MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre honours developmental psychologist with international research
On 18 November, the HUMAN ROOTS AWARD will be presented for the 4th time by the Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution MONREPOS, an institution of the RGZM, Leibniz Research Institute for Archaeology. This year's laureate is the former co-director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Prof. Dr. Michael Tomasello, who now teaches comparative and developmental psychology at Duke University in North Carolina. The MONREPOS jury justifies the choice of Tomasello with the outstanding achievements of the laureate for the understanding of human social cognition. Tomasello is the author of numerous professional articles and popular science books.
Humans socialise differently from other primates, according to a central statement of Tomasello's research. This is due to fundamental features of human social cognition that enable complex forms of social learning, communication and cooperation. Taken together, this creates the cumulative culture of humans, into which we grow "unnoticed" and at the same time continue to change it. Tomasello's work thus not only sheds light on questions concerning the developmental psychology of humans, but also comparatively contrasts these findings with the understanding of the cognition of non-human primates.
The HUMAN ROOTS AWARD honours scientists from a wide range of disciplines for their contributions to the understanding of human behavioural evolution. The prize has been awarded by MONREPOS since 2017 and has come to be seen as a "little Nobel Prize" for archaeology and human behavioural evolution, explains Professor Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser, head of MONREPOS. The international research prize is endowed with 10,000 euros and stands for the promotion of interdisciplinary scientific dialogue. It strives to build bridges between the "archaeology of becoming human" and other sciences in order to link the archaeological view of "becoming human" with the humanistic agenda of "being human". For this is the only way to sustainably shape "remaining human" for our future, as the seven-member jury of scientists emphasises.
Following the death of Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt, one of the founding fathers of human ethology and patron of the first HUMAN ROOTS AWARD, since 2018 the patronage has been held by the Oxford evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. Dawkins was the first winner in 2017; in 2018, Steven Pinker from Harvard University (USA) and in 2019, Oxford evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar were honoured with the HUMAN ROOTS AWARD. Due to the pandemic, the awarding of the prize was suspended in the last two years. With the fourth award ceremony, this tradition is now being resumed.
MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution
MONREPOS is at the same time museum and research institute. It is a department of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz, a Leibniz-Association research institute, located in the Monrepos stately home near Neuwied, where research has been conducted for more than 30 years. The research centre and museum is closely linked to the section of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology at the Institute of Ancient Studies of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
Our research focuses on the inheritance we carry within us, which is worth millions: Our human behaviour has evolved over more than 2.6 million years. This early human history spans the longest and defining period of our behavioural evolution, that is central to our research at MONREPOS. Our archaeology thrives on working together, on questions, impulses, discussion. And, not least, on criticism and on tolerance. It needs people who are curious, creative and courageous – whether these are scientists, pro bono helpers, media or visitors. MONREPOS sees itself as a platform for everyone who wishes to understand how we evolved and what unites us.
Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum (RGZM) | Leibniz Research Institute for Archaeology
As a Leibniz Research Institute and Museum of Archaeology, the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum (RGZM) studies the material legacies from 2.6 million years of human history. The aim is to use archaeological finds and findings to demonstrate and understand human behaviour and actions, human activity and thinking, and the development and change of societies. The RGZM operates worldwide and has so far conducted successful and comprehensive research in various regions of Africa, Asia and Europe, with a geographical focus on Central and Southern Europe as well as the Mediterranean region. The unique concentration of archaeological, scientific, conservative and information-technological competences, combined with important workshops, laboratories and archives, makes it possible to conduct object-oriented research on the archaeology of the Old World (Asia, Africa, Europe) from the beginnings of human history to modern times.
Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Dr. Olaf Jöris (MONREPOS, Coordinator and Jury Member)
Tel.: +49 (0) 2631 9772 14 | Mail: joeris@rgzm.de
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