A brief review of theoretical approaches on Paleolithic personal ornaments
Received date: 2024-04-26
Accepted date: 2024-07-17
Online published: 2026-02-13
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.
WEI Yi . A brief review of theoretical approaches on Paleolithic personal ornaments[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2026 , 45(01) : 187 -198 . DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0006
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