Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Roles of Symbolic Communication

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

Investigators

Abstract

Symbolic information permeates modern human life. The human capacity to produce and manipulate symbols likely evolved during the Pleistocene and can be seen as a watershed development for the species. While past symbols themselves generally do not preserve into the modern day, the archaeological record can preserve traces of technologies that were used to produce symbolic information. Archaeological deposits dating to the Late Pleistocene produce some of the earliest evidence for these technologies in the form of ochres: iron-rich rocks and earth capable of producing vibrant pigments. Archaeologists are well situated to study this preserved material culture and to place these behaviors within a social and ecological context. While the relationship between the use of symbolic technologies and modern levels of intelligence has been well investigated, the capacity for these early technologies to communicate social information and what that might imply about the social group in which they were used have received relatively limited attention. This project investigates how human populations reacted to changing environmental conditions during the Late Pleistocene through shifting demographics, with archaeological evidence for greater use of symbolic technologies indicating increased population interactions. The first phase of this project involves the examination and comparison of ochre assemblages from three Late Pleistocene archaeological sites located in the Western Cape province of South Africa: Pinnacle Point 5-6, Knysna Eastern Head 1, and Boomplaas Cave. This phase will generate data on how hunter-gatherer groups reacted to changing environmental conditions through population aggregations and dispersals through time. An increased use of symbolic technologies is likely to occur during periods characterized by highly productive environments and population growth. Archaeological deposits dating to these periods are expected to have a relative increased ochre nodule weight, size, count, and evidence of human modifications. Unproductive environments favor lower population densities, resulting in a reduction in symbolic behaviors and the opposite pattern in the ochre assemblages. The second phase of this project will involve the geochemical fingerprinting analysis of the ochres from Pinnacle Point 5-6 via neutron activation analysis. Data generated from this phase will be used to explore changes in territorial range sizes and land use accompanying these expected demographic shifts. Results from the overall study will contribute to the growing body of knowledge concerning population size and structure for early modern humans, the origins of symbolic behaviors, and archaeological approaches to signaling identity. This project has significant broader impacts by engaging with students and the local research community in Cape Town, South Africa through the Human Evolution Research Institute seminar series and training workshops at the University of Cape Town. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.