presentation at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference (online). Engraved... more Conference presentation at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference (online).

Engraved stone plaquettes are a type of portal art found on many Magdalenian sites. They are made of varying geologies and featuring diverse animal, geometric, and abstract compositions. In contrast to Palaeolithic parietal art, they are typically found in occupation sites, suggesting they may have been a visible part of Magdalenian daily life. We present the results of an experimental archaeological programme exploring plaquette biographies and their association with hearths, focusing on limestone plaquettes from the French Magdalenian site of Montastruc. We argue plaquettes at the site were positioned purposefully in close proximity to hearth structures, which may have been significant in how the plaquettes were used and understood. Using experimental archaeology and virtual reality modeling, we suggest that plaquettes took on new significance in low light levels by the fire, with art and the roving firelight commingling, creating a performative experience. We further reflect on the experiential process of experimental plaquette production and use, both in the context of controlled experimentation, but also in the creation of plaquettes during teaching, outreach, and conference activities. The experiential aspect of experimental archaeology can fuel new insights about the objects in question and can be an effective means of engaging diverse audiences in detailed and nuanced discussions about the artefacts at the centre of the experiment.

Research paper thumbnail of Materiality and Neanderthal Art: A Tool to Access “Neanderthal-ness”?’

Conference presentation at the Materiality Matters conference, University of Amsterdam

Research paper thumbnail of Creating Art, Shaping the Mind: A Psychological Approach to Upper Palaeolithic Cave Art in Northern Spain.

Conference presentation at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference, University of Cent... more Conference presentation at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference, University of Central London.

Upper Palaeolithic cave art is enthralling and, unsurprisingly, has been subject to extensive research since its discovery. Recently, inspired by cognitive archaeological approaches, research has taken a turn towards conceptually proposing psychological foundations behind the production of cave art. In particular, Hodgson (2006; 2008; 2012; Hodgson and Pettitt 2018), has proposed that specific psychological phenomena were triggered in the highly sensory environments of caves. It is suggested this dictated the form of the art and was intimately linked to the psychological state of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers. This reconceives Palaeolithic cave art as the direct product of specific psychological processes experienced by hunter-gatherers, that were influenced by their entangled, dependent relationship with the animals depicted. However, this has yet to be explored in a grounded, falsifiable way. Consequently, there is an overwhelming need to test conceptual ideas of the psychological foundations of Upper Palaeolithic cave art against the archaeological record itself. This talk will present a novel chaîne opératoire approach, that attempts to integrate the psychological phenomena triggered in caves into a cohesive framework for understanding the processes involved in cave art production. This takes an interdisciplinary approach between psychology and archaeology, through creating 3D models of cave art from northern Spain and creating virtual reality versions of the art to use in psychology experiments. Further, this talk will emphasise the importance of adopting fully-grounded, interdisciplinary approaches in cognitive archaeology, through demonstrating that this enables a shift towards fine-scale, nuanced understandings of the cognitive processes embedded in Upper Palaeolithic artistic behaviours.

Hodgson, D. (2006) ‘Altered States of Consciousness and Palaeoart: an Alternative Neurovisual Explanation.’ Cambridge Archaeological Journal 16 (1): 27 – 37.
Hodgson, D. (2008) ‘The Visual Dynamics of Upper Palaeolithic Cave Art.’ Cambridge Archaeological Journal 18 (3): 341 – 353.
Hodgson, D. (2012) ‘Emanations of the Mind: Upper Paleolithic Art as a Visual Phenomenon.’ Time and Mind 5 (2): 185 – 193.
Hodgson, D. and Pettitt, P. (2018) ‘The Origins of Iconic Depictions: A Falsifiable Model Derived from the Visual Science of Palaeolithic Cave Art and World Rock Art.’ Cambridge Archaeological Journal 28 (4): 591 – 612.

Research paper thumbnail of Evidence Across Disciplines: Using Archaeology and Psychology to Understand the Psychological Foundations of Upper Palaeolithic Cave Art.

Conference presentation at the Northern Bridge DTP Annual Summer Conference

Research paper thumbnail of Painting a Different Picture: Reconceiving Neanderthal Art through a Relational Framework

Conference presentation at the Unravelling Human Origins Conference, University of York. Percept... more Conference presentation at the Unravelling Human Origins Conference, University of York.

Perceptions of Neanderthals have shifted dramatically over the 21st
Century. Recent research has shattered previous preconceptions of
Neanderthals as inferior to anatomically modern humans (AMH),
establishing they had complex behavioural and cognitive capacities. In
particular, evidence from Iberia of ~64,000 year old hand stencils and
~115,000 year old ochred shell beads has demonstrated Neanderthals
independently produced art, well before this behaviour is observed in
AMH. However, interpretations of Neanderthal art remain fixated on
cognitive complexity. The nuance afforded to the same behaviour in
AMH is lacking. We continue to perceive Neanderthals as liminal: not
human, yet not-not human. This fuels a discrepancy in how we
approach similar types of material culture in AMH and Neanderthals.
The “othering” of Neanderthal behaviour in this way can serve to limit
our understanding. We propose that a relational framework may
provide an opportunity to perceive Neanderthal art anew, exploring it
in its own right. Relational archaeology is well established in exploring
relations between humans (sensu stricto), animals, and objects, but is
rarely applied to other hominin species. We experiment with
employing this approach to understand Neanderthal use of animal
materials, as a window into the interspecies interactions these objects
might have mediated. We suggest that art might well have been one
mechanism through which complex Neanderthal-animal-object
relations were created and mediated.

