Defusing Dualism: Mind, Materiality and Prehistoric Art

How do archaeologists assign meanings to prehistoric art objects? Ancient art is often understood in terms of communication and expression, whereas other than purely visual meanings of art are seldom promulgated. Art is often associated with survival, religion and identity - the 'big issues' of social life - but some art objects may have been specimens of everyday material culture. In this article it is shown that the rejection of the dualistic mode of thinking - dichotomies between medium/message and symbolic/practical - opens up an alternative perspective on the meaning of prehistoric art.