The mind in the cave : consciousness and the origins of art / David Lewis-Williams.

Originally published: 2002.

Three Caves: Three Time-Bytes -- 1. Discovering Human Antiquity -- 2. Seeking Answers -- 3. A Creative Illusion -- 4. The Matter of the Mind -- 5. Case Study 1: Southern African San Rock Art -- 6. Case Study 2: North American Rock Art -- 7. An Origin of Image-Making -- 8. The Cave in the Mind -- 9. Cave and Community -- 10. Cave and Conflict.

"The Mind in the Cave puts forward the most convincing explanation yet proposed for the origins of image-making and art. The Neanderthals, our nearest ancient relatives, lived alongside our Cro-Magnon ancestors for over 10,000 years, borrowing stone tool technology but never developing art - how could this be? The answer, David Lewis-Williams shows, lies in the evolution of the human mind. Cro-Magnons, unlike the Neanderthals, possessed a higher-order consciousness and a more advanced neurological make-up which enabled them to experience shamanistic trances and vivid mental imagery. Entry into the ancient caves would have been seen as virtually indistinguishable from entry into the mental vortex that leads to the hallucinations of deep trance. It became important for people to 'fix', or paint, these images on to cave walls, which they perceived as the membrane between their world and the spirit world from which the visions came. Over time, new social distinctions developed as individuals exploited their hallucinations for personal advancement, and the first truly modern society emerged."--Jacket.