Research paper thumbnail of Experimental Archaeology: A Conceptual Bridge? Experiences in Mediating Science and Theory through Antler Working Experiments

Presented at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) Conference 2018, University of Chester, in t... more Presented at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) Conference 2018, University of Chester, in the session 'Integrating Theory and Science in Archaeology.'

The recent advancement of ‘fast science’ within archaeology and an ever-increasing breadth of theoretical approaches, has resulted in a divide. Theory and science are frequently perceived as in opposition. Science alone lacks the epistemological grounding of archaeology; archaeology explores specific human behaviours, whilst science creates generalised principles that transcend time and place. The conflicts need to be mediated and resolved.

We propose, through our own experiences with researching prehistoric antler working, that experimental archaeology can act as a conceptual bridge. Experimental archaeology interweaves theory and science to construct specific conditions pertinent to testing theoretical hypotheses about past behaviours. Throughout our research, we have mediated the theoretical and scientific to better understand the chaîne opératoire of antler working, appreciating the merits and limitations of both sides. This paper will therefore critically reflect on our research, presenting experimental archaeology as a potential solution to resolve issues with integrating theory and science.

Research paper thumbnail of More than a Bead: A Relational Approach for Studying Palaeolithic Personal Ornaments

Presented at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference 2018, University of Chester, in t... more Presented at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference 2018, University of Chester, in the session 'Relational Approaches to Past Hunter-Gatherer Worlds.'

Palaeolithic personal ornaments are perceived as elusive objects, with debates surrounding whether they represent status, ‘symbolic’ behaviours, communication mechanisms, or merely embellishments. Fundamentally, these debates are limited by perceiving personal ornaments as static and isolated from hunter-gatherer lifeways. Recent relational theories surrounding extensions of the self (Malafouris 2004; 2008a; 2008b), human-thing entanglement (Hodder 2011; 2012; 2014; 2016) and meshworks (Ingold 2008; 2010; 2012) challenge this perception. These are influenced by anthropological and psychology analogies, but lack grounding in archaeological evidence.

This research addresses these issues through developing a grounded relational approach which fully-integrates different analogical, theoretical, and material-orientated approaches. This approach demonstrates these objects actively negotiate object-human-animal-landscape relations, and thus are intimately interwoven within the social fabric of past hunter-gatherer societies. This talk will present the approach and discuss its implications for perceiving personal ornaments as much more than just “a bead”, but relational agents within Palaeolithic social worlds.

Research paper thumbnail of Grounding the Theoretical: The Contribution of Experimental Archaeology to Understanding the Role of Palaeolithic Personal Ornaments

Presented at the Experimental Archaeology Student Symposium (EAStS) 2018, Newcastle University. ... more Presented at the Experimental Archaeology Student Symposium (EAStS) 2018, Newcastle University.

The role of personal ornaments within Palaeolithic societies has been a frequently debated topic, with arguments ranging from mere embellishment to significant systems of communication. Although wide-ranging, these debates are fundamentally limited by perceiving personal ornaments as static, passive objects, isolated from the rest of past hunter-gatherer lifeways. Recently, an emergence of relational approaches in archaeology conceptually challenge this perception. However, applying these theories that depend on vast amounts of contextual information to a fragmentary archaeological record is inherently problematic, resulting in a gulf between the conceptual and the practical.

This research proposes that experimental archaeology can provide pertinent qualitative and quantitative data to enrich the evidence available. Experimental archaeology contributes crucial insights into the processes of becoming involved in an object’s biography, that are otherwise absent from the material record. This provides an opportunity to apply and ground relational theories in archaeological evidence. This talk will present and discuss the results from using experimental archaeology to (re)produce personal ornaments from two key Magdalenian sites: Saint-Germain-La-Rivière and El Mirón. This will demonstrate the potential of experimental archaeology to contribute new understandings into the role of these objects in past societies. Further, this will highlight the importance of integrating experimental archaeology, which has often been neglected as a legitimate research tool, into material-orientated studies.

Research paper thumbnail of In the Eye of the Beholder? Negotiating Identity through Personal Ornaments in the Magdalenian

Presented at the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology (CASA) conference 2018, University of Cambr... more Presented at the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology (CASA) conference 2018, University of Cambridge, in the session 'Refugia: Negotiating Identity in Dynamic Environments.'

Personal ornaments are elusive objects, frequently debated as either representing social status, “symbolic” behaviours, communication mechanisms, or mere embellishments. These debates present these objects as passive, only reflecting pre-existing information or relations. This perception is inherently problematic and critiqued by the use of personal ornaments in numerous non-Western societies and recent relational theories. This critique argues personal ornaments are not static and bounded, as presented in previous research, but active and entangled within the social fabric of societies. Consequently, they are agents in mediating the entanglement of object/human/animal/landscape relations. Their ability to construct and renegotiate these relations means they are a crucial mechanism in the negotiation of identity, particularly during periods of dynamic environmental changes.

During the Magdalenian, populations were emerging from refugia after the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and were under pressure to adapt to unfamiliar, everchanging landscapes as they expanded across Europe. Social networks during this period were vital, providing a safety net as populations negotiated the unknown. This research argues that for the inhabitants of El Mirón (Cantabria, Spain) and Saint-Germain-La-Rivière (France), personal ornaments were essential in enabling the negotiation of new relationships. These relationships had pertinent implications for the personal, social, and cultural identities of the inhabitants. Through employing a relational approach which integrates ethnographic analogies, theoretical frameworks, and experimental archaeology, the relations negotiated by these personal ornaments are unravelled. This enables an in-depth understanding into their role in identity negotiation, providing a glimpse at what these objects meant to the eye of the beholder.

