Posted on 05/25/2016 7:10:46 PM PDT by BenLurkin
That was my first thought too. Fertility rites seem to be deeply-imbedded in human culture reaching far back into the past. Anything in nature with a phallic appearance might have held deep significance for the Neanderthals. Phallic worship in India goes back to prehistoric times.
Fascinating. Click to read the entire article and see pics.
I was thinking it looked more like an early form of a “time out” circle for misbehavioral yooths.
Srsly. In a big wet cave, no less.
The article said that they were able to date using burned bone, and there is a photo of fire stained area. It also said the area had been protected by calcite, presumably deposited relatively soon after use by man. I wonder if any digging has been done under this calcite layer, or if they are still just studying the surface.
Since 176K is over three times the radiocarbon dating limit, I'd better read this in more detail to find out the method used. :')
The Neandertal Enigma"Frayer's own reading of the record reveals a number of overlooked traits that clearly and specifically link the Neandertals to the Cro-Magnons. One such trait is the shape of the opening of the nerve canal in the lower jaw, a spot where dentists often give a pain-blocking injection. In many Neandertal, the upper portion of the opening is covered by a broad bony ridge, a curious feature also carried by a significant number of Cro-Magnons. But none of the alleged 'ancestors of us all' fossils from Africa have it, and it is extremely rare in modern people outside Europe." [pp 126-127]
by James Shreeve
in local libraries
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