Periodic Reporting for period 1 - QUANTA (Evolution of Cognitive Tools for Quantification)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2023-02-28
The overall goal of QUANTA is to investigate when, why, and how the cognitive tools for quantification emerged and evolved. To test key hypotheses on the striking diversity of these cognitive tools, the QUANTA project involves the compilation of comprehensive data on this diversity (across time, cultures, and modalities), their coding according to a joint coding grid, and the analysis of their diversification as a response to environmental, cultural, and cognitive driving forces.
By integrating an evolutionary approach with a cognitive perspective on quantification, QUANTA will transform this research field. Its novel strategy will, for the first time ever, yield substantiated insights into the emergence and evolution of numeral systems, thus advancing our understanding of human cognition and its dependence on cultural tools. While the highly interdisciplinary, multi-method approach renders this a high-risk project, QUANTA has the potential to bridge the gap between previously incommensurable fields.