Research paper thumbnail of Negotiating the Body, Identity, and Selfhood through Materials in the Upper Palaeolithic

Presented at Durham Anthropology's Annual Postgraduate Conference 2018, Durham University. Mate... more Presented at Durham Anthropology's Annual Postgraduate Conference 2018, Durham University.

Materials, both in the contemporary and the past, are frequently used to negotiate identity. Through a dependency on materials to communicate social information, persons become entangled with materials (Hodder 2011); the boundary between person and material becomes blurred. Theoretical concepts of extended minds and selves (Clark and Chalmers 1998; Malafouris 2008) elucidate the blurring of this boundary further, critically questioning the dichotomy drawn between material and person within archaeology.

This research seeks to understand the negotiation of body, identity, and selfhood through materials by evaluating the use of personal ornamentation in the Magdalenian period (late Upper Palaeolithic). Personal ornaments have been demonstrated to not merely be superfluous decoration, but rather crucial to the communication of cultural and personal identity in Palaeolithic societies (Kuhn and Stiner 2006). The exploration of the significance and social role(s) of personal ornamentation in Magdalenian societies has the potential to reveal intricate information regarding how Magdalenian people embodied themselves within their social worlds. I aim to achieve this through the application of theoretical frameworks regarding human-thing entanglement, extended self, and identity to Magdalenian personal ornaments, particularly those from burial contexts and those made from people (e.g. perforated human teeth).

Research paper thumbnail of Children as playful artists: Integrating developmental psychology to identify children’s art in the Upper Palaeolithic

Hunter Gatherer Research, 2024

Children’s agential behaviours in the archaeological record have often been overlooked. Despite e... more Children’s agential behaviours in the archaeological record have often been overlooked. Despite efforts to centre children in the past through ‘an archaeology of childhood’, there remains a fundamental challenge of rigorously distinguishing children’s behaviours from those of adults. In Upper Palaeolithic art, this has been addressed through the analysis of anatomical measurements of traces produced by hands and figures, demonstrating that children were often engaging in artistic behaviours. However, the dependency on anatomical measurements limits the cases for Upper Palaeolithic children’s art. We here integrate developmental psychological research on children’s drawings into a framework within which children’s art in the Upper Palaeolithic record can be identified, without needing to rely on anatomical measurements. This work emphasises the intangible dimensions of narrative and play inherent within modern children’s art making behaviours as a starting point for understanding children as artists in the Upper Palaeolithic. Focusing on a case study of the Panel of the Masks from Las Monedas cave (Cantabria, Spain), this approach is demonstrated to have significant potential in both detecting children’s art and appreciating the playful nature of its making. We further propose ways that this approach can be employed to identify additional cases of children’s art in the Upper Palaeolithic record through specific methods that facilitate in-depth analysis of the properties of possible cases of children’s art.

Research paper thumbnail of The deep past in the virtual present: developing an interdisciplinary approach towards understanding the psychological foundations of palaeolithic cave art

Nature: Scientific Reports, 2023

Virtual Reality (VR) has vast potential for developing systematic, interdisciplinary studies to u... more Virtual Reality (VR) has vast potential for developing systematic, interdisciplinary studies to understand ephemeral behaviours in the archaeological record, such as the emergence and development of visual culture. Upper Palaeolithic cave art forms the most robust record for investigating this and the methods of its production, themes, and temporal and spatial changes have been researched extensively, but without consensus over its functions or meanings. More compelling arguments draw from visual psychology and posit that the immersive, dark conditions of caves elicited particular psychological responses, resulting in the perception—and depiction—of animals on suggestive features of cave walls. Our research developed and piloted a novel VR experiment that allowed participants to perceive 3D models of cave walls, with the Palaeolithic art digitally removed, from El Castillo cave (Cantabria, Spain). Results indicate that modern participants’ visual attention corresponded to the same topographic features of cave walls utilised by Palaeolithic artists, and that they perceived such features as resembling animals. Although preliminary, our results support the hypothesis that pareidolia—a product of our cognitive evolution—was a key mechanism in Palaeolithic art making, and demonstrates the potential of interdisciplinary VR research for understanding the evolution of art, and demonstrate the potential efficacy of the methodology.

Research paper thumbnail of Conversations with Caves: The Role of Pareidolia in the Upper Palaeolithic Figurative Art of Las Monedas and La Pasiega (Cantabria, Spain

Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2023

The influence of pareidolia has often been anecdotally observed in examples of Upper Palaeolithic... more The influence of pareidolia has often been anecdotally observed in examples of Upper Palaeolithic cave art, where topographic features of cave walls were incorporated into images. As part of a wider investigation into the visual psychology of the earliest known art, we explored three hypotheses relating to pareidolia in cases of Late Upper Palaeolithic art in Las Monedas and La Pasiega Caves (Cantabria, Spain). Deploying current research methods from visual psychology, our results support the notion that topography of cave walls played a strong role in the placement of figurative imagesindicative of pareidolia influencing art making-although played a lesser role in determining whether the resulting images were relatively simple or complex. Our results also suggested that lighting conditions played little or no role in determining the form or placement of images, contrary to what has been previously assumed. We hypothesize that three ways of artist-cave interaction ('conversations') were at work in our sample caves and suggest a developmental scheme for these. We propose that these 'conversations' with caves and their surfaces may have broader implications for how we conceive of the emergence and development of art in the Palaeolithic.

