Peter S Wells
Princeton University Press, £24.95
ISBN 978-0691143385
As a professor of anthropology, Peter Wells’ interest in neuroscience and cognitive psychology brings a lot of interesting ideas to archaeology. Some might disagree with his rejection of the words ‘art’ and ‘artefact’ as too loaded with modern ‘mental baggage’, yet this bold approach is certainly thought-provoking. Reconstructing prehistoric psychology is, of course, an exercise in speculation, but Wells’ ideas on the visual impact of objects, particularly when considering how they would have looked in pre-electrical times, are sure to spark worthwhile discussions. CH
This article is an extract from the full article published in World Archaeology Issue 56. Click here to subscribe