Posted on 05/23/2003 5:52:37 AM PDT by blam
'Oldest sculpture' found in Morocco
By Paul Rincon
BBC Science
A 400,000-year-old stone object unearthed in Morocco could be the world's oldest attempt at sculpture.
The figurine was found 15 metres below ground
That is the claim of a prehistoric art specialist who says the ancient rock bears clear signs of modification by humans.
The object, which is around six centimetres in length, is shaped like a human figure, with grooves that suggest a neck, arms and legs. On its surface are flakes of a red substance that could be remnants of paint.
The object was found 15 metres below the eroded surface of a terrace on the north bank of the river Draa near the town of Tan-Tan. It was reportedly lying just a few centimetres away from stone handaxes in ground layers dating to the Middle Acheulian period, which lasted from 500,000 to 300,000 years ago.
Cultural controversy
The find is likely to further fuel a vociferous debate over the timing of humanity's discovery of symbolism. Hominids such as Homo heidelbergensis and Homo erectus, that were alive during the Acheulian period, are not thought to have been capable of the symbolic thought needed to create art.
Writing in the journal Current Anthropology, Robert Bednarik, president of the International Federation of Rock Art Organisations (IFRAO), suggests that the overall shape of the Tan-Tan object was fashioned by natural processes.
But he argues that conspicuous grooves on the surface of the stone, which appear to emphasise its humanlike appearance, are partially man-made. Mr Bednarik claims that some of these grooves were made by repeated battering with a stone tool to connect up natural depressions in the rock.
Stone handaxes like these were found close to the figurine
"What we've got is a piece of stone that is largely naturally shaped.
"It has some modifications, but they are more than modifications," Mr Bednarik told BBC News Online.
Mr Bednarik tried to replicate the markings on a similar piece of rock by hitting a stone flake with a "hammerstone" in the manner of a punch. He then compared the microscopic structure of the fractures with those of the Tan-Tan object.
Sceptic's view
However, Professor Stanley Ambrose of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign said he saw no evidence for tool marks and that, although the figure was evocative, it was most likely the result of "fortuitous natural weathering".
"He [Mr Bednarik] has effectively presented all the information necessary to show this is a naturally weathered rock," Professor Ambrose told BBC News Online.
Professor Ambrose points to Mr Bednarik's observation that some rocks in the vicinity of the figure were weathered and even rounded from transport by water. Professor Ambrose believes that rocks and artifacts found at the site could have been disturbed by flowing water in the past.
Mr Bednarik also observes that flecks of a greasy substance containing iron and manganese on the surface of the stone could be red ochre, a substance used as paint by later humans.
"They [the specks] do not resemble corroded natural iron deposits, nor has any trace of this pigment been detected on any of the other objects I have examined from Tan-Tan," writes Mr Bednarik in the paper.
A 200,000-300,000-year-old stone object found at Berekhat Ram in Israel in 1986 has also been the subject of claims that it is a figurine. However, several other researchers later presented evidence that it was shaped by geological processes.
The Tan-Tan object was discovered in 1999, during a dig directed by Lutz Fiedler, the state archaeologist of Hesse in Germany.
A friggin rock!
Even then, BBWs were appreciated.
My first thought too!
Sometimes I liken our attempt to understand creation and the universe to assembling a beach from a grain of sand.
I resemble that remark. ;')
This topic is now strata-dated. (':
I would hold on to this statue in several years its probably be worth like a million dollars or something
"A 400,000-year-old stone object unearthed in Morocco could be the world's oldest attempt at sculpture."
And naturally, it was "porn".....LOL!
In their defense, they didn't have video players or the Internet. Or even the party store. ;')
The sticker also says "Made in China", which only adds to the suspiciousness.
Eeeeyew.
I can picture them blowing up animal hides like 'party dolls' now.
Thanks a bunch for *that* horrible little intrusive mental image.....;D
Just doin' my job. ;')
And made in China?
Pebbles' Barbie doll?
Say's made in Japan in the back no doubt.
more on Robert Bednarik:
World Archaeological Bulletin
The Rock Art Of The Guadiana, The Alqueva Dam,
and The Uispp 'International Commission': A Personal Clarification
João Zilhão (Director, Instituto Português de Arqueologia), September 19, 2001
http://www.wac.uct.ac.za/bulletin/wab14/zilhoa2.html
"The nature of these statements should be sufficient to make it clear that Robert Bednarik's activity has nothing to do with any kind of 'unselfish' desire to preserve the world's rock art. In fact, had it been left up to him, the Foz Côa dam would have been built and what is today a World Heritage site would have been lost forever under more than 120 meters of water and silt.
"A huge pile of scientific arguments, published in several peer-reviewed journals, has since demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt the Paleolithic age of the Côa rock art. This research was led by myself: at first, throughout 1995, as a University of Lisbon archaeologist; subsequently, in 1996-97, as director of the PAVC (Côa Valley Archaeological Park). Ever since his 'dating' was exposed, Robert Bednarik and his Portuguese friends, Mila Simões de Abreu among them, have pursued a relentless campaign of slander and insult against myself and my colleagues in the PAVC and the CNART. In a string of papers published in the 'AURA Bulletin', 'Rock Art Research', 'Tracce', and others, they have gone to the extent of accusing us of 'professional vandalism' and of 'destroying the scientific evidence that would prove us wrong'. These accusations were based on the fact that, in order to record the numerous fine line engravings that represent the large majority of the Côa valley rock art, we had partly removed some of the lichen covering a few of the Côa panels. Reading those papers and interpreting his actions throughout the Côa controversy, I formed the opinion that Bednarik's behaviour was incompatible with proper scientific debate, and I therefore made the decision that I would never reply to his numerous and repetitive attacks. I maintained that decision when I learned about the Alqueva Internet petition, and I am maintaining it."
Scientists don't deny someone could dig a 15 meter hole for some reason, right through old strata! The statue is also small enough for someone to mis and scoop up and let it end in the hole. Maybe there where conditions making it tricky to see whether it was previously disturbed.
But...it would still mean that there is really old soil around.
So.... Doesn't sound like an argumentation that you 'young earth' guys can use. Or did i interpret you wrong?
|
|
|
| GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
|
|
Just updating the GGG info, not sending a general distribution. |
|
|
|
|
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.