Research paper thumbnail of Beyond the image: Interdisciplinary and contextual approaches to understanding symbolic cognition in Paleolithic parietal art

Symbolic cognition-the ability to produce and use symbols, including (but not limited to) linguis... more Symbolic cognition-the ability to produce and use symbols, including (but not limited to) linguistic symbols-has often been considered a hallmark of human achievement. Given its importance, symbolic cognition has been a major topic of interest in many academic disciplines including anthropology, archeology, and the cognitive sciences. 1-6 Paleolithic rock art holds vast potential for understanding the early roots of symbolically mediated behavior. Specifically, geographic and temporal differences in parietal motifs across sites may provide important evidence about the sociocognitive processes that occurred in the deep past of our lineage, how they varied across groups, and how they changed over time. However, the fragmentary nature of the rock art record often makes direct inferences about past symbolic behaviors difficult to assert. Additionally, because scholars working within different disciplines may differ in their interests, theories, methodologies, epistemologies, and terminology, interdisciplinary dialog can be challenging. If we accept the challenge, however, we believe that interdisciplinary dialogs can increase our understanding of this important topic. Through interdisciplinary approaches we can, for instance, integrate information from dating and materials used, with insights into the particular conditions and sociocultural contexts in which the art could have been made and experienced.

Research paper thumbnail of Illuminating palaeolithic art using virtual reality: A new method for integrating dynamic firelight into interpretations of art production and use

Approaches to Palaeolithic art have increasingly shifted beyond the traditional focus on engraved... more Approaches to Palaeolithic art have increasingly shifted beyond the traditional focus on engraved or depicted forms in isolation, to appreciating the sensorial experience of art making as integral to shaping the form of depictions and the meaning imbued within them. This kind of research appreciates an array of factors pertinent to how the art may have been understood or experienced by people during the Palaeolithic, including placement, lighting, accessibility, sound, and tactility. This paper contributes to this "sensory turn" in Palaeolithic art research, arguing that the roving light cast by the naked flame of fires, torches or lamps is an important dimension in understanding artistic experiences. However, capturing these effects, whether during analysis, as part of interpretation, or presentation, can be challenging. A new method is presented in virtual reality (VR) modellingapplied to Palaeolithic art contexts for the first time-as a safe and non-destructive means of simulating dynamic light sources to facilitate analysis, interpretation, and presentation of Palaeolithic art under actualistic lighting conditions. VR was applied to two Magdalenian case studies: parietal art from Las Monedas (Spain) and portable stone plaquettes from Montastruc (France). VR models were produced using Unity software and digital models of the art captured via whitelight (Montastruc) and photogrammetric (Las Monedas) scans. The results demonstrate that this novel application of VR facilitates the testing of hypotheses related to the sensorial and experiential dimensions of Palaeolithic art, allowing discussions of these elements to be elevated beyond theoretical ideas.

Research paper thumbnail of Art by firelight? Using experimental and digital techniques to explore Magdalenian engraved plaquette use at Montastruc (France

Palaeolithic stone plaquettes are a type of mobiliary art featuring engravings and recovered prim... more Palaeolithic stone plaquettes are a type of mobiliary art featuring engravings and recovered primarily from Magdalenian sites, where they can number from single finds to several thousand examples. Where context is available, they demonstrate complex traces of use, including surface refreshing, heating, and fragmentation. However, for plaquettes with limited or no archaeological context, research tends to gravitate toward their engraved surfaces. This paper focuses on 50 limestone plaquettes excavated by Peccadeau de l'Isle from Montastruc, a Magdalenian rockshelter site in southern France with limited archaeological context; a feature common to many art bearing sites excavated across the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Plaquette use at Montastruc was explored via a programme of microscopy, 3D modelling, colour enhancement using DStretch©, virtual reality (VR) modelling, and experimental archaeology, the latter focusing on limestone heating related to different functional and non-functional uses. While the limited archaeological context available ensures the results remain only indicative, the data generated suggests plaquettes from Montastruc were likely positioned in proximity to hearths during low ambient light conditions. The interaction of engraved stone and roving fire light made engraved forms appear dynamic and alive, suggesting this may have been important in their use. Human neurology is particularly attuned to interpreting shifting light and shadow as movement and identifying visually familiar forms in such varying light conditions through mechanisms such as pareidolic experience. This interpretation encourages a consideration of the possible conceptual connections between art made and experienced in similar circumstances, such as parietal art in dark cave environments. The toolset used to investigate the Montastruc assemblage may have application to other collections of plaquettes, particularly those with limited associated context.

Research paper thumbnail of Animal-Human Interactions: Becoming, Creating, Relating

Archaeology has begun to challenge anthropocentric approaches, appreciating the way that relation... more Archaeology has begun to challenge anthropocentric approaches, appreciating the way that relations cross-cut categories such as human/animal/object and individual/group/species. Relational thinking challenges the divide between active human agents and passive animal resources. Instead, relational archaeologies consider the possibility that this boundary was blurred in the past. This enables discussions of potential transformations between human and animal states; the process of becoming human or animal; past societies' dependency on, and orientation around, animals; animal sociality and agency; and action that defies categories like 'nature' or 'culture'. From this perspective, material culture can be understood as a medium to negotiate 'animal-ness' and 'human-ness'-or to transcend the binary altogether. What does an archaeology of animals that embraces these insights look like? This section explores the multifaceted ways animal-human relations have been explored in a breadth of different archaeological contexts, from Neanderthal hunting strategies to the conceptualisation of dogs in the Viking period.

