Cognitive processes of the environmental perception: A methodological approach to the semantic aesthetics of open-air archaeological contexts

Abstract

The article presents an on-going methodological framework for understanding aesthetic experience, with specific reference to the semantic semiotics of the natural landscape and open-air archaeological contexts. The approach involves two broad perspectives: First, a socio-psychological which refers to the “aesthetic enjoinment” (a kind of pleasure) of the cultural visitors and which is approached from the point of view of socio-cultural experiences that are revived aesthetically and secondly, a structural – functional approach concerning the mechanisms which activate the cognitive processes of the environmental perception. The aim of this research is to ascertain the semiotic processes by examining the naturalized and phenomenological dimensions of the environmental space which are activated in the simple viewing of open-air antiquities.