Dissertation by Elisabeth V Culley
This research uses Peircean Semiotics to model the evolution of symbolic behavior in the human li... more This research uses Peircean Semiotics to model the evolution of symbolic behavior in the human lineage and the potential material correlates of this evolutionary process in the archaeological record. The semiotic model states the capacity for symbolic behavior developed in two distinct stages. Emergent capacities are characterized by the sporadic use of non-symbolic and symbolic material culture that affects information exchange between individuals. Symbolic exchange will be rare. Mobilized capacities are defined by the constant use of non-symbolic and symbolic objects that affect both interpersonal and group-level information exchange. Symbolic behavior will be obligatory and widespread. The model was tested against the published archaeological record dating from ~200,000 years ago to the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary in three sub-regions of Africa and Eurasia. A number of Exploratory and Confirmatory Data Analysis techniques were used to identify patterning in artifacts through time consistent with model predictions. The results indicate Emergent symboling capacities were expressed as early as ~100,000 years ago in Southern Africa and the Levant. However, capacities do not appear fully Mobilized in these regions until ~17,000 years ago. Emergent symboling is not evident in the European record until ~42,000 years ago, but develops rapidly. The results also indicate both Anatomically Modern Humans and Neanderthals had the capacity for symbolic behavior, but expressed those capacities differently. Moreover, interactions between the two populations did not select for symbolic expression, nor did periodic aggregation within groups. The analysis ultimately situates the capacity for symbolic behavior in increased engagement with materiality and the ability to recognize material objects can be made meaningful– an ability that must have been shared with Anatomically Modern Humans’ and Neanderthals’ most recent common ancestor. Consequently, the results have significant implications for notions of ‘modernity’ and human uniqueness that drive human origins research. This work pioneers deductive approaches to cognitive evolution, and both strengths and weaknesses are discussed. In offering notable results and best practices, it effectively operationalizes the semiotic model as a viable analytical method for human origins research.
Journal Articles by Elisabeth V Culley
For almost a century, the Levantine Mousterian facies B, C and D first defined by Dorothy Garrod ... more For almost a century, the Levantine Mousterian facies B, C and D first defined by Dorothy Garrod at Mugharet et-Tabun have figured prominently in discussions of spatial and temporal variability in the Middle Paleolithic of the Levant. Although much modified by subsequent workers, and frequently described qualitatively, the compositional integrity of these basic analytical units has never been assessed quantitatively. Here we describe the statistical parameters of the facies using a large data set comprising 54 collections from 20 sites assigned by the excavators to one or another of the facies. A statistical summary revealed many cross-cutting patterns that departed from qualitative descriptions of the facies, calling their compositional integrity into question. A multivariate discriminant analysis helped resolve some of these problems. It confirmed a strong statistical affinity between the B and C facies, which were in turn sharply differentiated from D. Our results are then compared with the stratified Mousterian sequence at Hummal, a site in the Syrian Desert. Relatively good correspondence was attained. Implications of the analysis are discussed in terms of the adequacy of the systematics used to identify facies differences and what they might mean behaviorally.
Cognitive linguistics provides a new framework for examining the role of metaphorical reasoning i... more Cognitive linguistics provides a new framework for examining the role of metaphorical reasoning in cultural practices, and specifically in rock art production in the Coso Mountains. An analysis of mythologies, languages, and ritual behaviors indicates that a metaphorical conceptualization of self structures Numic thought and practices and therefore predicts its expression in the Coso imagery. The subsequent analysis of anthropomorph figures places these, as well as rare bighorn sheep motifs, within the cultural discourse constructing and reifying a Numic bifurcated identity.
Books by Elisabeth V Culley
The seventeen essays in this volume represent student endeavors in rock art research as presented... more The seventeen essays in this volume represent student endeavors in rock art research as presented at the Society for American Archaeology's 2000-2003 annual meetings. The collection of papers offers new methodological approaches to and interpretations of prehistoric imagery from around the world. The volume is groundbreaking. It offers the first compilation of academically supported and rigorous student rock art research, and as such, it reflects the recent attention to and current directions of the discipline. Indeed, this book hopes to provide a forum for young scholars as the future interpreters of our past. It hopes to direct attention to rock art as an integral part of understanding human prehistory.
