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Animal artefacts challenge archaeological standards for tracing human symbolic cognition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2025

Jan Verpooten Open the ORCID record for Jan Verpooten [Opens in a new window]  and
Alexis De Tiège Open the ORCID record for Alexis De Tiège [Opens in a new window]
Jan Verpooten*
Affiliation:
Behavioural Engineering Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Jan.verpooten@kuleuven.be https://www.janverpooten.com/ Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Alexis De Tiège
Affiliation:
Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium Alexis.DeTiege@UGent.be
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Stibbard-Hawkes challenges the link between symbolic material evidence and behavioural modernity. Extending this to non-human species, we find that personal adornment, decoration, figurative art, and musical instruments may not uniquely distinguish human cognition. These common criteria may ineffectively distinguish symbolic from non-symbolic cognition or symbolic cognition is not uniquely human. It highlights the need for broader comparative perspectives.

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Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e21
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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