South African Rock Art: A Prehistoric Paleontological Record?
A groundbreaking study suggests that ancient South African rock art may depict a long-extinct animal dating back 260 million years. This discovery challenges our understanding of the artistic abilities and knowledge of prehistoric humans.
The research, conducted by Julien Benoit, a paleontologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, focuses on a specific rock painting in the Free State Province of South Africa. The artwork, created by the ǀXam-ka ǃʼē people, features a creature with a distinctive curved spine and downward-turned tusks.
Benoit believes that this depiction could be a visual representation of a dicynodont, a large, herbivorous reptile that roamed the Earth during the Permian period, long before dinosaurs appeared. The creature’s characteristic posture, often seen in fossilized remains, aligns closely with the figure in the rock art.
This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of prehistoric human knowledge and artistic expression. It suggests that ancient people may have had a deeper understanding of their environment and the creatures that inhabited it than previously thought. Additionally, it raises the possibility that rock art could serve as a valuable source of paleontological information.
Would you like to know more about dicynodonts or the ǀXam-ka ǃʼē people?
A groundbreaking study suggests that ancient South African rock art may depict a long-extinct animal dating back 260 million years. This discovery challenges our understanding of the artistic abilities and knowledge of prehistoric humans.
The research, conducted by Julien Benoit, a paleontologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, focuses on a specific rock painting in the Free State Province of South Africa. The artwork, created by the ǀXam-ka ǃʼē people, features a creature with a distinctive curved spine and downward-turned tusks.
Benoit believes that this depiction could be a visual representation of a dicynodont, a large, herbivorous reptile that roamed the Earth during the Permian period, long before dinosaurs appeared. The creature’s characteristic posture, often seen in fossilized remains, aligns closely with the figure in the rock art.
This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of prehistoric human knowledge and artistic expression. It suggests that ancient people may have had a deeper understanding of their environment and the creatures that inhabited it than previously thought. Additionally, it raises the possibility that rock art could serve as a valuable source of paleontological information.
Would you like to know more about dicynodonts or the ǀXam-ka ǃʼē people?