Cutting Holes

This chapter presents a detailed review and discussion of recent and current research into the philosophy of making holes in surfaces (i.e., pits are holes in the ground), and into the psychology of the visual perception of concave shapes (i.e., pits are creations of concave spaces). Discussion focuses on categories of holes, the definition of surfaces, the (in)significance of hole-fillings, the existential paradox of holes as objects, the disruptions caused by holed surfaces, and the visual advantages of convex (versus concave) shapes. The chapter ends with a discussion of the relevance of the philosophy and psychology of holes to Măgura and other pit-house sites like it, suggesting that the reader will benefit from thinking in potentially metaphysical terms about pit-houses.