Naval engineering, maritime technologies, and Late Pleistocene cognition (original) (raw)

Abstract

In human evolutionary history, once it became possible to travel much farther than what the physical body allowed, a radically new relationship with the physical and cultural environment was born. The construction of a material container for the body is one of the most impressive innovations associated with the evolution of human cognition. Interdisciplinary research into the origins of maritime travel suggests that intentional marine crossings date more than 50ka, yet poor preservation of actual vessels limits our understanding of Pleistocene naval engineering. Boatbuilding traces are particularly rare and questions concerning maritime technologies, chaine opératoires, and use-life of associated toolkits usually remain unanswered. To date, little work has thoroughly examined the decision-making processes that enacted such technological innovation and might have subsequently led to the major so-called 'transitions' in our cultural past. This talk focuses on the investigation of Pleistocene maritime technologies and boatbuilding techniques and presents an interdisciplinary approach incorporating theory, analytic techniques, and experimental archaeology protocols in order to examine the tools and techniques involved and the decisions taken.

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