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PICTURES: Prehistoric European Cave Artists Were Female
nationalgeographic ^ | June 16, 2009

Posted on 06/30/2009 7:34:59 AM PDT by JoeProBono

Inside France's 25,000-year-old Pech Merle cave, hand stencils surround the famed "Spotted Horses" mural.

For about as long as humans have created works of art, they've also left behind handprints. People began stenciling, painting, or chipping imprints of their hands onto rock walls at least 30,000 years ago.

Until recently, most scientists assumed these prehistoric handprints were male. But "even a superficial examination of published photos suggested to me that there were lots of female hands there," Pennsylvania State University archaeologist Dean Snow said of European cave art.

By measuring and analyzing the Pech Merle hand stencils, Snow found that many were indeed female--including those pictured here.


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Science
KEYWORDS: cave; caveart; cavepainting; caves; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; macroetymology; paleosigns; spelunkers; spelunking
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In France's Gargas cave, a late Paleolithic left-hand stencil glows green from a night vision camera. Archaeologist Dean Snow concluded the hand was female.


1 posted on 06/30/2009 7:35:00 AM PDT by JoeProBono
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To: JoeProBono

Dammit. I was hoping for hot prehistoric cave chick pictures.


2 posted on 06/30/2009 7:36:37 AM PDT by cripplecreek (The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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To: JoeProBono

3 posted on 06/30/2009 7:36:43 AM PDT by Perdogg (Sarah Palin-Jim DeMint 2012 - Liz Cheney for Sec of State - Duncan Hunter SecDef)
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To: cripplecreek

4 posted on 06/30/2009 7:37:21 AM PDT by evets (beer)
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To: JoeProBono

What evidence is there that the palm printers were also the artists? Maybe they were the virgin sacrifices.


5 posted on 06/30/2009 7:37:27 AM PDT by DManA
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To: JoeProBono

I am sure we will soon also be told they were also Lesbians, working on gender-equality and social justice issues for the community of women....


6 posted on 06/30/2009 7:37:31 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: PGR88

LOL, and the cave men were all on the down-low.


7 posted on 06/30/2009 7:39:06 AM PDT by Catholic Canadian ( I love Stephen Harper!)
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To: JoeProBono

Yup...and,next,we’ll learn that they were lesbians.


8 posted on 06/30/2009 7:39:10 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Christian+Veteran=Terrorist)
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To: PGR88

They were imprisoned all day in the caverns by the oppressive male patrirachy, and painted the walls because of their desire for an independent career in home decoration and design. Plus, shopping and credit cards hadn’t been invented yet.


9 posted on 06/30/2009 7:40:40 AM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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To: JoeProBono

They probably had the guys go in a clear out all the critters first.


10 posted on 06/30/2009 7:41:35 AM PDT by blam
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To: cripplecreek

11 posted on 06/30/2009 7:42:00 AM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: JoeProBono

What is it with chick and horses?


12 posted on 06/30/2009 7:42:05 AM PDT by D Rider
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To: JoeProBono

13 posted on 06/30/2009 7:45:16 AM PDT by Costumed Vigilante (Congress: When a handful of evil morons just isn't enough)
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To: JoeProBono

Looks to me like they had spray paint.


14 posted on 06/30/2009 7:46:46 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
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To: Gay State Conservative

15 posted on 06/30/2009 7:47:00 AM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: JoeProBono
Helen Thomas can confirm this...


16 posted on 06/30/2009 7:47:02 AM PDT by Dallas59 ("You know the one with the big ears? He might be yours, but he ain't my president.")
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IBTHTP

17 posted on 06/30/2009 7:47:29 AM PDT by evets (beer)
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To: JoeProBono

Heh... I’m suddenly reminded of the “first art critic” scene in “History of the World - Part I”. :-)


18 posted on 06/30/2009 7:49:10 AM PDT by Charles Martel ("Endeavor to persevere...")
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To: Dallas59

Lower the resolution! Lower the resolution!


19 posted on 06/30/2009 7:54:04 AM PDT by Rinnwald (I am Soros.)
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To: Dallas59
Ya had to go and post that photo, didn't you?

After visions of pretty girls in fur bikinis, (thanks post 3,4,11,13) You go and post the ugliest woman on the planet who is old enough to remember living in caves.

20 posted on 06/30/2009 8:03:01 AM PDT by NavyCanDo
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