Book Chapters by Elisabeth V Culley
Belief in the Past: Theoretical Approaches to the Archaeology of Religion, edited by D. S. Whitley and K. Hays-Gilpin, 2008
Book Reviews by Elisabeth V Culley
Conference Papers by Elisabeth V Culley
It is irrefutable that complex technologies, social structures, and worldviews require the transm... more It is irrefutable that complex technologies, social structures, and worldviews require the transmission, manipulation, and accumulation of information across space and time. This information exchange is situated in a tripartite relation between signs, such as chemical, auditory, and visual signals, their potential meanings, and their perceived meanings. It is a universal, adaptive phenomenon; all living organisms use signs to insure their survival and to facilitate reproduction. Yet there is variability in the types of signs that species use, and consequently, in the kinds of information they exchange and exploit. Humans appear unique, not only in the range of sign types that we use, but also in the intentional production of signs and the stipulation of meanings that persist beyond a single use-context and enable knowledge accumulation.
This paper introduces principles from Semiotics to delineate how: 1) using signs creates new signs and increases the amount of information that can become salient within a group, 2) the capacity to stipulate meaning and exploit higher-order sign types (symbols) is emergent from lower-order sign-use, 3) higher-order signs embed lower-order signs; symbols encode both symbolic and non-symbolic information, thereby engendering complex sign systems and coherent knowledge banks, 4) different sign types support different networking potentials; symboling fosters networks that increase innovation and cultural complexity.
The semiotic perspective effectively predicts and models the evolution of symbolic information exchange and the consequent expansion of sign systems and social complexity in the human lineage. The archaeological evidence for the emergence of symboling from non-symbolic sign-use and the subsequent mobilization of complex technologies, as well as the implications for traditional models of human evolution, are reviewed. The discussion of semiotic principles and their application in origins research ultimately defines information exchange strategies as the substrate of social complexity and semiotic theory as a viable paradigm for Complexity Science.
Archaeology has long flirted with Peircean semiotics as an heuristic for interpreting prehistoric... more Archaeology has long flirted with Peircean semiotics as an heuristic for interpreting prehistoric behaviors and the cognitive processes that support them. Yet beyond the widespread adoption of Peircean terminology (icon, index, symbol), the discipline has been unable to operationalize the approach as a viable research method. This paper introduces Peircean Semiotics as a means of re-classifying non-utilitarian artifacts in terms of their target audiences and concomitant social consequences. Preliminary results from an analysis of Levantine deposits dating from 200ky to the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary reveal different symboling behaviors across the region and with implications for the evolution of ‘modern’ human cognition. As a case study, this research highlights the potential for identifying the shared cognitive substrate and social implications of seemingly diverse artifact types and for articulating multiple theoretical perspectives for more holistic analyses in a range of research contexts.
Poster Presentations by Elisabeth V Culley
Defining the nature and origin of modern human cognition has become one of the most important and... more Defining the nature and origin of modern human cognition has become one of the most important and seemingly intractable problems in paleoanthropology. Widespread acceptance of Upper Paleolithic symbolic expression and technological innovation as the first fully modern human behavior has been eroded by a number of “precocious” remains from Africa. The discovery of engraved ochres, beads, and bone tools dating to the Middle Stone Age has prompted many workers to reconsider the evolutionary trajectory of complex human behaviors and the cognitive capacities that support them. The result is a spate of models that argue cognitive and behavioral modernity either emerged sporadically, beginning at least 80,000 years ago, or arose abruptly from genetic or demographic shifts approximately 35,000 years ago. Several models also identify cognitive processes that engender artifact production and use. They consistently point to flexible and shared attention, advanced theory of mind, advanced working memory, and/or extra-somatic symboling as primary entailments of behavioral modernity. Yet none of the approaches has established deductive protocols for identifying cognitive processes in the archaeological record. Claims that any artifact evidences a specific capacity are then largely inferential and cannot conclusively support evolutionary models of when, where, and how modernity arose. This paper uses semiotic theory to model the evolution of symboling capacities in the human lineage, and in conjunction with Information Exchange Theory, identifies the material correlates of extra-somatic expression during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. By isolating different types of symboling, providing examples from Africa and Eurasia, and specifying deductive protocols, the paper outlines an empirical testing program for defining the evolution of cognitive and behavioral modernity in Homo sapiens. Ultimately, the discussion highlights the potential contributions of semiotic theory for better understanding cognitive development in all hominin taxa.
