A Unified Theory for Palaeoart Studies‪.‬

Abstract. Like archaeology, palaeoart studies has been based largely on uniformitarianism: the geological theory explaining phenomena as being the result of extant forces having operated uniformly in the past. This is argued to be inadequate as an epistemological model for the discipline. Taphonomic logic is explained as a superior model forming the logical core of metamorphology, a theoretical framework for testing the admissibility of hypotheses. This framework is argued to provide the discipline of palaeoart studies with the unified theory needed to facilitate its further development. KEYWORDS: Theory--Palaeoart studies--Science--Taphonomy--Metamorphology