Abstract:
Cecilia Heyes (2018; 2019) has recently developed a novel framework for understanding human cognitive evolution. Contrary to many traditional views, cultural evolutionary psychology argues that distinctively human cognitive traits are transmitted culturally, not biologically. In labelling these mechanisms of thought “cognitive gadgets”, Heyes draws a direct analogy with the cultural artefacts studied by archaeologists. In this paper I explore how cultural evolutionary psychology can inform research in cognitive archaeology. I suggest that adopting Heyes’ framework goes some way to addressing the Wynn’s (2002) methodological challenge by bringing the categories of the psychological and archaeological sciences closer together. Nonetheless, deep inferential challenges remain. I look at how we can interpret the record through the lens of cognitive gadgets, using behavioural modernity as a case study.