Research paper thumbnail of Have you got the tine? Prehistoric Methods in Antler Working

EXARC, 2019

Antler working was prevalent throughout prehistory, with a breadth of intricately detailed and te... more Antler working was prevalent throughout prehistory, with a breadth of intricately detailed and technologically complex antler artefacts observed within the archaeological record. In particular, during the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic, antler working with flint tools would have been a time-consuming process. While the chaîne opératoire of producing certain antler artefacts has previously been explored (Elliott and Milner, 2010; Marquebielle, 2011; Langley, 2014) there is a debate surrounding whether the soaking of antler was a necessary stage in this process. Soaking antler as a part of the chaîne opératoire is yet to be explored in depth, and thus the full implications of this stage to antler working processes in prehistory have not been considered. Where soaking antler has been explored, no distinction is made between soaking antler beams whole (for example, with no prior modification) or soaking antler which has had tines removed to expose the interior of the antler. We present the results of experiments which tested whether there is a significant difference between the workability of dry, soaked-whole antler, and soaked-exposed antler. We argue that there is a missing stage in current understandings of the chaîne opératoire of antler artefact manufacture. We conclude this stage could be responsible for the observed deposits of tine-removed antler in wetlands at prehistoric sites, such as Star Carr.

Research paper thumbnail of New Frontiers in Archaeology: Proceedings of the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology Conference 2019

Archaeopress Archaeology, 2020

This volume is the result of the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology Conference (CASA), held at ... more This volume is the result of the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology Conference (CASA), held at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research from September 13–15, 2019. CASA developed out of the Annual Student Archaeology Conference, first held in 2013, which was formed by students at Cambridge, Oxford, Durham and York. In 2017, Cambridge became the home of the conference and the name was changed accordingly. The conference was developed to give students (from undergraduate to PhD candidates) in archaeology and related fields the chance to present their research to a broad audience.

The theme for the 2019 conference was New Frontiers in Archaeology and this volume presents papers from a wide range of topics such as new geographical areas of research, using museum collections and legacy data, new ways to teach archaeology and new scientific or theoretic paradigms. From hunting and gathering in the Neolithic to the return of artefacts to Turkey, the papers contained within show a great variety in both geography and chronology. Discussions revolve around access to data, the role of excavation in today’s archaeology, the role of local communities in archaeological interpretation and how we can ask new questions of old data. This volume presents 18 papers arranged in the six sessions with the two posters in their thematic sessions.

Research paper thumbnail of Making Art in the Magdalenian:  New insights into the relationship between Upper Palaeolithic parietal and portable art using digital and experimental approaches

Conference presentation at the Graduate Archaeology at Oxford conference.

Research paper thumbnail of Plaquettes as performance: Reflections on experimental replication of Magdalenian engraved limestone plaquettes

Conference presentation at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference (online). Engraved... more Conference presentation at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference (online).

Engraved stone plaquettes are a type of portal art found on many Magdalenian sites. They are made of varying geologies and featuring diverse animal, geometric, and abstract compositions. In contrast to Palaeolithic parietal art, they are typically found in occupation sites, suggesting they may have been a visible part of Magdalenian daily life. We present the results of an experimental archaeological programme exploring plaquette biographies and their association with hearths, focusing on limestone plaquettes from the French Magdalenian site of Montastruc. We argue plaquettes at the site were positioned purposefully in close proximity to hearth structures, which may have been significant in how the plaquettes were used and understood. Using experimental archaeology and virtual reality modeling, we suggest that plaquettes took on new significance in low light levels by the fire, with art and the roving firelight commingling, creating a performative experience. We further reflect on the experiential process of experimental plaquette production and use, both in the context of controlled experimentation, but also in the creation of plaquettes during teaching, outreach, and conference activities. The experiential aspect of experimental archaeology can fuel new insights about the objects in question and can be an effective means of engaging diverse audiences in detailed and nuanced discussions about the artefacts at the centre of the experiment.

Research paper thumbnail of Materiality and Neanderthal Art: A Tool to Access “Neanderthal-ness”?’

Conference presentation at the Materiality Matters conference, University of Amsterdam

Research paper thumbnail of Creating Art, Shaping the Mind: A Psychological Approach to Upper Palaeolithic Cave Art in Northern Spain.

Conference presentation at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference, University of Cent... more Conference presentation at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference, University of Central London.

Upper Palaeolithic cave art is enthralling and, unsurprisingly, has been subject to extensive research since its discovery. Recently, inspired by cognitive archaeological approaches, research has taken a turn towards conceptually proposing psychological foundations behind the production of cave art. In particular, Hodgson (2006; 2008; 2012; Hodgson and Pettitt 2018), has proposed that specific psychological phenomena were triggered in the highly sensory environments of caves. It is suggested this dictated the form of the art and was intimately linked to the psychological state of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers. This reconceives Palaeolithic cave art as the direct product of specific psychological processes experienced by hunter-gatherers, that were influenced by their entangled, dependent relationship with the animals depicted. However, this has yet to be explored in a grounded, falsifiable way. Consequently, there is an overwhelming need to test conceptual ideas of the psychological foundations of Upper Palaeolithic cave art against the archaeological record itself. This talk will present a novel chaîne opératoire approach, that attempts to integrate the psychological phenomena triggered in caves into a cohesive framework for understanding the processes involved in cave art production. This takes an interdisciplinary approach between psychology and archaeology, through creating 3D models of cave art from northern Spain and creating virtual reality versions of the art to use in psychology experiments. Further, this talk will emphasise the importance of adopting fully-grounded, interdisciplinary approaches in cognitive archaeology, through demonstrating that this enables a shift towards fine-scale, nuanced understandings of the cognitive processes embedded in Upper Palaeolithic artistic behaviours.

