Past Minds

I. Preface Luther H. Martin and Jesper SA rensen Introduction 1. Past Minds: Evolution, Cognition and History Luther H. Martin 2. Cognitive History and Cultural Epidemiology Christophe Heintz, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Altenberg, Austria Minds and Ancient Civilizations 3. Technology and Past Minds: the Case of Jewish Niche Construction Gabriel Levy, Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer, Aarhus University, Denmark 4. Illuminatory of the Wide Earth: Strong Weapon of the Gods: Unbribable Judge: Intuitive Ontologies and the Use of Divine Epithets in Assyro-Bablylonian Texts Peter Westh, Lecturer in History of Religions, University of Copenhagen, Denmark 5. Cultural Stability and the Ideal Landscape: The Symbolism of Trees and Plants in Maya Culture Christian Prager, Department for Precolumbia Studies and Anthropology, University of Bonn, Germany 6. No time to philosophize? Norwegian Oral Tradition and the Cognitive Economics of Belief Dirk Johannsen, Assistant Professor, History of Religions, University of Friburg, Switzerland Roman Minds 7. Prisons of the longue duree: The Circulation and Acceptance of prodigia in Roman Antiquity Anders Lisdorf, Systems Analyst, Copenhagen, Denmark 8. What Might Cognitive Science Contribute to Our Understanding of the Roman Cult of Mithras? AleA' Chalupa, Assistant Professor, Department of the Study of Religions, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic 9. Do the Multiple Initiations of Lucius in Apuleius' Metamorphoses Falsify the Ritual Form Hypothesis? Douglass Gragg, Director of Library and Information Technology and Professor of Bibliography and Research, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Kentucky, USA 10. Religion Explained? Lucian and the Cognitive Study of Religion Ulrich Berner, Professor, History of Religions, University of Bayreuth, Germany 11. Magic and Mind in Early Christianity Istvan Czachesz, Fellow, Helsinki Colleguim for Advanced Studies, Helsinki University, Finland Conclusion 12. Beneath the Surface of History? Donald Wiebe, Professor of the Philosophy of Religion, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada 13. Past Minds - Present Historiography and Cognitive Science Jesper SA rensen