Biography
Dr. Bar Efrati is an archaeologist specializing in the evolution of human cognition, perception, and material culture. She is currently conducting her postdoctoral research, “Cognition, Perception, and Tool Making”, as a Research Associate at the School of Archaeology, University of Oxford.
Dr. Efrati’s research moves beyond purely functional explanations to explore the intricate, conscious dialogue between a prehistoric maker and their materials. By analyzing subtractive technologies like stone tool making as observable cognitive processes, she investigates how a creator’s perceptual experience is reflected in an object’s final form. Her work draws on an anthropological and interdisciplinary framework, integrating Material Engagement Theory (MET) and 4E Cognition with insights from materiality studies, anthropology of the senses, and art theory. This approach challenges traditional models by highlighting the complex sensory and perceptual experiences inherent in early human tool-making, aiming to build a more holistic understanding of the deep history of the human mind.
Research Interests
Research interests include Cognitive and Palaeolithic Archaeology; Archaeological and Anthropological Theory; Material Engagement Theory (MET) and 4E Cognition; Materiality Studies, Lithic Technology and Analysis, the Anthropology of the Senses, and the Phenomenology of Making.