A recent dating of Geibenklosterle Cave in Southern Germany has shown that
the earliest known cave art in Europe was not in France but in southern
Germany. The cave stratigraphy shows 19 geological horizons with several
archaeological horizons scattered throughout it. From the top down the
stratigraphy looks like:
archaeological horizon Geological horizon
1n 1 Mesolithic
1o 2 Magdalenian
3
4
5
6
Is 6/7 Gravettian
It 7 Gravettian
Ia 8 Gravettian
Ib 9 Gravettian
Ic 10 Gravettian
IIn 11 Aurignacian
IIa 12 Aurignacian
IIb 13 Aurignacian
IId 14 Aurignacian
IIIa 15 Early Aurignacian
IIIb 16 Early Aurignacian
17
18
IV 19 Middle Paleolithic
D. Richter, J. Waiblinger, W. J. Rink, and G. A. Wagner,
"Thermoluminescence, Electron Spin Resonance, and 14 C-Dating of the Late
Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic Site of Geibenklosterle Cave in
Southern Germany," Journal of Archaeological Science, 27(2000):71-89, p. 74
Now, the interesting thing about this stratigraphy is that the Aurignacian
of level II contains a lot of art work.
"Stratigraphically located above the Early Aurignacian, another
archaeological complex (level II) can be described as a typical Aurignacian
and linked with the French Aurignacian I. Level II contains split base
points, suggesting that the Aurignacian I is the first widespread Upper
Palaeolithic chronostratigraphic unit in almost all of Europe. Various
unusual objects were uncovered from this layer; an anthropomorphic half
relief on ivory, a flute made of swan bone, figurines of mammoth, feline,
bear, bison and several other pieces of symbolic representation, as well as
jewelry made of ivory."
D. Richter, J. Waiblinger, W. J. Rink, and G. A. Wagner,
"Thermoluminescence, Electron Spin Resonance, and 14 C-Dating of the Late
Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic Site of Geibenklosterle Cave in
Southern Germany," Journal of Archaeological Science, 27(2000):71-89, p.73
Carbon 14 dates for these level II yield ages of 33,450 BP which would make
this the earliest dated artwork in Europe. Howver, Carbon 14 dates for
these time ranges have generally been too young, especially when they were
uncalibrated dates, which means that they were not corrected for
atmospheric C14 compositional changes at that time. There is little
information against which to calibrate C14 dates 30,000+ years ago. Because
of this, archaeologists give more weight to thermoluminescent and electron
spin resonance dating. When burned flints from the Aurignacian level II
layers were dated by thermoluminescence, they yielded dates of 37,000 years
BP. This has tremendous implications for the earliest European art work.
The authors write:
"The mean 14C dating results of 33,450+/- 350 BP for the Aurignacian of
the Geibenklosterle Cave are in the same age range as typological similar
sites in Southern France. The TL results of c. 37,000 a indicate an age
offset due to the lack of calibration of 14C dates, suggesting an early
beginning of the Aurignacian I in Central Europe. The reported ages for the
Aurignacian layer at Geibenklosterle are also of great significance for the
dawn of art. Together with the tentatively dated figurative art from the
Aurignacian of the Vogelherd cave, the elaborate pieces of symbolic
representation from the Geibenklosterle Cave are outstanding for this time
period. Artwork of comparable quality is radiocarbon dated to 31,000 BP at
Grotte Chauvet, thus being significantly younger. Furthermore, the
existence of rock paintings in Central Europe has also been established for
the Geibenklosterle Cave although only small pieces have survived erosion.
Apart from two black stripes merging at an angle on a piece of limestone
from the Early Aurignacian layer, a worked limestone from the Aurignacian
shows a triangular yellow zone encircled by the red and black stripes,
which presumably had been attached to the cave wall." D. Richter, J.
Waiblinger, W. J. Rink, and G. A. Wagner, "Thermoluminescence, Electron
Spin Resonance, and 14 C-Dating of the Late Middle and Early Upper
Palaeolithic Site of Geibenklosterle Cave in Southern Germany," Journal of
Archaeological Science, 27(2000):71-89, p. 86
Note that the above also mentions a piece of painted art found in the
Early Aurignacian levels. The Early Aurignacian level dates to 40,200
+/-1500 years old by thermoluminescence. This means that artwork was taking
place in Europe 40,000 years ago--14 thousand years BEFORE the first
anatomically modern human skeleton was found there. As I had mentioned in
an earlier note the earliest modern human skeleton found in Europe dates
26,000 years ago from Pavlov, Czech Republic.
see http://www.calvin.edu/archive/asa/199910/0208.html
If modern humans weren't in Europe until around 30,000 years ago, then the
only conclusion is that the Neanderthals drew the art. If they drew the
art, they are human! Apologists like Hugh Ross, David Wilcox, John Wiester
and others who insist that Neanderthal is not human need to deal with this
data.
As is the case with all anthropological knowledge, the date of the earliest
occurrence of any given item, be it art, tool making, spear-making etc
continues to get older and older. Christian apologists should make
allowances for the likely probability that in a hundred years, Neanderthals
will be acknowledged as artists.
On miscellaneous note, I found a better report on Loring Brace's work which
concerns the possibility that Neanderthals may have contributed genes to
the Native Americans. It explains what he did although it lacks the
Neanderthal comment he gave at the meeting. It is at
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/02/000218115259.htm
glenn
Foundation, Fall and Flood
Adam, Apes and Anthropology
http://www.flash.net/~mortongr/dmd.htm
Lots of information on creation/evolution
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