The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Origins of human innovation and creativity Chapter 2. Creativity and complex society before the upper palaeolithic transition.

Origins of human innovation and creativity Chapter 2. Creativity and complex society before the upper palaeolithic transition.
Origins of human innovation and creativity Chapter 2. Creativity and complex society before the upper palaeolithic transition.
The Palaeolithic is traditionally described as a static period when innovation and creativity were rare. Moreover, with the accent on accounting for modern behaviour this view has stressed the late appearance of novel artefacts in Africa and elsewhere. These beads, ochre and art-works fit well with a model of the mind that emphasises its rational character; a position that underpins current approaches to the transmission of culture. This contribution examines the implications for hominin creativity that adopts a distributed or relational model of cognition. I argue that hominin creativity was not necessarily confined to making new artefacts but instead directed to the opportunities for amplification afforded by the aesthetic properties of materials and the emotional content of the senses. The outcomes for the Palaeolithic are discussed using the framework of the social brain model and the intensification of social interaction
cultural transmission, modern humans, distributed cognition, social emotions, palaeolithic, hominin, aesthetics
1571-0866
15-21
Gamble, Clive
1cbd0b26-ddac-4dc2-9cf7-59c66d06103a
Elias, S.
d86110c2-2c85-4c50-aab3-1ca6ef975f6a
Gamble, Clive
1cbd0b26-ddac-4dc2-9cf7-59c66d06103a
Elias, S.
d86110c2-2c85-4c50-aab3-1ca6ef975f6a

Gamble, Clive , Elias, S. (ed.) (2012) Origins of human innovation and creativity Chapter 2. Creativity and complex society before the upper palaeolithic transition. Developments in Quaternary Sciences, 16, 15-21. (doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-53821-5.00002-6).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The Palaeolithic is traditionally described as a static period when innovation and creativity were rare. Moreover, with the accent on accounting for modern behaviour this view has stressed the late appearance of novel artefacts in Africa and elsewhere. These beads, ochre and art-works fit well with a model of the mind that emphasises its rational character; a position that underpins current approaches to the transmission of culture. This contribution examines the implications for hominin creativity that adopts a distributed or relational model of cognition. I argue that hominin creativity was not necessarily confined to making new artefacts but instead directed to the opportunities for amplification afforded by the aesthetic properties of materials and the emotional content of the senses. The outcomes for the Palaeolithic are discussed using the framework of the social brain model and the intensification of social interaction

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2012
Keywords: cultural transmission, modern humans, distributed cognition, social emotions, palaeolithic, hominin, aesthetics
Organisations: Archaeology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 346152
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/346152
ISSN: 1571-0866
PURE UUID: 8d951767-de2f-4717-a58d-2c97244e185d

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 14 Jan 2013 14:20
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 12:33

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Clive Gamble
Editor: S. Elias

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×