Too Bad Ish is Gone

[Minimalist]

She'd have loved this one!

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/ ... 011209.php

Archaeologist and leading cave painting expert explores the origin of human creativity and belief
New book discusses the connections between shamanism, artistic creativity, myth and religion

[Donna]

So, where has everyone gone? Seems like half the regular posters have ldisappeared. Did I miss something?
Donna

[Sam Salmon]

So, where has everyone gone? Seems like half the regular posters have ldisappeared. Did I miss something?
Donna

I've seen this sort of thing happen in other places-certain posters start over indulging themselves, others take offense, disagreements (some of them rather nasty) ensue and the critical mass is reduced as sensitive souls migrate elsewhere.

[Minimalist]

It happens.

[Sam Salmon]

It happens.

Something about human nature......

[Minimalist]

Yeah....well, anyway.

Jean M. Auel, bestselling author of Clan of the Cave Bear and The Shelters of Stone: Earth's Children, says, "The cave paintings of France and Spain, which date from 35,000 to 10,000 years ago, have posed an intriguing enigma since they were first recognized. Experts have debated, and ordinary people have wondered, why they were painted and what they might mean. David Whitley's take is one of the more original interpretations, and certainly an interesting one. And the man can write. His descriptions of the sites and the art in the caves are captivating and poetic."

Anyone have any insight into cave paintings in Africa or North Africa? Do they exist prior to the period given above? Are there any similarities?

HSS remains have been found in Morocco and it makes much more sense for humans to have crossed at Gibraltar than to take the long way around through Turkey - the Balkans - the Alps and finally into France and Spain.

All they need is a boat.

[john]

It happens.

Something about human nature......

Sam Salmon -

It certainly is.

Speaking only for myself, I have learned that there

Is a point, when I have been highly focused on a particular project/entity

When I feel myself going stale.

When that happens I open all the doors and windows

In the house of my life and go exploring.

A couple months ago, I felt myself going stale, here, so

Went on sabbatical.

I'm finding some interesting stuff out there..........

And I'll be back.

Boats, hematite, beads, and

H. floriensis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quhj6PEboCU

By the way, the apparent discovery of yet another mammoth

On Santa Cruz island, and

The Ainu/S. American genetic hookup are

Both pretty cool,

But I am deep in the bogs of

The African/European connection to

The East Coast of N. and S. Amerikay.

hoka hey

john

[Ishtar]

Hello Sam

I'm not around these days because I now have my own website and forum, Ishtar's Gate, which takes up all my time.

http://www.ishtarsgate.com/index.html

It's not in competition with Archaeologica as it's quite a different kettle of fish. I've also cut the information differently. Rather than having categories based on timeframes, geography or academic field, mine are based on the fundamental questions that we ask to do with the cognition, population movements, scientific knowledge and ritual practices of our ancestors.

Min, I saw this book a few days ago but didn't include it on my News page as I was little offput by the slick PR campaign surrounding it (it's a press release, not a news story), not to mention its endorsement by the author of Clan of the Cave Bear. I also couldn't see, at first glance, what he had that hadn't already been covered by the likes of David Lewis Williams (Mind in the Cave and Inside the Neolithic Mind) and, of course, Mircae Eliade. Bednarik has also written on this, although I disagree with some of his conclusions.

I may turn out to be wrong about this new book and I will at least skim read it, to see what he has to say. But I just had an instinct that he may not be taking the subject further on as such, but just popularising it which, in itself, is not such a bad thing ... I suppose....

To answer your question, the paintings at Chauvet, dated around 35,000 years old are, as far as I know, the oldest that have been dated in Europe. I think the oldest in Africa will probably turn out to be those of those of the San in southern Africa, but it's imposssible to date them as they are still painting on top of them, even today. But the cave paintings of the Apollo 11 caves in Namibia are thought to be around 25,000 B.C.

Hope this helps!

[Minimalist]

I'm just trying to logically (always dangerous) consider why HSS would suddenly appear on the north coast of the Med and start painting animals on cave walls.

When people move they bring their traditions with them so it seems that, if Out of Africa is true there should be similar, but older, cave paintings ( in style - if not the same types of animals) on the north African coast as well.

Of course.....if OOA is not true.................

[Digit]

So you've finally started to listen to me then Min?

Roy.

[Minimalist]

I'm so confused with these claims and counter claims that I'll listen to damn near anyone at this point.

[Rokcet Scientist]

So, where has everyone gone? Seems like half the regular posters have ldisappeared. Did I miss something?
Donna

All the above reasons, PLUS: some clueless IT-type banned whole swathes of IP adresses from this server so that many simply cannot log on anymore.

[Sam Salmon]

So, where has everyone gone? Seems like half the regular posters have ldisappeared. Did I miss something?
Donna

All the above reasons, PLUS: some clueless IT-type banned whole swathes of IP adresses from this server so that many simply cannot log on anymore.

That was probably the consequences of someone somewhere dumping garbage-spamming/trolling/whathaveyou.

And then Yes someone used a sledgehammer to swat a fly.