10 amazing rock carvings that revolutionized the scientific world

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The discovery of an ancient rock painting in a cave in Gibraltar, which, according to scientists, was made by Neanderthals about 39,000 years ago, became a real sensation in the scientific world. If the discovery turns out to be true, then history will have to be rewritten, because it turns out that the Neanderthals were not at all primitive-stupid savages, as is commonly believed today. In our review, there are dozens of unique rock paintings that were found at different times and made a splash in the world of science.

1. Rock of the white shaman

This 4,000-year-old ancient cave painting is located in the lower reaches of the Peko River in Texas. The giant image (3.5 m) shows the central figure surrounded by other people performing some kind of rituals. It is assumed that the figure of a shaman is depicted in the center, and the painting itself depicts the cult of some forgotten ancient religion.

2. Park Kakadu

Kakadu National Park is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Australia. It is especially prized for its rich cultural heritage - the park houses an impressive collection of local Aboriginal art. Some of the rock paintings at Kakadu (which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) are nearly 20,000 years old.

3. Chauvet cave

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in the south of France. More than 1000 different images can be found in the Chauvet Cave, most of them are animals and anthropomorphic figures. These are some of the oldest images known to man, dating from 30,000 to 32,000 years. For about 20,000 years, the cave was covered with stones and it has been preserved in magnificent condition to this day.

4. Cueva de El Castillo

In Spain, the "Castle Cave" or Cueva de El Castillo was recently discovered, on the walls of which the oldest cave paintings in Europe were found, their age is 4,000 years older than any rock paintings that were previously found in the Old World. Most of the images contain handprints and simple geometric shapes, although there are also images of strange animals. One of the drawings, a simple red disk, was taken 40,800 years ago. It is assumed that these murals were made by Neanderthals.

5. Laas-Gaal

Some of the oldest and best-preserved rock paintings on the African continent can be found in Somalia, in the Laas Gaal (Camel Well) cave complex. Despite the fact that their age is "only" 5,000 - 12,000 years old, these rock paintings have been preserved just perfectly. They depict mainly animals and people in ceremonial clothes and various ornaments. Unfortunately, this remarkable cultural site cannot receive World Heritage status, as it is located in an area where there is a constant war.

6. Rock dwellings of Bhimbetka

The rock dwellings at Bhimbetka represent some of the earliest traces of human life in the Indian subcontinent. In natural rock shelters on the walls, there are drawings that are about 30,000 years old. These murals represent the period of development of civilization from the Mesolithic to the end of prehistoric times. The drawings depict animals and people in daily activities such as hunting, religious observance and, interestingly, dancing.

7. Magura

In Bulgaria, the rock paintings found in the Magura cave are not very old - they are from 4,000 to 8,000 years old. They are interesting with the material that was used for drawing images - guano (droppings) of a bat. In addition, the cave itself was formed millions of years ago and other archaeological artifacts were found in it, such as the bones of extinct animals (for example, a cave bear).

8. Cueva de las Manos

The Cave of the Hands in Argentina is famous for its extensive collection of prints and images of human hands. This rock painting dates back to 9,000 - 13,000 years. The cave itself (more precisely, the cave system) was used by ancient people as early as 1,500 years ago. Also in Cueva de las Manos, you can find various geometric shapes and images of hunting.

9. Altamira cave

The paintings found in the Altamira Cave in Spain are considered a masterpiece of ancient culture. Stone painting of the Upper Paleolithic era (14,000 - 20,000 years old) is in exceptional condition. As in the Chauvet cave, a landslide sealed the entrance to this cave about 13,000 years ago, so the images remained in their original form. In fact, these drawings have survived so well that when they were first discovered in the 19th century, scientists thought they were fake. It took a long time for technology to confirm the authenticity of the rock art. Since then, the cave has proven to be so popular with tourists that it had to be closed in the late 1970s, as the large amount of carbon dioxide from the breath of visitors began to destroy the painting.

10. Lasko cave

It is by far the most famous and most significant collection of rock art in the world. Some of the most beautiful 17,000-year-old paintings in the world can be found in this cave system in France. They are very complex, very carefully made and at the same time perfectly preserved. Unfortunately, the cave was closed more than 50 years ago due to the fact that under the influence of carbon dioxide exhaled by visitors, the unique images began to collapse. In 1983, a reproduction of a part of the cave called Lasko 2 was discovered.

There is great interest in and 5 amazing archaeological finds that were made in 2015 … They will be of interest not only to professional historians and art historians, but also to everyone who is interested in history.