The Levantine Middle Paleolithic lasted approximately 200 kyr (c. 260-50 kya), extending from OIS... more The Levantine Middle Paleolithic lasted approximately 200 kyr (c. 260-50 kya), extending from OIS 7 through the early part of OIS 3. Regional systematics are primarily based on three facies that were first defined by Garrod for the ‘type site’ of Tabun Cave, and yet these facies may not capture variation found in other Levantine assemblages. Here we examine the compositional integrity of the Tabun facies using a series of quantitative analyses on collections from 56 levels and 19 different sites to show that variability is often inconsistent with and can be masked by the classification system.
Archaeologists often wet-screen materials in the field in order to recover extremely small or sed... more Archaeologists often wet-screen materials in the field in order to recover extremely small or sediment-encrusted artifacts that can be difficult to see and would otherwise be discarded. The recovery technique is essential in brecciated or compacted sediments where workers must submerge, stir, agitate, and break apart deposits to access materials, and yet the aggressive approach could damage the micro- and macromorphology of stone tools. Prehistoric use wear seems particularly vulnerable to alteration during the wet-screening process. This pilot study considers the effects of different wet-screening techniques on experimental use wear patterns and, therefore, the potential misidentification of use wear in the archaeological record. Similarities between use wear and screen damage are also evaluated. The analysis indicates both the “simple agitation” and more “aggressive manipulation” of artifacts under water has the tendency to chip, polish, and obliterate use wear made from cutting and scraping elk meat and hide. Interestingly, “simple agitation” caused the most damage to use wear and appears the most problematic for our understanding of prehistoric economic behaviors.
Actualistic Studies by Elisabeth V Culley
Recent research has argued the Paleolithic “burin,” or engraver, does not constitute a distinct a... more Recent research has argued the Paleolithic “burin,” or engraver, does not constitute a distinct and specialized tool type but is instead a highly variable and multipurpose technology. Usewear and other lithic analyses indicate that burins have been used for scraping, drilling, and engraving and that burination provided for efficient blade production. Furthermore, burin spalls and flakes may have been used for engraving. The following actualistic study attempts to clarify burin and other tool use strategies through the microscopic analysis of experimental bone engravings. Three-dimensional optical imaging of incisions shows that micro-scarring varies relative to and is a potential proxy for specific tool types and engraving techniques. Significantly, micro-scarring associated with burin incision makes these tools easily identifiable, if unlikely, engravers. This study helps establish criteria by which we can identify tool use strategies and consequently defines 3-D imaging as a viable method for archaeological research. Most importantly, by addressing lithic technology through the analysis of engravings, I hope to link different prehistoric practices and different academic research domains.
Theses by Elisabeth V Culley
The combination of linguistic and cognitive neuroscientific paradigms in an analysis of the cultu... more The combination of linguistic and cognitive neuroscientific paradigms in an analysis of the cultural practices and semantic fields of Numic speakers illustrates the processes in which personal and social ideology are constructed and specifically delineates a bifurcated conceptualization of self as a non-literal ontology informing Numic shamanism. As well, an understanding of Coso Range rock art as material expression of ideology within the same shamanistic tradition defines the anthropomorph figures as ideological creativity reflecting and refracting the Numic shaman as his inner self.
