Resumo
This session seeks to explore several aspects of First Monumentality on a global scale. We are interested in understanding first monumentalities on several levels: in their conception and as enduring marks on the landscape. The first monuments did not “appear”. Therefore, rather than tracing an origin story, our focus is on how the earliest monuments represent a moment of culmination, as the materialisations of significant developments within prehistoric communities. These structures reflect not only the practical aspects of planning, organization, and execution—requiring substantial collaboration and communication—but also profound ideological shifts. But monument-building represents more than just a technical achievement. An important shift in how communities perceived and engaged with their environment took place. Early monumentality signifies a transformation in how people related to their surroundings, domesticating space by marking the landscape. The second part of the reflection we would like to invite you to participate in is the life of monuments once they have been conceived and built: the lasting influence of monuments after their construction. How do these structures continue to shape the lives, perceptions, and cognitive frameworks of the people who live with and contemplate them? How does the relationship between communities and their monuments evolve over time?We invite contributions from colleagues working on First Monumentality across different regions of the world to share their work on us and engage together in a fruitful debate on the material, social, and cognitive implications of these enduring landmarks.