ROCEEH

Cognition Working Area


The expansion of cognitive capacities is a major aspect in human evolution. We study the development from a biocultural-ecological perspective.

Based on archaeological remains past behaviors are reconstructed. Comparing these performances with modern animal and human examples we infer cognitive aspects such as causal understanding, expert shortcuts, attention item-range and span, and learning/teaching. Diachronic studies give evidence about the development of these aspects; synchronic studies shed light on variety and conditions. Based on these analyses we elaborate integrative models of cultural and cognitive evolution with interdependent biological, social and ecological factors.

Bild Kognition
From tool to behavioural reconstruction: 3.3 million year old production and use of cutting tools made from stone (based on Figure 4 in Harmand et al. 2015 in Nature 521, 310-315, and Figure 12 in Lombard et al. 2019 in Cambridge Archaeological Journal 29, 201-231)