Hodgson, D. (2006) ‘Altered States of Consciousness and Palaeoart: an Alternative Neurovisual Explanation.’ Cambridge Archaeological Journal 16 (1): 27 – 37.
Hodgson, D. (2008) ‘The Visual Dynamics of Upper Palaeolithic Cave Art.’ Cambridge Archaeological Journal 18 (3): 341 – 353.
Hodgson, D. (2012) ‘Emanations of the Mind: Upper Paleolithic Art as a Visual Phenomenon.’ Time and Mind 5 (2): 185 – 193.
Hodgson, D. and Pettitt, P. (2018) ‘The Origins of Iconic Depictions: A Falsifiable Model Derived from the Visual Science of Palaeolithic Cave Art and World Rock Art.’ Cambridge Archaeological Journal 28 (4): 591 – 612.

Research paper thumbnail of Evidence Across Disciplines: Using Archaeology and Psychology to Understand the Psychological Foundations of Upper Palaeolithic Cave Art.

Conference presentation at the Northern Bridge DTP Annual Summer Conference

Research paper thumbnail of Painting a Different Picture: Reconceiving Neanderthal Art through a Relational Framework

Conference presentation at the Unravelling Human Origins Conference, University of York. Percept... more Conference presentation at the Unravelling Human Origins Conference, University of York.

Perceptions of Neanderthals have shifted dramatically over the 21st
Century. Recent research has shattered previous preconceptions of
Neanderthals as inferior to anatomically modern humans (AMH),
establishing they had complex behavioural and cognitive capacities. In
particular, evidence from Iberia of ~64,000 year old hand stencils and
~115,000 year old ochred shell beads has demonstrated Neanderthals
independently produced art, well before this behaviour is observed in
AMH. However, interpretations of Neanderthal art remain fixated on
cognitive complexity. The nuance afforded to the same behaviour in
AMH is lacking. We continue to perceive Neanderthals as liminal: not
human, yet not-not human. This fuels a discrepancy in how we
approach similar types of material culture in AMH and Neanderthals.
The “othering” of Neanderthal behaviour in this way can serve to limit
our understanding. We propose that a relational framework may
provide an opportunity to perceive Neanderthal art anew, exploring it
in its own right. Relational archaeology is well established in exploring
relations between humans (sensu stricto), animals, and objects, but is
rarely applied to other hominin species. We experiment with
employing this approach to understand Neanderthal use of animal
materials, as a window into the interspecies interactions these objects
might have mediated. We suggest that art might well have been one
mechanism through which complex Neanderthal-animal-object
relations were created and mediated.

Research paper thumbnail of Experimental Archaeology: A Conceptual Bridge? Experiences in Mediating Science and Theory through Antler Working Experiments

Presented at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) Conference 2018, University of Chester, in t... more Presented at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) Conference 2018, University of Chester, in the session 'Integrating Theory and Science in Archaeology.'

The recent advancement of ‘fast science’ within archaeology and an ever-increasing breadth of theoretical approaches, has resulted in a divide. Theory and science are frequently perceived as in opposition. Science alone lacks the epistemological grounding of archaeology; archaeology explores specific human behaviours, whilst science creates generalised principles that transcend time and place. The conflicts need to be mediated and resolved.

We propose, through our own experiences with researching prehistoric antler working, that experimental archaeology can act as a conceptual bridge. Experimental archaeology interweaves theory and science to construct specific conditions pertinent to testing theoretical hypotheses about past behaviours. Throughout our research, we have mediated the theoretical and scientific to better understand the chaîne opératoire of antler working, appreciating the merits and limitations of both sides. This paper will therefore critically reflect on our research, presenting experimental archaeology as a potential solution to resolve issues with integrating theory and science.

Research paper thumbnail of More than a Bead: A Relational Approach for Studying Palaeolithic Personal Ornaments

Presented at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference 2018, University of Chester, in t... more Presented at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference 2018, University of Chester, in the session 'Relational Approaches to Past Hunter-Gatherer Worlds.'

Palaeolithic personal ornaments are perceived as elusive objects, with debates surrounding whether they represent status, ‘symbolic’ behaviours, communication mechanisms, or merely embellishments. Fundamentally, these debates are limited by perceiving personal ornaments as static and isolated from hunter-gatherer lifeways. Recent relational theories surrounding extensions of the self (Malafouris 2004; 2008a; 2008b), human-thing entanglement (Hodder 2011; 2012; 2014; 2016) and meshworks (Ingold 2008; 2010; 2012) challenge this perception. These are influenced by anthropological and psychology analogies, but lack grounding in archaeological evidence.

This research addresses these issues through developing a grounded relational approach which fully-integrates different analogical, theoretical, and material-orientated approaches. This approach demonstrates these objects actively negotiate object-human-animal-landscape relations, and thus are intimately interwoven within the social fabric of past hunter-gatherer societies. This talk will present the approach and discuss its implications for perceiving personal ornaments as much more than just “a bead”, but relational agents within Palaeolithic social worlds.

Research paper thumbnail of Grounding the Theoretical: The Contribution of Experimental Archaeology to Understanding the Role of Palaeolithic Personal Ornaments

Presented at the Experimental Archaeology Student Symposium (EAStS) 2018, Newcastle University. ... more Presented at the Experimental Archaeology Student Symposium (EAStS) 2018, Newcastle University.

