The cultural evolution of play and magic dolls across 110 societies

Abstract

Dolls represent one of the most widespread and enduring material objects that humans create across societies. The pervasiveness of dolls can offer novel insights into the role of human material culture in processes of cultural evolution. While commonly considered children's toys and discussed in relation to childhood play, in many societies dolls are also employed for magical purposes. Here, we examine the dual use of dolls to inform us about the cultural evolution of supernatural beliefs and magic. We made use of the electronic Human Relations Area Files (eHRAF) to identify different types of dolls and their uses across societies in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS). Across 110 societies, two distinct doll types emerged, some for play, and others for magic. Furthermore, dolls are used in magic practices 1) as tools to punish adversaries, 2) for protection or healing, 3) to increase fertility, and 4) to embody spirits. In a Bayesian model with controls for spatial and cultural non-independence, we found that the presence of magic dolls was associated with greater cultural complexity, while toy dolls were not. This association was found across both explanatory and socially regulatory forms of magic. As dolls are used for both play and magic (mundane and supernatural domains), this study contributes to our broader understanding of how the function of cultural objects evolves in response to other societal changes.