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Study Claims Cave Art Made By Neanderthals
SF Gate - AP ^ | 9-1-2014 | FRANK JORDANS, Associated Press

Posted on 09/01/2014 10:46:10 AM PDT by blam

FRANK JORDANS, Associated Press
Monday, September 1, 2014

BERLIN (AP) — A series of lines scratched into rock in a cave near the southwestern tip of Europe could be proof that Neanderthals were more intelligent and creative than previously thought.

The cross-hatched engravings inside Gorham's Cave in Gibraltar are the first known examples of Neanderthal rock art, according to a team of scientists who studied the site. The find is significant because it indicates that modern humans and their extinct cousins shared the capacity for abstract expression.

The study, released Monday by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined grooves in a rock that had been covered with sediment. Archaeologists had previously found artifacts associated with Neanderthal culture in the overlying layer, suggesting that the engravings must be older, said Clive Finlayson, one of the study's authors.

"It is the last nail in the coffin for the hypothesis that Neanderthals were cognitively inferior to modern humans," said Paul Tacon, an expert in rock art at Australia's Griffith University. Tacon, who was not involved in the study, said the research showed that the engravings were made with great effort for ritual purposes, to communicate with others, or both.

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: archaeology; caveart; cavepainting; chatelperronian; ggg; gibraltar; godsgravesglyphs; gorhamscave; macroetymology; neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals; paleosigns
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...
Thanks blam.


21 posted on 09/01/2014 1:48:02 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: blam

I’ll have the roast duck with the mango salsa.


22 posted on 09/01/2014 2:14:39 PM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: blam

We never got any respect!

23 posted on 09/01/2014 6:48:13 PM PDT by Regulator
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To: blam
Archaeologists were particularly impressed by an ancient drawing found in one of the caves which appears to depict Woolly Mammoths playing poker.
24 posted on 09/01/2014 7:02:09 PM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: blam

First paragraph incorrectly states they are our ancestors.


25 posted on 09/01/2014 9:14:18 PM PDT by spyone (ridiculum)
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To: spyone; SunkenCiv

No it doesn’t, so what is your problem?
Why are you making stuff up?


26 posted on 09/02/2014 8:19:46 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective..)
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To: Vaquero; blam; SunkenCiv; All

Did they put a date on these scratch marks? Some time ago I saw cross hatched marks on an oblong stone from a cave in southern africa that I think they said was around 80,000 years old and homo sapien in origin. Anyone have that reference?


27 posted on 09/02/2014 2:01:54 PM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: gleeaikin

Homo sapiens was in Africa 80000 years ago. European Homo sapiens with Neanderthal DNA would most likely not be in Africa.


28 posted on 09/02/2014 2:24:19 PM PDT by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: Vaquero

Yes, that is what I indicated in my comment. Scientists thought they were homo sapiens caves in southern africa.


29 posted on 09/02/2014 10:45:42 PM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: BroJoeK

They corrected their error. Are you the author?


30 posted on 09/02/2014 10:56:39 PM PDT by spyone (ridiculum)
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To: BroJoeK

Ancestors to cousins. You’re welcome.


31 posted on 09/02/2014 10:57:47 PM PDT by spyone (ridiculum)
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To: spyone

I never saw the word “ancestors”, which is clearly incorrect.
“Cousins” is a bit of literary license, informally OK.
“Kissing cousins” is maybe taking license too far... ;-)


32 posted on 09/03/2014 3:24:06 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective..)
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