Embedded Files
11th March 2017
11th March 2017
Two recent papers examining blocks with engraving of animals from Abri Blanchard and Abri Cellier in South West France dating to the early Acheulean show that some of the engravings were instigated by the natural perimeter edge of the blocks. Especially at Abri Cellier, two of the blocks show how the cervico-dorsal line of engraved mammoths consists of the natural contour where one of the edges was altered slightly by "abrasion" in certain areas to accentuate the perceived suggestive outline of a mammoth (see Figure 19a and 19b in White et al 2017). In addition at both sites the lower edge of some of the blocks seem to have acted as a line for grounding the animals. What is particularly significant is that the blocks date back to the early Acheulean and, alongside Chauvet, add to the growing corpus of animal depictions belonging to this period i.e., the first appearance of animal iconography.
Two recent papers examining blocks with engraving of animals from Abri Blanchard and Abri Cellier in South West France dating to the early Acheulean show that some of the engravings were instigated by the natural perimeter edge of the blocks. Especially at Abri Cellier, two of the blocks show how the cervico-dorsal line of engraved mammoths consists of the natural contour where one of the edges was altered slightly by "abrasion" in certain areas to accentuate the perceived suggestive outline of a mammoth (see Figure 19a and 19b in White et al 2017). In addition at both sites the lower edge of some of the blocks seem to have acted as a line for grounding the animals. What is particularly significant is that the blocks date back to the early Acheulean and, alongside Chauvet, add to the growing corpus of animal depictions belonging to this period i.e., the first appearance of animal iconography.
White,R.,et al. 2017. Newly discovered Aurignacian engraved blocks from Abri Cellier:History, context and dating, Quaternary International
White,R.,et al. 2017. Newly discovered Aurignacian engraved blocks from Abri Cellier:History, context and dating, Quaternary International
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2017.02.001
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2017.02.001
Bourrillon,R.,et al. 2016. A new Aurignacian engraving from Abri Blanchard,France:Implications for understanding Aurignacian graphic expression in Western and Central Europe. Quaternary International
Bourrillon,R.,et al. 2016. A new Aurignacian engraving from Abri Blanchard,France:Implications for understanding Aurignacian graphic expression in Western and Central Europe. Quaternary International
In a recent book on Upper Palaeolithic Art, Jean Clottes makes the interesting comment that El Castillo mountain in Spain-where the famous El Castillo cave is located (as well as three other decorated caves)-appears to simulate the back outline of a mammoth (Clottes 2016 [p. 97] "What is Palaeolithic Art? Cave Paintings and the Dawn of Human Creativity" Univesity of Chicago Press: Chicago). This observation shows that projective hyperimages are as relevant to the outdoors as they are to the caves. In the same book, Clottes draws attention to Pasiega Cave, also in Cantabria, Spain (with detailed photographic illustrations), where red paint was minimally added to existing natural cracks and undulations to complete the depictions of a bird and possible a horse.
In a recent book on Upper Palaeolithic Art, Jean Clottes makes the interesting comment that El Castillo mountain in Spain-where the famous El Castillo cave is located (as well as three other decorated caves)-appears to simulate the back outline of a mammoth (Clottes 2016 [p. 97] "What is Palaeolithic Art? Cave Paintings and the Dawn of Human Creativity" Univesity of Chicago Press: Chicago). This observation shows that projective hyperimages are as relevant to the outdoors as they are to the caves. In the same book, Clottes draws attention to Pasiega Cave, also in Cantabria, Spain (with detailed photographic illustrations), where red paint was minimally added to existing natural cracks and undulations to complete the depictions of a bird and possible a horse.
29th September 2017
29th September 2017
The open air Upper Palaeolithic sites of Siega Verde and Coa in Portugal have been found to be replete with engravings of animals that were triggered by the natural features of the rocks that were incorporated into the depictions.
The open air Upper Palaeolithic sites of Siega Verde and Coa in Portugal have been found to be replete with engravings of animals that were triggered by the natural features of the rocks that were incorporated into the depictions.
