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Cognition and Representation of Self and the Other in North African Rock Art

Objective

Before it became desert, the so-called ‘Green Sahara’ was maintained by wetter conditions during the Early and Mid-Holocene periods (ca. 9500 to 3500 BC). Prehistoric groups have painted numerous scenes and motifs, especially in the Saharan massifs such as Ahaggar, Tassili, Messak, Acacus, Aïr, Tibesti, Ennedi, Gilf el-Kebir and Jebel Uweinat, from West
to East. Rock art of this 'optimum' encompasses a wide range of representations, in which images of the human body and social life are at a very high proportion, compared to rock art traditions of other parts of the world. As such, it is a unique corpus for studying body perception and depiction in the late Prehistory.
Until today, the potential of the corpus is still under-explored in terms of human and cultural thought, systems of meanings and social dimensions. The objective is to get Saharan rock art studies beyond typology, style and dating to actually learn about the meanings involved, particularly on the body and on identity. It aims to review prehistoric paintings of humans in the perspective of what they tell to us about perception and representation of the body, of Self and of the group. Beyond, the research question posed is ‘How prehistoric groups of North Africa have built images of their identity and social being?’.
The CRESO project is based on rock art data already collected in the Saharan massifs. The research questions focus on body conception and human relationships throughout a period of profound ecological and socio-economic changes, and on generic and symbolic representations and what they tell of the ‘worldviews’ of the painters. Two approaches will be applied, (1) at a large scale with a database and GIS platform, and (2) on a small subset in which images will be ‘excavated’ through a very detailed analysis. At the crossroads of several disciplines including cognitive archaeology and palaeosociology, CRESO is expected to renew the research issues in North African rock art studies.

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MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2015

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Coordinator

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 195 454,80
Address
TRINITY LANE THE OLD SCHOOLS
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
United Kingdom

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Region
East of England East Anglia Cambridgeshire CC
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 195 454,80
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