Posted on 02/08/2012 10:36:42 AM PST by blam
'The Oldest (Neanderthal) Work Of Art Ever': 42,000-Year-Old Paintings Of Seals Found In Spanish Cave
* Six paintings were found in the Nerja Caves, 35miles east of Malaga
* They are the only known artistic images created by Neanderthal man
By Tom Worden
Last updated at 9:27 PM on 7th February 2012
Comments (38) Share The world's oldest works of art have been found in a cave on Spain's Costa del Sol, scientists believe. Six paintings of seals are at least 42,000 years old and are the only known artistic images created by Neanderthal man, experts claim.
Professor Jose Luis Sanchidrian, from the University of Cordoba, described the discovery as 'an academic bombshell', as all previous art work has been attributed to Homo sapiens.
Important find: These six paintings of seals were discovered in the Nerja Caves near Malaga, Spain. They are at least 42,000 years old and are the only known artistic images created by Neanderthal man
The paintings were found in the Nerja Caves, 35 miles east of Malaga in the southern region of Andalusia. Spanish scientists sent organic residue found next to the paintings to Miami, where they were dated at being between 43,500 and 42,300 years old.
They hope to establish the exact age by testing parts of the paintings themselves, but their investigation has been hampered by a lack of cash.
Antonio Garrido, in charge of preserving the caves, said the paintings could revolutionise our view of Neanderthal man, who is often portrayed as being monkey-like.
The Nerja Caves, an impressive series of enormous caverns, were discovered
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Tourist attraction: The caves are home to the world's largest stalagmite, standing 105ft tall
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Location: The paintings were found in the Nerja Caves on Spain's south coast
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(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Limestone caves have no “walls.”
They tend to form in washed out aquifer lenses.
What?? - You’re an art critic now?
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. . . . . . . . :o)
I go where the need is.
I heard that some were asking for a learned artistic analysis of this Seal ...
The Lincoln memorial’s basement is similar to the basement of the Alamo.
Nice caves. Better visit soon, before they revert to Islam.
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Wow, smokin' find! There's so much overlap and so many overpainted images in well-known art caves, it wouldn't come as a surprise to find a long development -- all Neandertal -- layer over layer in all these caves. |
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Stalactites hang on tightly to the ceiling so they don’t fall off. Stalagmites are trying with all their might to reach the ceiling.
Traces of pottery, ceramics, prehistoric tools, human remains and wall paintings have all been found within the caves. Since the caves discovery over fifty years ago, more than one million pieces have been discovered and catalogued.
That was excellent. Thanks.
Forty-two thousand years ago was the depths of the last Ice Age. Conditions are generally dryer during very cold weather. Some of our heavy snows have been caused by warmer weather. Another question, how do we know it was Neanderthal, and not CroMagnon?
Stalagmite... G ground
That's the way us Neanderthals were taught to remember.
Perhaps these were painted by Neanderthal women. Women, after all, like to decorate the cave ... men would be just as happy to leave it in the same condition in which they found it. I certainly know a lot of single guys still living in undecorated caves, with nothing except a huge TV on a milk crate, and some old bucket seats.
Or these might have been painted by Neanderthal women as a form of shopping list. “Don’t forget to bring home a few seals, dear. We’ll eat them for dinner, and I could also use a new coat.”
Or, they may have been preparing for Global Warming and wanted to leave an archive for any survivors. (us)
Um... classy. With a slight mackerel scent.
Ok. Here’s my question:
Those stalactites look to be pretty long and the seals seem to be in a long line going up into the upper area of the cave so:
1. Did the Neanderthals invent the first ladder to complete the seals in one sitting?
2.Did they hang the seals and outline them? Is that blood used as a medium? (I ask because my uncle has a painting from a famous Spanish painter who used the blood from bulls killed in the Fiesta Brava as his medium for bullfight paintings.)
3.Were they painted on the stalactite over time as it grew longer? Would have been a world’s record for the longest “sitting” I think.
Just askin’ cause any answer is cool.
Good questions all.
I have a question about Ancient art (not cave drawings)
It seems to me that when archaeologists discover some very old pottery paintings/art, it is ALWAYS described as, and generally looks very good. By good I mean the artists seems to have an artistic talent.
So, My question is: Where are all the “BAD” attempts at “ART/Decoration” ?
Just a thought.
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