António Batarda Fernandes , Mário Reis, Cristina Escudero Remirez & Carlos Vázquez Marcos (2017) Integration of natural stone features and conservation of the Upper Palaeolithic Côa Valley and Siega Verde open-air rock-art. Time and Mind.10:3, 293-319, DOI: 10.1080/1751696X.2017.1341246
António Batarda Fernandes , Mário Reis, Cristina Escudero Remirez & Carlos Vázquez Marcos (2017) Integration of natural stone features and conservation of the Upper Palaeolithic Côa Valley and Siega Verde open-air rock-art. Time and Mind.10:3, 293-319, DOI: 10.1080/1751696X.2017.1341246
24th October 2017
24th October 2017
In their new book, "The First Artists: In search of the world's oldest art" (2007. London: Thames and Hudson), Paul Bahn and Michel Lorblanchet mention on pages 165-167 that the "mask" of Roche Cotard, thought to be made by Neanderthals, is in fact an intentionally made object and not as previously suggested, an accident of nature. Given this finding, it seems that Neanderthals were also capable of projecting an image onto a suggestive surface in order to complete an iconic feature by simply slotting a wedge into the natural stone to make a cat-like face. This confirms that the ability to engage in visual projection to minimally alter natural objects to produce "passively" conceived artifacts predates the Upper Palaeolithic by a long way. This is borne out by the Berekhat Ram, Tan Tan, Makapansgat objects that are essentially natural objects that appear to resemble human features with minimal intervention by the pre-human hominins implicated.
In their new book, "The First Artists: In search of the world's oldest art" (2007. London: Thames and Hudson), Paul Bahn and Michel Lorblanchet mention on pages 165-167 that the "mask" of Roche Cotard, thought to be made by Neanderthals, is in fact an intentionally made object and not as previously suggested, an accident of nature. Given this finding, it seems that Neanderthals were also capable of projecting an image onto a suggestive surface in order to complete an iconic feature by simply slotting a wedge into the natural stone to make a cat-like face. This confirms that the ability to engage in visual projection to minimally alter natural objects to produce "passively" conceived artifacts predates the Upper Palaeolithic by a long way. This is borne out by the Berekhat Ram, Tan Tan, Makapansgat objects that are essentially natural objects that appear to resemble human features with minimal intervention by the pre-human hominins implicated.
15th December 2017
15th December 2017
In a recent PhD thesis Needham (2017) examined in great detail a number of stone plaquettes from the Magdalenian site of Montastruc and found that, far from being incidental, the natural shape and contours of the plaquettes were fundamental to the way the animals were engraved. The examples from Needham's research provide further evidence of the widespread exploitation of explicit and implicit cues in Upper Palaeolithic art.
In a recent PhD thesis Needham (2017) examined in great detail a number of stone plaquettes from the Magdalenian site of Montastruc and found that, far from being incidental, the natural shape and contours of the plaquettes were fundamental to the way the animals were engraved. The examples from Needham's research provide further evidence of the widespread exploitation of explicit and implicit cues in Upper Palaeolithic art.
Needham, A. 2017. Palaeolithic Art: More than Meets the Eye? An Object Biography Approach to Engraved Stone Plaquettes from the Magdalenian Site of Montastruc, South-Central France.
Needham, A. 2017. Palaeolithic Art: More than Meets the Eye? An Object Biography Approach to Engraved Stone Plaquettes from the Magdalenian Site of Montastruc, South-Central France.
