人类学学报 ›› 2026, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (01): 187-198.doi: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0006cstr: 32091.14.j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0006

• 综述 • 上一篇    

旧石器时代装饰品研究的理论观察

魏屹()   

  1. 国家自然博物馆,北京 100050
  • 收稿日期:2024-04-26 接受日期:2024-07-17 出版日期:2026-02-15 发布日期:2026-02-13
  • 作者简介:魏屹,副研究员,主要从事旧石器时代考古学研究。E-mail: veahweiyi@outlook.com
  • 基金资助:
    国家社会科学基金青年项目(19CKG003);国家自然博物馆整体提升研究型博物馆建设项目

A brief review of theoretical approaches on Paleolithic personal ornaments

WEI Yi()   

  1. Natural History Museum of China, Beijing 100050
  • Received:2024-04-26 Accepted:2024-07-17 Online:2026-02-15 Published:2026-02-13

摘要:

装饰品最早出现于旧石器时代中期遗址,虽然数量较少,但其对解读人类行为演化与社会认知能力的发展具有重要意义。在旧石器时代考古研究中,搭建起有效的理论桥梁来解读装饰品是探索人类演化及其文化发展的关键一环。迄今为止,考古学、人类学、民族学、社会学等学科为旧石器时代装饰品研究提供了众多不同的解释框架和理论范式,虽各有其合理性和局限性,但整体来看能够从多个视角较为全面地阐述旧石器时代装饰品与人类自身及社会发展的关系,为行为现代性等相关理论研究的拓展和深化奠定了坚实的基础。本文对19世纪以来主要的相关理论探索进行了介绍和梳理,以期对我国旧石器时代装饰品及相关的研究工作提供有价值的参考。

关键词: 装饰品, 行为现代性, 象征认知, 物质介入

Abstract:

The earliest known examples of personal ornaments were discovered at Middle Paleolithic sites. Although these artifacts are scarce in number, they hold great significance in interpreting the evolution of human behavior and social cognitive abilities. Thus, establishing an effective theoretical framework for interpreting Paleolithic personal ornaments is a crucial aspect of exploring human evolution and cultural development. This involves theoretical discussions on the origin and development of personal ornaments, as well as their connection with behavioral modernity and the origin of culture. To date, archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, sociology, and other disciplines have provided a wide range of explanatory frameworks for the study of Paleolithic personal ornaments. Some researchers are committed to exploring the origin of behavioral modernity by seeking archaeological evidence of symbolic behavior. Others believe that the complexity and diversity of human behavior and culture are closely linked to the size of human groups, social structures, and social cognitive abilities. Early personal ornaments, once merely considered as body-decoration items, are now recognized as conveyors of social information such as age, ethnic identity, wealth, or social status within individuals and social groups. As the origin of modern humans and behavioral modernity have been hotly debated in Western archaeology, Paleolithic personal ornaments have been regarded as one of the most significant markers of human symbolic behavior and have played an important role in cognitive research.

Most scholars believe that the emergence of symbolic behavior reflects a significant advancement in human cognition, which can be attributed to changes in brain and neurological functions. However, the influence of social evolution and population growth has also been emphasized, as the use of personal ornaments can be seen as a coping strategy that evolved with the changing state of society. Some scholars also oppose the view that cognition is a prerequisite, arguing that material culture and cognition are intertwined and interact with each other.While each of these approaches has its own advantages and limitations, they offer a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between Paleolithic personal ornaments and the development of human society from multiple perspectives. This provides a solid foundation for expanding and deepening our understanding of behavioral modernity and related theories.

This paper introduces and synthesizes major theoretical approaches since the 19th century, aiming to provide valuable references for the research on Paleolithic personal ornaments in China. It also points out that the precise relationship between human cognitive abilities reflected in Paleolithic personal ornaments, behavioral modernity, and cultural evolution remains to be further explored.

Key words: personal ornaments, behavioral modernity, symbolic cognition, material engagement

中图分类号: