The technology of the earliest European cave paintings: El Castillo Cave, Spain

d’Errico, Francesco; Dayet, Laure; García-Diez, Marcos; Martí, Àfrica Pitarch; Pimentel, Daniel Garrido; Zilhão, João

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2016.03.007

Cited by 77 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…These discoveries challenge models based on the notion that isolation and speciation events were the factors responsible for the emergence of modern human cognition. As a result, a number of researchers has argued that the emergence of modern behavior should be investigated at a regional scale, that models aimed at explaining the emergence of modern behavior should account for the variability, including discontinuity, attested in the archaeological record, and that a number of diverse factors (social, demographic, environmental, ecological) needs to be taken into account (e.g., Belfer- Cohen and Hovers 2010;Conard 2008Conard , 2010d'Errico 2003d'Errico , 2009d'Errico et al 2001d'Errico et al , 2003d'Errico et al , 2012bd'Errico et al 2016;d'Errico and Stringer 2011;d'Errico and Banks 2013;Hovers and BelferCohen 2006;Johansson 2014;Nowell 2010;Peresani et al 2013Peresani et al , 2014Romandini et al 2014;Shennan 2001;Villa and Roebroeks 2014;Zilhão 2001Zilhão , 2006Zilhão , 2007Zilhão , 2011.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequential Incisions on a Cave Bear Bone from the Middle Paleolithic of Pešturina Cave, Serbia

Majkić

d’Errico

Milošević

et al. 2017

J Archaeol Method Theory

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We present the detailed analysis of a cervical vertebra from a cave bear, found at Pešturina cave, Serbia, in a Mousterian archaeological level dated by radiocarbon at 43.5-44.6 kyr cal BP, and by ESR to between 93.5 and 102.5 kyr BP. Identified as a portion of the cranial articular facet, the fragment displays ten subparallel grooves. The microscopic study of these grooves and other surface modification present on the bone fragment, conducted with multifocus optical and confocal microscopes and complemented by a taphonomic analysis of the associated faunal assemblage, supports the hypothesis that the incisions were made by humans. Results are used to critically examine ambiguities implicit in the analysis and interpretation of early engravings, a category of material culture that has been playing a key role in the identification of early instances of symbolically mediated behavior.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequential Incisions on a Cave Bear Bone from the Middle Paleolithic of Pešturina Cave, Serbia

Majkić

d’Errico

Milošević

et al. 2017

J Archaeol Method Theory

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“…These analyses could allow us to discern some aspects about the whole process of painting production, from obtaining the raw materials to the final figure, showing the different steps, elections and actors involved in the process. To the best of our knowledge, except for some valuable works [29,[59][60][61], the use of archaeometric studies to explore similar topics have been more exploited in other disciplines different to archaeology, such as art history and heritage science [56,[62][63][64]. Moreover, new concepts based on technical art studies can be incorporated by the archaeometry field to reinterpret the technical execution of rock art.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking for paint mixtures to glimpse pictorial techniques: a micro-stratigraphic physicochemical approach to the rock art from the Oyola’s Caves (Argentina)

et al. 2020

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Could not be possible that rock paintings with similar hues and morphologies were the result of different paint preparations inside a cave but distanced in time? Is there any archaeometric approach that allow us to evidence these subtle differences? Aiming to address these inquires, in this work are presented the potentials of new physicochemical lines of evidence for characterization and differentiation of paint mixtures. This will improve the understanding of the technical heterogeneity and temporal complexity of painting sets executed in a particular archaeological site. In order to explore these points, the results obtained in the micro-stratigraphic studies of samples taken from the painted walls of Oyola, an archaeological site located in the northwest of Argentina, are presented. These samples have been analyzed by micro-Raman spectroscopy (mRS) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDS). The differences found by cross-section chemical studies could be explained as a consequence of two situations: 1-differences in the painting's chemical components, either in the pigments involved or additives used; and, 2-differences in the physical properties of the mixtures such as stratum thickness and/or particle size. Also, in this article are explained each of the hypothesis, presenting the limits of these interpretations and pointing out future research challenges. As we discussed, it could be possible that the chemical and physical differences found between paint mixtures were the material expression of varied types of pictorial techniques.

show abstract

“…These analyses could allow us to discern some aspects about the whole process of painting production, from obtaining the raw materials to the nal gure, showing the different steps, elections and actors involved in the process. To the best of our knowledge, except for some valuable works [29,[59][60][61], the use of archaeometric studies to explore similar topics have been more exploited in other disciplines different to archaeology, such as art history and heritage science [56,[62][63][64]. Moreover, new concepts based on technical art studies can be incorporated by the archaeometry eld to reinterpret the technical execution of rock art.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking for Paint Mixtures to Glimpse Pictorial Techniques: A Micro -Stratigraphic Physicochemical Approach to the Rock Art From the Oyola’s Caves (Argentina)

Gheco

Tascón

Eugenia

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Could not be possible that rock paintings with similar hues and morphologies were the result of different paint preparations inside a cave but distanced in time? Is there any archaeometric approach that allow us to evidence these subtle differences? Aiming to address these inquires, in this work are presented the potentials of new physicochemical lines of evidence for characterization and differentiation of paint mixtures. This will improve the understanding of the technical heterogeneity and temporal complexity of painting sets executed in a particular archaeological site. In order to explore these points, the results obtained in the micro-stratigraphic studies of samples taken from the painted walls of Oyola, an archaeological site located in the northwest of Argentina, are presented. These samples have been analyzed by micro-Raman spectroscopy (mRS) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDS). The differences found by cross-section chemical studies could be explained as a consequence of two situations: 1- differences in the painting’s chemical components, either in the pigments involved or additives used; and, 2- differences in the physical properties of the mixtures such as stratum thickness and/or particle size. Also, in this article are explained each of the hypothesis, presenting the limits of these interpretations and pointing out future research challenges. As we discussed, it could be possible that the chemical and physical differences found between paint mixtures were the material expression of varied types of pictorial techniques.

show abstract

The technology of the earliest European cave paintings: El Castillo Cave, Spain

Cited by 77 publications

References 42 publications

Sequential Incisions on a Cave Bear Bone from the Middle Paleolithic of Pešturina Cave, Serbia

Sequential Incisions on a Cave Bear Bone from the Middle Paleolithic of Pešturina Cave, Serbia

Looking for paint mixtures to glimpse pictorial techniques: a micro-stratigraphic physicochemical approach to the rock art from the Oyola’s Caves (Argentina)

Looking for Paint Mixtures to Glimpse Pictorial Techniques: A Micro -Stratigraphic Physicochemical Approach to the Rock Art From the Oyola’s Caves (Argentina)

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