Anthropomorphism, Anthropogenesis, Cognition

Anthropomorphism could be described as a production of analogies generated by human cognition. As a result, anthropomorphism is a universal cultural trait present in all cultures at all times, and one of the cognitive fundamentals of humankind: that of projecting a human corporal image over the surrounding world. It is present in the imaginary, mythologies, religions, and material culture of all ages, being an important subject of archaeology. This book approaches anthropomorphism from the moment of anthropogenesis, tracing its presence in nature and material culture in prehistory and Antiquity. The cover image serves as a metaphor, joining together two perceptions of anthropomorphism: a rational one, that of the female columns at the Erechtheion temple in Athens; and a case of pareidolia, namely a figure with outstretched arms on a rock pillar at the Externsteine rocks in Germany.