Psychology and Cognitive Archaeology

Tracy B. Henley is Professor at Texas A & M University–Commerce, USA. He works primarily on historical matters, social cognition, and psycholinguistics. He has several previous books related to the history of psychology as well as serving as an editor for the Handbook of Cognitive Archaeology.Matt J. Rossano is Professor of Psychology at Southeastern Louisiana University, USA, where he studies the evolution of ritual, religion, and cooperation. His past books include Ritual in Human Evolution and Religion, Handbook of Cognitive Archaeology, Supernatural Selection: How Religion Evolved, and Mortal Rituals.

"True interdiscplinarity is difficult to come by, because it’s so difficult to do. Here, Henley and Rossano are to be congratulated for putting together a genuinely interdiscplinary, and genuinely thought-provoking, exploration of how archaeology and prehistory can contribute to an understanding of human psychology through time and space." Louise Barrett, Professor of Psychology at University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada"The archaeological record provides unique insights into the history of human organizations and innovations and their spread around the world. These artifacts tell us something important about the social and cognitive demands of living in different historical epochs and provide unique insights into the psychology of modern humans. Henley and Rossano’s book provides a superb introduction to this interdisciplinary approach and will be of interest to psychologists, cognitive scientists, anthropologists, and archaeologists." David C. Geary, Curators’ Distinguished Professor at University of Missouri, Columbia, USA"A book that puts the colour back into prehistory."Nicholas Humphrey, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at London School of Economics, London, UK

• Foreword: Minding Matter 1.Introduction: The Utility of Prehistory for Psychology 2.Situating the Archaeology in Cognitive Archaeology 3. Psychology and Evolution: A Checkered History 4.Wild Selves: On the Deeply Historical, Contextual Emergence of Self-Sustaining Systems 5.The Missing Mind: Contrasting Civilization with Non-Civilization Development and Functioning 6.The Laughing Pregnant Grandmother and the Relevance of Archaeological Findings for Cultural Psychology 7. Sexuality and Gender in Prehistory 8.Cognition Demonstrated by Artifacts: Tool-use Expertise and Tool-use Learning 9.Evidence, Inference, and the Puzzle of Ancestral Warfare 10.The Advent of Religion 11.A Prehistory of Sleep: Understanding the Roots of Modern Sleep Disorders 12.Psychology and Antiquity: A Prehistorian’s Perspective