Lewis-Williams has argued that much of the world's rock art is the result of shamanism. What is the basis for his argument?
a. He is operating within the paradigm of structuralism, which frequently explains human behavior as a response to culturally dictated supernatural needs.
b. He interprets the symbols depicted in rock art as representing shamans contacting the spirit world; thus the explanation for rock art lies within the rock art itself.
c. Cross-cultural psychological and neurological research showing that individuals in a trance go through three universal stages of hallucination; rock art records these stages.
d. There is no real basis for his argument; he arrived at his conclusions without the necessary data to support them and therefore demonstrates the dangers inherent in cognitive archaeological approaches.
e. Shamans are found in hunting and gathering societies and much of the rock art depicts hunting scenes.
Question 2
An individual who has the power to contact the spirit world through trance, possession, or visions, and who uses this power to influence the world of the living is
a. a totem.
b. a shaman.
c. an oracle.
d. always a male.
e.. always a female.
Parabola Real World Example
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