Decoding European Palaeolithic Art: Extremely Ancient knowledge of Precession of the Equinoxes
A consistent interpretation is provided for zoomorphic artworks at Neolithic Göbekli Tepe and Çatalhöyük as well as European Palaeolithic cave art. It appears they all display the same method for recording dates based on precession of the equinoxes, with animal symbols representing an ancient zodiac...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:17bb5b0c16174b6c863ec10c70dd920e 2023-05-15T16:29:18+02:00 Decoding European Palaeolithic Art: Extremely Ancient knowledge of Precession of the Equinoxes Martin B. Sweatman Alistair Coombs 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.30958/ajhis.5-1-1 https://doaj.org/article/17bb5b0c16174b6c863ec10c70dd920e EN eng Athens Institute for Education and Research https://www.athensjournals.gr/history/2019-5-1-1-Sweatman.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/2407-9677 doi:10.30958/ajhis.5-1-1 2407-9677 https://doaj.org/article/17bb5b0c16174b6c863ec10c70dd920e Athens Journal of History, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 1-30 (2019) History (General) D1-2009 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.30958/ajhis.5-1-1 2022-12-31T06:25:22Z A consistent interpretation is provided for zoomorphic artworks at Neolithic Göbekli Tepe and Çatalhöyük as well as European Palaeolithic cave art. It appears they all display the same method for recording dates based on precession of the equinoxes, with animal symbols representing an ancient zodiac. The same constellations are used today in the West, although some of the zodiacal symbols are different. In particular, the Shaft Scene at Lascaux is found to have a similar meaning to Pillar 43 at Göbekli Tepe. Both can be viewed as memorials of catastrophic encounters with the Taurid meteor stream, consistent with Clube and Napier’s theory of coherent catastrophism. The date of the likely comet strike recorded at Lascaux is 15,150 ± 200 BC, corresponding closely to the onset of a climate event recorded in a Greenland ice core. A survey of radiocarbon dates of these animal symbols from Chauvet and other Palaeolithic caves is consistent with this zodiacal interpretation with an extraordinary level of statistical significance. Finally, the Lion Man of Hohlenstein-Stadel, circa 38,000 BC, is also consistent with this interpretation, indicating this knowledge is extremely ancient and was widespread. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Greenland ice core ice core Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Greenland Pillar ENVELOPE(166.217,166.217,-77.583,-77.583) Athens Journal of History 5 1 1 30 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
History (General) D1-2009 |
spellingShingle |
History (General) D1-2009 Martin B. Sweatman Alistair Coombs Decoding European Palaeolithic Art: Extremely Ancient knowledge of Precession of the Equinoxes |
topic_facet |
History (General) D1-2009 |
description |
A consistent interpretation is provided for zoomorphic artworks at Neolithic Göbekli Tepe and Çatalhöyük as well as European Palaeolithic cave art. It appears they all display the same method for recording dates based on precession of the equinoxes, with animal symbols representing an ancient zodiac. The same constellations are used today in the West, although some of the zodiacal symbols are different. In particular, the Shaft Scene at Lascaux is found to have a similar meaning to Pillar 43 at Göbekli Tepe. Both can be viewed as memorials of catastrophic encounters with the Taurid meteor stream, consistent with Clube and Napier’s theory of coherent catastrophism. The date of the likely comet strike recorded at Lascaux is 15,150 ± 200 BC, corresponding closely to the onset of a climate event recorded in a Greenland ice core. A survey of radiocarbon dates of these animal symbols from Chauvet and other Palaeolithic caves is consistent with this zodiacal interpretation with an extraordinary level of statistical significance. Finally, the Lion Man of Hohlenstein-Stadel, circa 38,000 BC, is also consistent with this interpretation, indicating this knowledge is extremely ancient and was widespread. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Martin B. Sweatman Alistair Coombs |
author_facet |
Martin B. Sweatman Alistair Coombs |
author_sort |
Martin B. Sweatman |
title |
Decoding European Palaeolithic Art: Extremely Ancient knowledge of Precession of the Equinoxes |
title_short |
Decoding European Palaeolithic Art: Extremely Ancient knowledge of Precession of the Equinoxes |
title_full |
Decoding European Palaeolithic Art: Extremely Ancient knowledge of Precession of the Equinoxes |
title_fullStr |
Decoding European Palaeolithic Art: Extremely Ancient knowledge of Precession of the Equinoxes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Decoding European Palaeolithic Art: Extremely Ancient knowledge of Precession of the Equinoxes |
title_sort |
decoding european palaeolithic art: extremely ancient knowledge of precession of the equinoxes |
publisher |
Athens Institute for Education and Research |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.30958/ajhis.5-1-1 https://doaj.org/article/17bb5b0c16174b6c863ec10c70dd920e |
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ENVELOPE(166.217,166.217,-77.583,-77.583) |
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Greenland Pillar |
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Greenland Pillar |
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Greenland Greenland ice core ice core |
genre_facet |
Greenland Greenland ice core ice core |
op_source |
Athens Journal of History, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 1-30 (2019) |
op_relation |
https://www.athensjournals.gr/history/2019-5-1-1-Sweatman.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/2407-9677 doi:10.30958/ajhis.5-1-1 2407-9677 https://doaj.org/article/17bb5b0c16174b6c863ec10c70dd920e |
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https://doi.org/10.30958/ajhis.5-1-1 |
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Athens Journal of History |
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5 |
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30 |
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1766019005041082368 |