š§ ROTA #3 ā News edition
Hey folks, welcome to the third issue of Rhythm of the Ancients! I donāt know about you, but Iāve had quite a week. Iām going to forgo the feature and get right into some of the biggest news in archaeology (along with some other interesting content). More features coming soon. š§
š Ancient Beat
A Study of Prehistoric Painting Has Come to a Startling Conclusion: Many Ancient Artists Were Tiny Children āĀ One study of the negative hand prints often found in Paleolithic cave art showed that 25% of the hands must have been those of children, primarily from three to ten years old. To the researchers, this means it was a family activity, and I think their reasoning makes sense. The article also mentions the possibility that bent fingers in the art had some type of significance to ancient peoples, so they are trying to break that code. Fascinating stuff. I wonder if theyāve considered peoples of smaller stature āĀ many ancient cultures have legends of a small people who once existed alongside them.
Monumental Structure in Sicily Isnāt a Phoenician Harbor ā Itās a Huge Sacred Pool of Baal āĀ Archaeologist Lorenzo Nigro believes that a 2500-year-old āartificial harborā was misinterpreted, and that it was actually a sacred pool dedicated to an ancient god. I find this interesting because freshwater pools and springs were heavily associated fairies/spirits in the ancient world. Even today, we can see the remnants ā ever wonder why we toss coins into fountains for good luck?
Ancient tombs and sarcophagus unearthed beneath Parisā Notre Dame ā This only goes back to the 14th century and I normally wouldnāt include something so recent, but itās being discussed all over the web right now. The tombs were only discovered because of renovations taking place due to the 2019 fire. They are remarkably well-preserved.
Archaeologists Find One of the Most Significant Carved Stone Monuments Ever Uncovered in Scotland āĀ A beautiful Pictish symbol stone was unearthed in a small test pit. Only about 200 have ever been found, so finding one in such a way is very unexpected and exciting. Check out the article for a look at the enigmatic symbols.
ā¤ļø Recommended Content
This video on the 40,000 year-old Lion Man goes into the origin of the famous lion man figurine, which Iāve mentioned previously. By the way, itās not the only lion man figurine that has been found in the area. Was this a god to the culture that made it? It is remarkably similar to the therianthropic beings shamans report seeing in their visions.
This video about the āVogelherd Animalsā displays the beautiful handiwork of artists from 40,000 years ago. Thereās a stone feline in there that I could swear is about to pounce. This shows the remarkable affinity these people had for animals and nature.
This article about the repurposing of ancient tools by later (but still very ancient) peoples posits that humans repurposed old tools not necessarily out of need, but often out of sentimentality. What I like about it is this: It shows that we are not the only ones trying to uncover and honor the past. Even hominids of 500,000 years ago were interested in their ancestors.
Thatāll do it for this week. Please reply to this email (or comment if youāre on my Substack) with questions, suggestions, or just to say hello. This newsletter is very much a work-in-progress, so Iād appreciate your input!
Until next time, thanks for joining me!
-James
P.S. If you like what youāre seeing, please consider sharing it with a friend. It would mean a lot! š