Gestures Across a Continent: Hands, Communication and Meaning in the Ancient Americas

Gestures constitute a fundamental part of human behaviour and are rich evidence of a culture’s ideology, identity, beliefs, and practices. Although gestures are visually and materially evident in the archaeological record, an approach to gesture that considers different traces of bodily actions and which compares gestures across cultural regions in the Americas, has been notably absent. This session addresses this concern by exploring the symbolism and significance of gestures in ancient and contemporary indigenous cultures of North, South and Central America for the purposes of better understanding the role of hands in communication and meaning in both space and time. By emphasising cross-cultural and comparative perspectives, this session will be pivotal in facilitating a dialogue about gestures between research fields and disciplines, including archaeology, anthropology, art history and linguistics. Topics will include representations of hands in art; embodied gestures and material culture; interpersonal behaviours (including gestures accompanying speech and Sign Languages); and the performance of gestures in ritual practices. As a whole, this session highlights the importance of gestures for comprehending the symbolism and significance of communication and meaning in the ancient New World and contributes to wider discussions of bodily communication in societies both past and present.