The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art
Authors and Contributors      By (author) David Lewis-Williams
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:320
Dimensions(mm): Height 234,Width 156
Category/GenreTheory of art
ISBN/Barcode 9780500284650
ClassificationsDewey:701
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations 67 Illustrations, black and white; 27 Illustrations, color

Publishing Details

Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publication Date 5 April 2004
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

What does the breathtakingly beautiful art depicted on the walls of caves such as Lascaux, Chauvet and Altamira, tell us about the nature of the ancestral mind? How did these images spring, seemingly from nowhere into the human story? The Mind in the Cave puts forward the most plausible explanation yet proposed for the origins of image-making and art. This is a masterful piece of detective work, casting light on the darkest mysteries of our earliest ancestors and on the nature of our own consciousness and experience.

Author Biography

David Lewis-Williams is Professor Emeritus and Senior Mentor in the Rock Art Research Institute, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg. Among his books are The Mind in the Cave, Inside the Neolithic Mind (with David Pearce) and The Shamans of Prehistory (with Jean Clottes).

Reviews

'It is hard to praise this book too highly. I have read nothing more fascinating all year' - John Carey, Sunday Times 'The most comprehensive and convincing explanation for the cave art in Europe so far' - Chris Stringer, Evening Standard 'A genuine masterpiece' - Jean Clottes 'A masterly piece of detective work' - Sunday Telegraph 'A thorough, accessible and beautifully illustrated history of the origins of art based on anthropological and neurological research' - Observer 'A fascinating and closely argued analysis' - Colin Renfrew, University of Cambridge