For the first time, Spanish scholars analyzed primitive art in terms of location and era. The results of the work were published in the journal L'Anthropologie.
Primitive art is the art of the era before the invention of writing. The earliest known examples of such art date back to the Paleolithic (began about 2.5 million years ago): in particular, we are talking about drawing images on various surfaces, such as bones and rocks. However, it is still unclear how primitive people chose the places for their application.
To fill the gap, scientists from the University of the Basque Country studied rock art samples that were found in nine caves along the Cantabrian coast. The authors developed a method that made it possible to comprehensively assess the visibility of images. So, they were able to evaluate the structure, the method of applying samples, as well as the dependence of the choice of location on the presence of natural light.
The results showed that the features of imaging changed during the Late Paleolithic (40–12 thousand years ago). At the beginning of the phase, primitives were more likely to paint medium to large images in the main gallery of the caves. During the Madeleine culture (20–12 thousand years ago), the number of images in small or secret rooms of caves increased, and their size decreased.
Sample of rock painting in La Pasego cave
Photo: University of the Basque Country
In addition, engraving techniques were more common in the Madeleine culture. According to the authors, such changes could have occurred for various reasons. For example, during this period, art could acquire a sacred status, so painting samples migrated to hard-to-reach premises. On the other hand, art could become more difficult to perform or acquire a different function.
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Scientists note that this work is preliminary, as it examines samples in a small area. Larger studies can clarify the perception of art by primitive people, regardless of where they live. They also added that the method proposed in the publication can also be adapted to other types of art.
Denis Strigun