Resumen
Megalithic monuments are some of (if not the) earliest architectural expressions in prehistoric Europe, and the first monumental (and funerary) architecture marking the landscape. This presentation delves into the broader implications of this early "domestication of space" extending the metaphor to include the domestication of thought. Furthermore, focusing specifically on the megalithism of northwestern Iberia, we will take a closer look at how the established megalithic chronological phases correlate with shifting societal cycles, marking moments of transformation and reflecting the contest between inequality and resistance in society. It is discussed how the detailed and structural study of both monumental and vernacular architecture can provide insight into society and its thought. It is aimed to uncover some of the cognitive scales at which these structures operate, revealing how the material expressions embody and articulate specific rationalities. The built environment not only expresses prevailing thought patterns and societal norms, but is also capable of actively influencing and transforming these. This presentation aims to contribute some thoughts on this dynamic interplay, and how to study it. This paper is part of the XSCAPE project on Material Minds, and ERC Synergy Grant that explores the interactions between predictive brains, cultural artefacts, and embodied visual search.
Palabras clave
Megalithism. Northwestern Iberia. Cycles of transformation. Societal rationalities.