Project description
African hunter-gatherer colour symbolism
Despite an extensive archaeological record of earth pigment use, our ability to constrain accounts of our emergence in Africa as a symbolic species has not kept pace with biological understanding of our African speciation. Gendered structures of ritual, frequently involving material culture, play an important role in maintaining the relative egalitarianism of African hunter-gatherers. The EU-funded AH-GCOLSYM project will explore the use of colour substances in ritual performances and their relationship with the broader cosmology and gender dynamics, partially informed by a structuralist analysis of selected myths. Using the already established characterisation of the southern African earth pigment record during speciation, perceptual qualities in the two domains are used to evaluate predictions derived from existing models of symbolic cultural origins.
Objective
I plan to investigate colour symbolism among African hunter-gatherers (AHGs), using the results to help interpret findings of my previous archaeological research on southern African pigment use before, during, and after our morphologically diagnosed speciation. Having previously shown that earth pigments were primarily chosen for their saturated redness and/or sparkling brilliance, I am interested in discovering the part played by similar perceptual properties in the cosmological systems and rituals of AHGs whose voices can inform us today. AHGs are distinguished by high levels of gender egalitarianism, including the coexistence of women’s rituals alongside those of men, often in ways which augment women’s solidarity and power. One aim, therefore, will be to investigate the use of coloured substances in ritual performances and how this relates to broader cosmology and gender dynamics. I will also undertake structuralist analysis of selected myths where similar percepts play a significant role (having access to a previously unpublished store of narratives which can be analyzed in these terms). While attentive to ethnographic detail, I will go beyond mere description, drawing on current theoretical frameworks addressing either our emergence in Africa as a symbolic species or colour symbolism in myth and ritual, investigating whether any of them make sufficiently detailed predictions to test in the light of my findings. I hope to publish my results in three peer-reviewed scientific papers. Within the MSCA Work Programme, the project is relevant to the societal challenge of inclusive, innovative and reflective societies. Modern human origins research attracts high levels of public interest, but has suffered from low levels of cultural sensitivity or self-awareness. Bringing the insights of social anthropology to bear on our emergence in Africa as a symbolic species is intended to help remedy this.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering colors
- social sciences sociology anthropology social anthropology
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy physical cosmology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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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.
WC1E 6BT London
United Kingdom
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.