17th February 2018
17th February 2018
An exhibition at the Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, USA entitled "First Sculptures" displays symmetrical Acheulean handaxes together with pierres-figures (figure-stones). The pierres-figures are suggested by the exhibition organizers to result from "pareidolia" and perhaps represent the first examples of faces and animals dating to well before the art of the Upper Palaeolithic, produced either by Homo erectus or Homo heidelbergensis. However, rather than pareidolia, such objects may derive from "hyperimages" (as defined in the main text) in that the visual brain was primed to see animals and faces in suggestive natural arrays due to ancestral biases. Pareidolia, however, is defined as arbitrarily seeing things in suggestive features. Interestingly, the exhibition catalogue also mentions the importance of the inclusion of natural features in Upper Palaeolithic art. Some of the exhibits from the gallery can be found at:
An exhibition at the Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, USA entitled "First Sculptures" displays symmetrical Acheulean handaxes together with pierres-figures (figure-stones). The pierres-figures are suggested by the exhibition organizers to result from "pareidolia" and perhaps represent the first examples of faces and animals dating to well before the art of the Upper Palaeolithic, produced either by Homo erectus or Homo heidelbergensis. However, rather than pareidolia, such objects may derive from "hyperimages" (as defined in the main text) in that the visual brain was primed to see animals and faces in suggestive natural arrays due to ancestral biases. Pareidolia, however, is defined as arbitrarily seeing things in suggestive features. Interestingly, the exhibition catalogue also mentions the importance of the inclusion of natural features in Upper Palaeolithic art. Some of the exhibits from the gallery can be found at:
7th May 2018
7th May 2018
A recent neuroscientific study has established the existence of a neuro-visual pathway in the human brain privileged for detecting animals and that occurs rapidly to the extent that conscious awareness is not always necessary. As the authors of the study conclude: "Our results indicate that even in the 'unseen' condition, the brain responds differently to animal and non-animal/vehicle images, consistent with rapid activation of animal selective feature detectors prior to, or outside of, suppression by the CFS mask." (Zhu et al 2016) This finding substantiates the reality of implicit perceptual processes referred to in the opening page where the suggestive natural features of the cave induce behaviour.
A recent neuroscientific study has established the existence of a neuro-visual pathway in the human brain privileged for detecting animals and that occurs rapidly to the extent that conscious awareness is not always necessary. As the authors of the study conclude: "Our results indicate that even in the 'unseen' condition, the brain responds differently to animal and non-animal/vehicle images, consistent with rapid activation of animal selective feature detectors prior to, or outside of, suppression by the CFS mask." (Zhu et al 2016) This finding substantiates the reality of implicit perceptual processes referred to in the opening page where the suggestive natural features of the cave induce behaviour.
Zhu W, Drewes J, Peatfield NA and Melcher D (2016) Differential Visual Processing of Animal Images, with and without Conscious Awareness. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 10:513. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00513
Zhu W, Drewes J, Peatfield NA and Melcher D (2016) Differential Visual Processing of Animal Images, with and without Conscious Awareness. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 10:513. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00513
29th Oct. 2020
29th Oct. 2020
A study in the Journal of Neuroscience found that the perception of threat from predatory animals leads to activation of an area in the dorso-lateral temporal cortex that overlaps with the recognition of intentional threat perceived in humans. The authors state that: "Social cognition, by definition, involves thinking about conspecifics. However, there is evidence of overlap in cognitive mechanisms for perceiving conspecific and interspecific actions. Neural activity evoked by observing motions of animals overlaps with that for observing motions of humans".
A study in the Journal of Neuroscience found that the perception of threat from predatory animals leads to activation of an area in the dorso-lateral temporal cortex that overlaps with the recognition of intentional threat perceived in humans. The authors state that: "Social cognition, by definition, involves thinking about conspecifics. However, there is evidence of overlap in cognitive mechanisms for perceiving conspecific and interspecific actions. Neural activity evoked by observing motions of animals overlaps with that for observing motions of humans".
This finding may help to explain the depiction of large dangerous animals in Upper Palaeolithic art and the interest in representation of the movement of animals (including why such animals were depicted in the first instance).
This finding may help to explain the depiction of large dangerous animals in Upper Palaeolithic art and the interest in representation of the movement of animals (including why such animals were depicted in the first instance).
