The Prehistory of the Mind: The Cognitive Origins of Art, Religion and Science

Article number 10176340

"The Prehistory of the Mind” presents a bold, interdisciplinary investigation into the evolutionary origins of human cognition, exploring how and when our ancestors developed the mental capacities for art, religion, and science. Drawing on insights from archaeology, cognitive science and evolutionary psychology, the author argues for a modular view of the mind and traces how the demands of hunter-gatherer life may have shaped cognitive domains for social intelligence, tool use, language, and symbolic thought. Along the way, Mithen examines the first evidence of symbolic behaviour, cave art, ritual, and early technological innovation, weaving a narrative that links prehistoric environments with the mental architecture of modern humans.