This May Be the Oldest Known Neanderthal Art

June 2, 2024 5:42 PM

This 130,000 Year Old Decorative Bear Bone May Be the Oldest Known Neanderthal Art. Researchers say the carved artifact was not a utilitarian item and instead served a symbolic purpose.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (14 comments total)

another paper about this ancient art introduces the Weber fraction, a concept i hadn't heard of before. thank you
posted by HearHere at 6:21 PM on June 2

That such series of parallel incisions really appear with the Neanderthals and not before, suggests that they were a cultural practice that had meaning and function, and not, say, the product of unconscious personal habits like modern doodling...

Meaning and function? Wow. A bridge too far. Not doodling? Who among us has not doodled parallel lines? That particular artistic inclination seems baked in to me. Suggesting ritualistic and quasi-religious meanings to ancient art is a reflexive tendency for these guys, but I don't always buy it.
posted by kozad at 6:34 PM on June 2 [6 favorites]

I have definitely heard the joke that "ceremonial object" is the archaeologist's catch-all for "I dunno what it's for."
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:55 PM on June 2 [5 favorites]

These are obviously notches in a Neanderthal's bedpost.
posted by Kabanos at 7:10 PM on June 2 [4 favorites]

"Man, I wish they'd invent streaming television already."
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:07 PM on June 2

The 175,000 year old structures deep within Bruniquel Cave assigned to Neanderthals are arguably a much earlier and more significant example of behavioural complexity and symbolism, whatever that actually means.
posted by Rumple at 8:46 PM on June 2 [3 favorites]

I have definitely heard the joke that "ceremonial object" is the archaeologist's catch-all for "I dunno what it's for."

See: The Motel of the Mysteries
posted by The Tensor at 10:40 PM on June 2 [9 favorites]

The 175,000 year old structures deep within Bruniquel Cave assigned to Neanderthals are arguably a much earlier and more significant example of behavioural complexity and symbolism, whatever that actually means
wish i could go back in time, to sit with them around a fire circle...

Meaning and function?
there are similar parallel marks on the upper left arm of Löwenmensch/my hypothesis has long been that these marks denote educational objects, e.g. this is how we deconstruct cave lions, literally (wiki)
posted by HearHere at 2:24 AM on June 3

Yes, kozad… baked in by the God of the Parallel!

|| so ever let it be ||
posted by cupcakeninja at 3:42 AM on June 3

Bedpost marks? Has anyone thought that this marking was a record of counting? Somebody had 17 things. Here’s the record.
posted by njohnson23 at 6:03 AM on June 3 [2 favorites]

You know, back then you threw a spear at an animal and followed it around until it keeled over. Then you dragged it back home. After that, you sat around for a few days until the meat ran out only to repeat the process. I wonder if art and technology weren't born in some measure out of simple boredom and lots of free time.
posted by jabah at 6:38 AM on June 3

My first take on this was definitely counting something, whether as a record to share, or a mnemonic aid. Perhaps a parent counting and naming the children they had raised or lost. A record of tool owned. Etc.

IOW, who says doodling isn't ritualistic?
posted by meinvt at 7:50 AM on June 3

So derivative...
posted by Sphinx at 8:23 AM on June 3 [1 favorite]

* looks down at wood pencil where I have used a fingernail to gouge evenly spaced notches along one side*

...primitives...
posted by AzraelBrown at 8:39 AM on June 3