What can material culture of humans and chimpanzees tell us about religion? A Study in cognitive archaeology and cognitive science of religion
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| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Cognitive archaeology is a relatively recently established scientific discipline. It focuses on the study of the development of mental capacities as inferred from material remains. Cognitive archaeology and cognitive science of religion presume the unity of human mental capacities since the prevalence of the anatomically modern human. Both cognitive archaeology and cognitive science of religion propose that religion is very closely connected with those capacities. Considering the biological evolution of species, this study will try to examine this proposal by analyzing the material culture of anatomically modern humans, especially from the Upper Palaeolithic, and chimpanzees. The comparison of the material and behavioral differences between humans and chimpanzees can tell us much about the cognitive capacities of anatomically modern humans and their connection to religion. In other words, through investigation into the role of specific aspects of the human mind the study will attempt to demonstrate what capacities are crucial for the formation of religions and why they possibly evolved. |