The role of personal ornaments within Palaeolithic societies has been a frequently debated topic, with arguments ranging from mere embellishment to significant systems of communication. Although wide-ranging, these debates are fundamentally limited by perceiving personal ornaments as static, passive objects, isolated from the rest of past hunter-gatherer lifeways. Recently, an emergence of relational approaches in archaeology conceptually challenge this perception. However, applying these theories that depend on vast amounts of contextual information to a fragmentary archaeological record is inherently problematic, resulting in a gulf between the conceptual and the practical.

This research proposes that experimental archaeology can provide pertinent qualitative and quantitative data to enrich the evidence available. Experimental archaeology contributes crucial insights into the processes of becoming involved in an object’s biography, that are otherwise absent from the material record. This provides an opportunity to apply and ground relational theories in archaeological evidence. This talk will present and discuss the results from using experimental archaeology to (re)produce personal ornaments from two key Magdalenian sites: Saint-Germain-La-Rivière and El Mirón. This will demonstrate the potential of experimental archaeology to contribute new understandings into the role of these objects in past societies. Further, this will highlight the importance of integrating experimental archaeology, which has often been neglected as a legitimate research tool, into material-orientated studies.

Research paper thumbnail of In the Eye of the Beholder? Negotiating Identity through Personal Ornaments in the Magdalenian

Presented at the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology (CASA) conference 2018, University of Cambr... more Presented at the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology (CASA) conference 2018, University of Cambridge, in the session 'Refugia: Negotiating Identity in Dynamic Environments.'

Personal ornaments are elusive objects, frequently debated as either representing social status, “symbolic” behaviours, communication mechanisms, or mere embellishments. These debates present these objects as passive, only reflecting pre-existing information or relations. This perception is inherently problematic and critiqued by the use of personal ornaments in numerous non-Western societies and recent relational theories. This critique argues personal ornaments are not static and bounded, as presented in previous research, but active and entangled within the social fabric of societies. Consequently, they are agents in mediating the entanglement of object/human/animal/landscape relations. Their ability to construct and renegotiate these relations means they are a crucial mechanism in the negotiation of identity, particularly during periods of dynamic environmental changes.

During the Magdalenian, populations were emerging from refugia after the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and were under pressure to adapt to unfamiliar, everchanging landscapes as they expanded across Europe. Social networks during this period were vital, providing a safety net as populations negotiated the unknown. This research argues that for the inhabitants of El Mirón (Cantabria, Spain) and Saint-Germain-La-Rivière (France), personal ornaments were essential in enabling the negotiation of new relationships. These relationships had pertinent implications for the personal, social, and cultural identities of the inhabitants. Through employing a relational approach which integrates ethnographic analogies, theoretical frameworks, and experimental archaeology, the relations negotiated by these personal ornaments are unravelled. This enables an in-depth understanding into their role in identity negotiation, providing a glimpse at what these objects meant to the eye of the beholder.

Research paper thumbnail of Negotiating the Body, Identity, and Selfhood through Materials in the Upper Palaeolithic

Presented at Durham Anthropology's Annual Postgraduate Conference 2018, Durham University. Mate... more Presented at Durham Anthropology's Annual Postgraduate Conference 2018, Durham University.

Materials, both in the contemporary and the past, are frequently used to negotiate identity. Through a dependency on materials to communicate social information, persons become entangled with materials (Hodder 2011); the boundary between person and material becomes blurred. Theoretical concepts of extended minds and selves (Clark and Chalmers 1998; Malafouris 2008) elucidate the blurring of this boundary further, critically questioning the dichotomy drawn between material and person within archaeology.

This research seeks to understand the negotiation of body, identity, and selfhood through materials by evaluating the use of personal ornamentation in the Magdalenian period (late Upper Palaeolithic). Personal ornaments have been demonstrated to not merely be superfluous decoration, but rather crucial to the communication of cultural and personal identity in Palaeolithic societies (Kuhn and Stiner 2006). The exploration of the significance and social role(s) of personal ornamentation in Magdalenian societies has the potential to reveal intricate information regarding how Magdalenian people embodied themselves within their social worlds. I aim to achieve this through the application of theoretical frameworks regarding human-thing entanglement, extended self, and identity to Magdalenian personal ornaments, particularly those from burial contexts and those made from people (e.g. perforated human teeth).

Research paper thumbnail of Beyond the Functional: Palimpsests of memory and the significance of place in Middle Palaeolithic occupations

Presented at Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference 2017 at Cardiff University, in the se... more Presented at Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference 2017 at Cardiff University, in the session '(S-ite)rations: Memory, Forgetting and the Temporal Architecture of Place'.

Middle Palaeolithic occupations are often only evaluated with regard to their functional purpose; discussions focus on the subsistence activities performed by a hominin group at the site. However, a more in-depth study into the behaviour at Middle Palaeolithic sites can reveal intricacies regarding the societies that once inhabited the site. Both intrasite patterns and palimpsests contain information about the socio-cultural behaviours of Middle Palaeolithic hominins. Intrasite patterns reflect behaviours ‘frozen in time’; one can observe the patterns of a group’s most intimate behaviour, from their sleeping areas to intragroup social relations. Consequently, hominins repeatedly returning to sites over thousands of years would have encountered the behaviours of their ancestors. Palimpsests will therefore reflect not only the repetition of group behaviours, but also hominins inter- and re-acting to their ancestors’ behaviours. This research aims to unlock these palimpsests of memory to provide an insight into the significance of place in the Middle Palaeolithic and reveal information regarding socio-cultural behaviours within Neanderthal occupations.

Research paper thumbnail of Archaeological Theory: The Marmite Module?

