‘Agency’ theory applied: a study of later prehistoric lithic assemblages from northwest Pakistan

At the broadest level, James Bell (1992: 30) distinguishes three types of explanation that are being applied within the “cognitive revolution” (an overall shift in method and theory) that is currently taking place in prehistoric archaeology: an ‘holistic’ approach in which the thoughts of individuals are not a significant factor in the development and structure of human social organisation; an ‘individualistic’ approach wherein the thoughts of individuals are considered a significant factor in such organisation; and an ‘empathetic’ approach which assumes that the inner experience of individuals is worthy of study for its own sake.