Lower Palaeolithic Art in Britain?

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:37 pm

Had this rock on my dresser for a couple months.

http://www.bbrotemarkle.com/Album34/

Manystones · Post by **Manystones** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:46 pm

Hi Bruce,

I can't tell for sure from here if it is worked or not... but it looks like a bear to me.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:51 pm

I can't tell for sure from here if it is worked or not... but it looks like a bear to me.

I second that. A bear looking to our left, and slightly outwards, towards us...a bit 3-D.

What kind of material is it, Bruce?

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:32 am

What kind of material is it, Bruce?

It's a sandstone with a clayish looking color. It came from a spring
that has been diverted to a town. there are about 20 peices that were
stacked to the side when came in and dug the pipeline. This is one of the smallest. It has the same lines that the rock pictured earlier has.

Yup...that one's a no brainer.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:11 pm

It's a sandstone with a clayish looking color. It came from a spring
that has been diverted to a town. there are about 20 peices that were
stacked to the side when came in and dug the pipeline. This is one of the smallest. It has the same lines that the rock pictured earlier has.

Evening, Bruce.

Man, I was hoping it was chert. It's gonna be almost impossible to substantiate that the piece is cultural. Softstone material, like sandstone and limestone, cracks and splits at sharp angles. Now, if there's some definite patterns etched into the piece, that would be a different story. Any chance of getting some close ups of the fractures, or possible etchings?

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 7:48 pm

http://www.bbrotemarkle.com/Album34/?page=1

damn Charlie, you got me going now.

AD · Post by AD » Fri Dec 01, 2006 11:18 pm

Hi Bruce...

That thing does have the general form of a lot of sandstone fragments that appear at my own site, but it's real hard to say anything for certain about human agency from the photo. It's been my observation (quite hypothetical) that when those people busted up a rock for whatever purpose, they often at least perfunctorily incorporated a consistent zoo-anthropomorphic image into a fragment - I'm guessing as an expression of an animistic belief system; i.e., everything on earth has a spirit, including rocks, and it was incumbent upon anyone creating a separate entity to incorporate, at least crudely, the image of this spirit into it. For an example of this, take a look at http://www.daysknob.com/Rock_Paintings.htm Here, two sandstone pieces cut from bedrock onto which an obvious petroglyph was carved are in a very general bird form. Both are unremarkable at first glance, but the larger one bears incision marks (not shown on the web page) like those on the petroglyph, and, more important, an apparent painting (in liquid iron or manganese?) on its edge - not likely a natural occurrence. Altogether, it's apparent that such stones bear witness to a large-scale human presence unrecognized because conventional wisdom dictates that intended imagery must in all cases be obvious and meticulously detailed.

Playing lithic Rorschach, your rock does look bear-like, and I have a few apparent bears, as well as two very clear dogs (or other canine), one spider petroglyph, and a few very clear human representations. For by far the most part, the imagery here is birds and shaman-like bird-humans.

Keep looking! This stuff is pretty much all over. It's not all about arrowheads.

Regards, Alan

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:47 am

http://www.bbrotemarkle.com/Album34/?page=1

damn Charlie, you got me going now.

...sorry.

War Arrow · Post by **War Arrow** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 7:02 am

AD wrote: Both are unremarkable at first glance, but the larger one bears incision marks (not shown on the web page) like those on the petroglyph, and, more important, an apparent painting (in liquid iron or manganese?) on its edge - not likely a natural occurrence.

Hello Alan. I'm afraid the years of me doing chemistry at school coincided with the rise of the Sex Pistols, which somehow seemed more important at the time. Thus I'm a chemistry imbecile. In what form does manganese occur in nature? Does it have easily discernible properties which might therefore give hairy ancestors ideas about potential use as an art medium?
Not trying to be awkward here, just curious is all.

Manystones · Post by **Manystones** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 7:32 am

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manganese

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:15 am

http://www.bbrotemarkle.com/Album35/

Here's my painted bear.

Sorry Manystones for getting so off topic.

Notice the white nose, again looking left.

War Arrow · Post by **War Arrow** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:18 am

Thanks, Richard. I feel somewhat better informed.

Manystones · Post by **Manystones** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:44 am

Sorry Manystones for getting so off topic.

No need to apologise, the thread seems to have evolved from lithic art to rock art and culture whether its EP, MP, UP, Meso, Neo, or Native. I can't speak for anyone else but as long as I am learning it's all good.

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:08 pm

http://heritage.scotsman.com/myths.cfm?id=1758692006

During his time there he failed to find the library. Instead he is convinced that he has located the lost city of Atlantis:

"The word comes from Atal and antis. Antis is the name for the Andes and Atal means old, or of the time of the mother waters – or deluge."

Where this all ties into the Newton Stone is complex and involves a past civilisation – the Atlanteans of old and their ancient history.

Manystones,
Have you heard anything or seen this stone. Not quite British but close?

Manystones · Post by **Manystones** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 2:09 pm

This link gives a little more on the history of this stone...

http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata ... 21_045.pdf

I hadn't seen it before now.