Presented at Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) Conference 2017 at Cardiff University, in the se... more Presented at Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) Conference 2017 at Cardiff University, in the session 'Why do Undergraduates Hate Theory? Improving Student Experiences of Learning Theory'.

Archaeological theory modules frequently receive mixed feedback from undergraduate students; some students relish the notion of understanding different theoretical frameworks within archaeology, and to others there could not be a less appealing thought. Consequently, this baffles both keen theoretically-minded students and departmental staff alike, resulting in the continuous revision of archaeological theory modules in an attempt to appeal to the majority of the cohort. The disconnect between undergraduate students and theory is an issue faced by most archaeology departments, which seems to have no apparent resolution.

As two recent graduates who enjoy and frequently utilise theory in our research, we aim to provide a fresh perspective to this issue through evaluating our own experiences with archaeological theory. Our enthusiasm for theory throughout our undergraduate degree provides a useful case study to understand the factors which benefitted our education of this topic, whilst also providing an insight into the factors which may have deterred our fellow students. This research will therefore analytically review our own engagement with theory, evaluate potential factors which deter students from engaging with theory, and discuss whether the lack of undergraduate engagement with theory represents a deeper disconnect between theory and practice within the discipline.

Research paper thumbnail of Out of Body, Out of Mind: The extended body and manifestations of identity in the Palaeolithic

Presented at CASA 2017, University of Cambridge within the session "Bodies and Being". The biog... more Presented at CASA 2017, University of Cambridge within the session "Bodies and Being".

The biographies of objects and materials are inherently the biographies of people; the two are entangled (Hodder 2011). They have the potential to reveal information about their minds, their personalities, and their identities. Yet objects and materials are frequently considered with regard to their functionality, rather than the individual that produced them.

This has resulted in a dichotomy between material and being within archaeology, with the two rarely considered as indistinguishable. This unnecessary theoretical division has resulted in interpretations of the material record becoming limited, with archaeologists experiencing a difficulty in accessing the individual. This issue is most prominent in the Palaeolithic, where the effects of preservation further limit the available evidence of individual’s behaviour.

However, through seeking to access identities, individualism, and personhood through artefacts, one can unlock information about individuals, even when the wealth of evidence is lacking. This research will aim to do this through the perspective of the ‘extended body’, derived from the ‘extended mind’ theory (Clark and Chalmers 1998); materials in the archaeological record are manifestations of an individual’s identity. Evidence of manifestations of identity will focus on artistic and symbolic behaviours in the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic, and I will contrast the extent Neanderthals and Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH) perform this behaviour. Further, I will explore the intentionality behind the creation of material manifestations of identity, through discussing potential psychological factors behind expressing oneself through materials. This approach will provide a unique insight into the way our ancestors embodied themselves in objects and materials, and thus how they perceived their own bodies in relation to their own world.

Research paper thumbnail of Creating a Relational Constellation: Tracing the object biographies of Magdalenian personal ornaments through experimental archaeology

Personal ornaments are a pervasive phenomenon throughout the Palaeolithic, and consequently they ... more Personal ornaments are a pervasive phenomenon throughout the Palaeolithic, and consequently they have been subject to extensive research. This provides a suite of different interpretations for the role of these objects; from markers of social status, systems of communication, to mere embellishments. However, this research fails to offer in-depth understanding of these objects; in powerful, socially-dynamic contexts they remain inactive, passively reflecting pre-existing information. This alludes to an underlying issue in current approaches to personal ornaments. This research addressed this issue, through developing and employing a relational approach which fully integrated analogical, theoretical, and material-orientated approaches.

The first strand of the approach utilised a breadth of ethnography to challenge Western perceptions towards object. This demonstrated personal ornaments are active in non-Western contexts, transforming and negotiating relations within social contexts. The second strand used recent relational theories, infused with ethnographic insight, to provide a lens in which to perceive personal ornaments. Crucially, the final strand employed experimental archaeology to explore the object biographies of personal ornaments from two Magdalenian case studies.

This poster will present the experimental results from (re)constructing personal ornaments from the case studies, Saint-Germain-La-Rivière (France) and El Mirón (Spain). The experiments tested hypotheses pertinent to understanding the object biographies of these personal ornaments, grounding analogical and theoretical insights directly in the archaeological evidence. This created a relational constellation (Van Oyen 2016), allowing one to trace the relations imbued within the objects throughout their lives.

Research paper thumbnail of Refugia: Negotiating Identity in Dynamic Environments

Conference session at the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology (CASA) conference 2018, University... more Conference session at the Cambridge Annual Student Archaeology (CASA) conference 2018, University of Cambridge.

The concept of taking refuge, or “refugia”, permeates throughout human history, from our hominin ancestors during the Last Glacial Maximum surviving in a frozen landscape, the historic migrations of Inuits in Greenland in response to environment, to the modern refugee crisis and climate change refugees. Refugia not only represent an ecological or social ‘safe-haven’, but the ability of people coming together to survive within harsh, dynamic environments.

In response to the changing relationship between the environment and the people, people continuously negotiate their self and identity through the entanglement of relations with human and non-human actors, materials, and the landscape. Identity is relational, inherently linked to the surrounding environment. As external stresses pose challenges, people must renegotiate and reconstruct these relations. This is critical not only for survival, but to ensure the maintenance of personhood and socio-cultural identity.
This session aims to explore how people construct, negotiate, and preserve their identity within adverse and changing environments. We welcome any papers related to the following themes:
• Adaptations to challenging environments
• Personhood and social relationships with the environment
• Constructing systems of refugia
• Relational and environment-focused approaches to identity
• Socio-cultural changes of a population over time