What does ‘human’ really mean? When Philosophy and archaeology join forces
Archaeology is the only science that allows us to study the material traces left by most of human evolution. But what happens when we bring philosophy into the picture? A new series of papers demonstrates how philosophical reflection can enrich archaeological research - especially when grappling with the deep past.
Thought-provoking papers
Karel Kuipers and Marie Soressi, together with colleagues from the School of Philosophy at Erasmus University Rotterdam, have just published three thought-provoking papers that explore the intersection of philosophy and archaeology.
- Curious about how philosophy can contribute to archaeological theory? Read the paper by Hub Zwart (Professor of Philosophy at Erasmus University Rotterdam) and Marie Soressi, which explores how philosophical perspectives can inform archaeological approaches to deep history. Read the article.
- Wondering what "human" really means in the context of human evolution - when multiple human species still roamed the Earth? Karel Kuipers’ and colleagues delve into philosophical anthropology and its potential to reframe our understanding of human evolutionary narratives. Read the article.
- Interested in what novels can reveal about our views on ancient encounters? Susan Peeters leads a paper examining how novels shape our perceptions of the Neanderthal–Homo sapiens encounter. Read the article.
Exciting avenues for research
These papers invite reflection, raise new questions, and show how collaboration between disciplines can open exciting avenues for research. This project is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) project “Neanderthals and us: How the golden age of Neanderthal research challenges human self-understanding”.