
The Foundations of Cognitive Archaeology
Marc A. Abramiuk(Author)
MIT Press
Published on 20. July 2012
Book
Hardback
328 pages
978-0-262-01768-8 (ISBN)
Description
An empirically supported proposal for synthesizing multiple approaches to the study of the mind in the past.In The Foundations of Cognitive Archaeology, Marc Abramiuk proposes a multidisciplinary basis for the study of the mind in the past, arguing that archaeology and the cognitive sciences have much to offer one another. Abramiuk draws on relevant topics from philosophy, biological anthropology, cognitive psychology, cognitive anthropology, and archaeology to establish theoretically founded and empirically substantiated principles of a discipline that integrates different approaches to mind-related archaeological research. Abramiuk discusses the two ways that archaeologists have traditionally viewed the human mind: as a universal or as a relative interface with the environment. He argues that neither view by itself can satisfactorily serve as a basis for gleaning insight into all aspects of the mind in the past and, therefore, the mind is more appropriately studied using multiple approaches. He explains the rationale for using these approaches in mind-related archaeological research, reviewing the literature in both cognitive psychology and cognitive anthropology on human memory, perception, and reasoning. Drawing on archaeological and genetic evidence, Abramiuk investigates the evolution of the mind through the Upper Paleolithic era-when the ancient mind became functionally comparable to the modern human mind. Finally, Abramiuk offers a model for the establishment of a discipline dealing with the study of the mind in the past that integrates all the approaches discussed.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass.
United States
Publishing group
MIT Press Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
27 figures, 2 tables
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
567 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-262-01768-8 (9780262017688)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Marc A. Abramiuk is an archaeologist who has worked in a variety of capacities, from Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anthropology to cultural advisor and field research manager for the Department of the Army.