Assimilating Neuroimaging with the Archaeology of Early Mark-Making: A Critical Assessment

The earliest known engravings display a concern for repetitive lines and motifs that date from over 500,000 years ago onwards, which has led to a variety of suggestions as to their significance. Of the three main competing hypotheses as to their import, one—based on neuroimaging evidence—posits that they are fully symbolic, whereas the second proposes a proto-aesthetic explanation based on the way the visual cortex processes information, while the third—material engagement theory—is based on kinesthetic affordances. The aim of this paper is to assess the merits of each approach by presenting recent evidence from neuroscience, neuro-archaeology and material engagement theory in order to attain a more unified evaluation of the significance of the engravings. In order to facilitate that aim, a critical assessment of the advantages and limitations of employing various neuroimaging techniques is undertaken. Recent research from neuroaesthetics is also presented to show how it can provide useful insights into early mark-making, especially in the context of proto-aesthetics.