Evolutionary Neuroarchaeology

Abstract

Abstract Evolutionary neuroarchaeology sits at the intersection of archaeological, evolutionary, and neuroscientific theory, adopting core elements of each and making its own contributions by articulating and elaborating connections between them. This unification is informed by the core neuroarchaeological project of drawing inferences about unobservable brains, behavior, and cognition from observable material remains. It thus has a natural affinity with theoretical perspectives that emphasize concrete context and materiality rather than abstract information processing, exemplified by parallel developments across anthropological practice theory, “4E” (embodied, embedded, enacted, and extended) cognition; predictive processing models of brain function; and the extended synthesis of evolutionary biology. This chapter reviews the logic and practice of research design in neuroarchaeology by giving specific examples and situating the field in the broader theoretical context of cognitive science.