See: Connolly, Andrew C et al. “How the Human Brain Represents Perceived Dangerousness or "Predacity" of Animals.” The Journal of Neuroscience . vol. 36,19 (2016): 5373-84. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3395-15.2016
See: Connolly, Andrew C et al. “How the Human Brain Represents Perceived Dangerousness or "Predacity" of Animals.” The Journal of Neuroscience . vol. 36,19 (2016): 5373-84. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3395-15.2016
14th Nov. 2020
14th Nov. 2020
Recent conference paper shows how visual neuroscience and psychology of perception highlighted in my previous paper can help to interpret and understand the inclusion of reptiles in Mesoamerican art.
Recent conference paper shows how visual neuroscience and psychology of perception highlighted in my previous paper can help to interpret and understand the inclusion of reptiles in Mesoamerican art.
see: Wright-Carr, D, C. 2018. Sacred Reptiles and Native Worldview: Enactive Aesthetics in Ancient Mesoamerica. Body of Knowledge Conference. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7548b88w
see: Wright-Carr, D, C. 2018. Sacred Reptiles and Native Worldview: Enactive Aesthetics in Ancient Mesoamerica. Body of Knowledge Conference. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7548b88w
24th July 2021
24th July 2021
In the early Natufian site of Wadi Hammeh 27 in Jordan (12,000–12,500 cal. BC), natural objects that suggest animals were collected and modified to accentuate the likeness as well as enhance their saliency by adding geometric patterns. As the archaeologists state: "The likelihood that Palaeolithic artisans sometimes used natural objects as models for their image-making has long been suggested, yet well-contextualized and stratified examples have remained rare. This study examines a series of natural and fabricated items from the Natufian settlement of Wadi Hammeh 27 in Jordan (12,000–12,500 cal. BC) to propose that the site occupants collected a variety of found objects such as fossils, unusually shaped stones and animal bones, which they utilized as templates in the production of geometric art pieces." The reference for the article is:
In the early Natufian site of Wadi Hammeh 27 in Jordan (12,000–12,500 cal. BC), natural objects that suggest animals were collected and modified to accentuate the likeness as well as enhance their saliency by adding geometric patterns. As the archaeologists state: "The likelihood that Palaeolithic artisans sometimes used natural objects as models for their image-making has long been suggested, yet well-contextualized and stratified examples have remained rare. This study examines a series of natural and fabricated items from the Natufian settlement of Wadi Hammeh 27 in Jordan (12,000–12,500 cal. BC) to propose that the site occupants collected a variety of found objects such as fossils, unusually shaped stones and animal bones, which they utilized as templates in the production of geometric art pieces." The reference for the article is:
Phillip C. Edwards, Janine Major, Kenneth J. McNamara & Rosie Robertson. 2019. The Natural Inspiration for Natufian Art: Cases from Wadi Hammeh 27, Jordan. Cambridge Archaeological Journal.
Phillip C. Edwards, Janine Major, Kenneth J. McNamara & Rosie Robertson. 2019. The Natural Inspiration for Natufian Art: Cases from Wadi Hammeh 27, Jordan. Cambridge Archaeological Journal.
An example of one of the objects suggestive of an animal from the site is shown here:
An example of one of the objects suggestive of an animal from the site is shown here:
Many thanks to Phillip C. Edwards for permission to reproduce this illustration.
Many thanks to Phillip C. Edwards for permission to reproduce this illustration.
6th June 2022
Recent research by a team from the archaeology departments of Durham University and the University of York found that the engravings of animals on portable stone plaquettes were inspired by both the natural shape and cracks/undulations that gave rise to "pareidolia". The invetigators also found that the plaquettes were arranged around a fire forming a hearth where the engraved animals appeared to move in the light given off by the flickering flames.
Needham A, Wisher I, Langley A, Amy M, Little A (2022) Art by firelight? Using experimental and digital techniques to explore Magdalenian engraved plaquette use at Montastruc (France). PLoS ONE 17(4): e0266146. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0266146
Google Sites
Report abuse