It might be representational instead of abstract. It might be a vertical diagram of an outrigger canoe, or a horizontal depiction of a fossil trilobite. My guess is that representational expressions would precede abstract ones.
Warren Fahy I agree this must be representational of something important to the one performing this at that particular time. I want more context. There must be more information being neglected at this site.
Young children scribble before they can draw. I remember once drawing a page of spirals and asterisk-like figures as a ~3 yr old. I don't mean to say that adult Neandertals were like children, only that non-figurative "art" is instinctive.
I'd like to know more about this. Specifically, the closest suggestion of when the engraving was made, precisely where the engraving was in relation to the then-existing cave floor and to the cave entrance and whether it was the only area of relatively smooth rock in the vicinity. In particular, I'd like to know if the engraving could be dated to pre-Neanderthal --- to Homo erectus. The engraving does not appear to be an artistic endeavor because as Findlayson points out, it took numerous, deliberate strokes of a stone tool to etch. Flint or chert rocks are known in the vicinity of Gibraltar and are hard enough to scrape the walls (I would also like to know the wall composition: limestone, old dune sand, something else?) There are two possibilities that I think are worth considering. One would involve the implement itself. Was the designer attempting to test the tool's capabilities? While a possibility, I discount it because such activity would just dull the tool and necessitate it to be resharpened, always a risky endeavor since the blade could be damaged. The second possibility is that it was intended as a communication. In other words, the engraving is a map. It might show the location of specific areas of interest in the cave, where particular materials, foods or other features might be found, or it could relate to areas outside of the cave. But it was not an idle undertaking.
Dull the tool...good idea ..if you intend to strike with a stone in hand the back side must be very blunt ,rounded , also butt to wood shaft - left sharp it would slice back splitting wood asap..around here they like a river cobble corse Sandy hard sandstone or quartzite...
The rock engraving is a doodle, doodle are something common among behaviors of people, modern or old. As for meaning, like modern people doodling with a pen or pencil on paper as they think about something else is a nervice reaction or simply boredom. True art is something else, it has purpose, planning, meaning and communicates a great deal about the artist. Think of it this way, communication, the artist is the sender, the message is the art, the viewer of the art is the receiver, intended or not. Neanderthals were people, they were reacting to their environment and doing so successfully. They had to have been accomplished clothing and footwear makers or they would not have survived in the Ice Age climate. clothing making and repair, tool making, hunting, survival and social needs took up much of their time, as did every other aspect of their lives, there simply was no time for the creation of cave painting and other art or tool advancement other than what was needed for survival and life. Very little of their time was spent living in caves or rock shelters, leather portable tents, making and keeping camp...lives would have been flowing game and searching for eatable plants and materials like good flint for tools and things like strong long wood for spears...
You cannot state that these marks were made by a Neanderthal unless you are in possession of a time machine. You can surmise, guess, or theorize, but you do not know for an absolute certainty that a member of the Neanderthal species--a questionable species designation, at best--made these marks. That is a scientific conclusion. Yours is "a guess." And then you state it as a fact.
Nothing a bear couldn't do on a tree or a kitty on your dining room table leg. Just as likely a Neanderthal marking behavior. Many animals mark objects and territory.
This could be grooves left after sharpening spears after fire hardening. There is no need to describe this as art, it is more likely functional - their conclusion is so amateurish.
First ever game of tic tac toe
This looks like someone experimenting with making marks in an unfamiliar medium. I've done very similar things myself.
clearly it's a grid they scratched out for playing noughts and crosses.
Yep they playin tic tac toe
It might be representational instead of abstract. It might be a vertical diagram of an outrigger canoe, or a horizontal depiction of a fossil trilobite. My guess is that representational expressions would precede abstract ones.
Warren Fahy I agree this must be representational of something important to the one performing this at that particular time. I want more context. There must be more information being neglected at this site.
Young children scribble before they can draw. I remember once drawing a page of spirals and asterisk-like figures as a ~3 yr old.
I don't mean to say that adult Neandertals were like children, only that non-figurative "art" is instinctive.
I'd like to know more about this. Specifically, the closest suggestion of when the engraving was made, precisely where the engraving was in relation to the then-existing cave floor and to the cave entrance and whether it was the only area of relatively smooth rock in the vicinity. In particular, I'd like to know if the engraving could be dated to pre-Neanderthal --- to Homo erectus. The engraving does not appear to be an artistic endeavor because as Findlayson points out, it took numerous, deliberate strokes of a stone tool to etch. Flint or chert rocks are known in the vicinity of Gibraltar and are hard enough to scrape the walls (I would also like to know the wall composition: limestone, old dune sand, something else?) There are two possibilities that I think are worth considering. One would involve the implement itself. Was the designer attempting to test the tool's capabilities? While a possibility, I discount it because such activity would just dull the tool and necessitate it to be resharpened, always a risky endeavor since the blade could be damaged. The second possibility is that it was intended as a communication. In other words, the engraving is a map. It might show the location of specific areas of interest in the cave, where particular materials, foods or other features might be found, or it could relate to areas outside of the cave. But it was not an idle undertaking.
Dull the tool...good idea ..if you intend to strike with a stone in hand the back side must be very blunt ,rounded , also butt to wood shaft - left sharp it would slice back splitting wood asap..around here they like a river cobble corse Sandy hard sandstone or quartzite...
Dear GBC News, you've gotta get the name of the person you're interviewing in there somewhere -- in this case, Clive Finlayson.
First game of tic tac toe.
Maybe just simply Counting maybe meat or grain for a fair distribution
How did they make it so straight?
That's easy. It would actually be harder to make less straight lines, using a rock to scratch rock.
made by a what??
The rock engraving is a doodle, doodle are something common among behaviors of people, modern or old. As for meaning, like modern people doodling with a pen or pencil on paper as they think about something else is a nervice reaction or simply boredom. True art is something else, it has purpose, planning, meaning and communicates a great deal about the artist. Think of it this way, communication, the artist is the sender, the message is the art, the viewer of the art is the receiver, intended or not. Neanderthals were people, they were reacting to their environment and doing so successfully. They had to have been accomplished clothing and footwear makers or they would not have survived in the Ice Age climate. clothing making and repair, tool making, hunting, survival and social needs took up much of their time, as did every other aspect of their lives, there simply was no time for the creation of cave painting and other art or tool advancement other than what was needed for survival and life. Very little of their time was spent living in caves or rock shelters, leather portable tents, making and keeping camp...lives would have been flowing game and searching for eatable plants and materials like good flint for tools and things like strong long wood for spears...
yawn...drivelling nonsense...yawn
You cannot state that these marks were made by a Neanderthal unless you are in possession of a time machine. You can surmise, guess, or theorize, but you do not know for an absolute certainty that a member of the Neanderthal species--a questionable species designation, at best--made these marks. That is a scientific conclusion. Yours is "a guess." And then you state it as a fact.
#
That's a G major, with one sharp.
I see at least 5 sharp notes, maybe E major?
Hash Tag Neanderthal.cave
Nothing a bear couldn't do on a tree or a kitty on your dining room table leg. Just as likely a Neanderthal marking behavior. Many animals mark objects and territory.
As they found, this was made with two hundred strokes.
This could be grooves left after sharpening spears after fire hardening. There is no need to describe this as art, it is more likely functional - their conclusion is so amateurish.
Yes these highly qualified and experienced archaeologists are indeed amateurs. Oh no, wait a minute you're an idiot, sorry
That's not how sharping a stone spear.
somone buy this over-fed white man some sun screen.
wrong video. Moron videos are in another section