Recent research in the cognitive sciences identifies conceptual metaphor as a form of reasoning t... more Recent research in the cognitive sciences identifies conceptual metaphor as a form of reasoning that impacts our understandings of and responses to the world. The approach further defines conceptual metaphor as systematic and predictable, thus promising scientific access to metaphorically expressed ideas and values. Prehistorians have recognized the potentials of conceptual metaphor theory and have called for its modification as an archaeological research method. The following paper responds to that call. An analysis of metaphorical expressions in Hopi ethnography will illustrate the principles of conceptual metaphor and its material consequences. The identification of metaphors in the ethnographic context then provides a framework for interpreting prehistoric metaphors. Collectively, the analyses of ethnographic and prehistoric metaphors serve as a case study and point of comparison with empirical applications of the model. The comparison identifies ethnographic data as the source of viable interpretations of metaphorical values and as the data against which interpretations could be tested. Consequently, this analysis operationalizes cognitive metaphor theory as an ethnographically bound research method and archaeology of meaning.
Articles - Jordan & The Levant by Elisabeth V Culley
For almost a century, the Levantine Mousterian facies B, C and D first defined by Dorothy Garrod ... more For almost a century, the Levantine Mousterian facies B, C and D first defined by Dorothy Garrod at Mugharet et-Tab un have figured prominently in discussions of spatial and temporal variability in the Middle Paleolithic of the Levant. Although much modified by subsequent workers, and frequently described qualitatively, the compositional integrity of these basic analytical units has never been assessed quantitatively. Here we describe the statistical parameters of the facies using a large data set comprising 54 collections from 20 sites assigned by the excavators to one or another of the facies. A statistical summary revealed many cross-cutting patterns that departed from qualitative descriptions of the facies, calling their compositional integrity into question. A multivariate discriminant analysis helped resolve some of these problems. It confirmed a strong statistical affinity between the B and C facies, which were in turn sharply differentiated from D. Our results are then compared with the stratified Mousterian sequence at Hummal, a site in the Syrian Desert. Relatively good correspondence was attained. Implications of the analysis are discussed in terms of the adequacy of the systematics used to identify facies differences and what they might mean behaviorally.
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Dissertation by Elisabeth V Culley
Journal Articles by Elisabeth V Culley
Books by Elisabeth V Culley
Book Chapters by Elisabeth V Culley
Book Reviews by Elisabeth V Culley
Conference Papers by Elisabeth V Culley
This paper introduces principles from Semiotics to delineate how: 1) using signs creates new signs and increases the amount of information that can become salient within a group, 2) the capacity to stipulate meaning and exploit higher-order sign types (symbols) is emergent from lower-order sign-use, 3) higher-order signs embed lower-order signs; symbols encode both symbolic and non-symbolic information, thereby engendering complex sign systems and coherent knowledge banks, 4) different sign types support different networking potentials; symboling fosters networks that increase innovation and cultural complexity.
The semiotic perspective effectively predicts and models the evolution of symbolic information exchange and the consequent expansion of sign systems and social complexity in the human lineage. The archaeological evidence for the emergence of symboling from non-symbolic sign-use and the subsequent mobilization of complex technologies, as well as the implications for traditional models of human evolution, are reviewed. The discussion of semiotic principles and their application in origins research ultimately defines information exchange strategies as the substrate of social complexity and semiotic theory as a viable paradigm for Complexity Science.
Poster Presentations by Elisabeth V Culley
Actualistic Studies by Elisabeth V Culley
Theses by Elisabeth V Culley
Articles - Jordan & The Levant by Elisabeth V Culley
This paper introduces principles from Semiotics to delineate how: 1) using signs creates new signs and increases the amount of information that can become salient within a group, 2) the capacity to stipulate meaning and exploit higher-order sign types (symbols) is emergent from lower-order sign-use, 3) higher-order signs embed lower-order signs; symbols encode both symbolic and non-symbolic information, thereby engendering complex sign systems and coherent knowledge banks, 4) different sign types support different networking potentials; symboling fosters networks that increase innovation and cultural complexity.
The semiotic perspective effectively predicts and models the evolution of symbolic information exchange and the consequent expansion of sign systems and social complexity in the human lineage. The archaeological evidence for the emergence of symboling from non-symbolic sign-use and the subsequent mobilization of complex technologies, as well as the implications for traditional models of human evolution, are reviewed. The discussion of semiotic principles and their application in origins research ultimately defines information exchange strategies as the substrate of social complexity and semiotic theory as a viable paradigm for Complexity Science.