New Insights into the Rock Art of Anbangbang Gallery, Kakadu National Park

Cueva de Ardales in Málaga, Spain, is one of the richest and best-preserved Paleolithic painted caves of southwestern Europe, containing over a thousand graphic representations. Here, we study the red pigment in panel II.A.3 of “Sala de las Estrellas,” dated by U-Th to the Middle Paleolithic, to determine its composition, verify its anthropogenic nature, infer the associated behaviors, and discuss their implications. Using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, we analyzed a set of samples from the panel and compared them to natural coloring materials collected from the floor and walls of the cave. The conspicuously different texture and composition of the geological samples indicates that the pigments used in the paintings do not come from the outcrops of colorant material known in the cave. We confirm that the paintings are not the result of natural processes and show that the composition of the paint is consistent with the artistic activity being recurrent. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that Neanderthals symbolically used these paintings and the large stalagmitic dome harboring them over an extended time span.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The symbolic role of the underground world among Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals

Martí

Zilhão

d’Errico

et al. 2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…As the paintings are the result of recurrent addition, questions arise about it being a piece of art, subject to a sort of rejuvenation or restoration. Rejuvenation of motifs has been shown to occur in rock art, and ethnographic research has demonstrated that repainting is a common practice amongst traditional communities (42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49). Deliberate modification/restoration has also been proposed for Paleolithic cave art (e.g., the Pech Merle horses; (1)), and would seem to be ubiquitous in sites of the Spanish Levantine rock art tradition, which features panels that are thought to have been restored, altered, or expanded, either for ritual purposes or for the restoration of degraded figures (50)(51).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

San Elders Speak

BACKWELL¹,

D’ERRICO²

2021

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Cueva de Ardales (Málaga, Spain) is one of the richest and best-preserved Paleolithic painted caves of southwestern Europe, containing over a thousand graphic representations. Here, we study the red pigment in panel II.A.3 of "Sala de las Estrellas", dated by U-Th to the Middle Paleolithic, to determine its composition, verify its anthropogenic nature, infer the associated behaviors and discuss their implications. Using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction we analyzed a set of samples from the panel and compared them to natural coloring materials collected from the floor and walls of the cave. The conspicuously different texture and composition of the geological samples indicatethat the pigments used in the paintings do not come from the outcrops sampled in the cave. We confirm that the paintings are not the result of natural processes and show that the composition of the paint is consistent with the artistic activity being recurrent. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that Neanderthals symbolically used these paintings and the large stalagmitic dome harboring them over an extended time span. Significance StatementThe emergence of symbolic behavior in our genus is a controversial issue. The dating of paintings in three caves from the Iberian Peninsula supports the view that Neanderthals developed a form of cave art more than 20,000 years before the emergence of anatomical modernity in Europe. In this study, we confirm that the paintings on a large speleothem from one of these sites, Cueva de Ardales, were human made, and we show that the pigments were not collected at the outcrops sampled inside the cave. Variations in the composition of the paint correspond to differences in the age of the paintings, supporting the hypothesis that Neanderthals used the speleothems symbolically over an extended time span.

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“…An interesting circumstance to consider in this context is that artworks which reveal highly ceremonial content, at both Anbangbang and Nanguluwurr (see May et al 2019May et al , 2020aMay et al , 2020b, were created during everyday family visits to these sites, as opposed to the restricted ritual and ceremonial contexts these paintings refer to . This is important information to consider as 'ritual content' in artworks is often explicitly assumed to be made in 'ritual contexts' when rock art is studied and interpreted through formal methodologies (e.g., Langley and Litster 2018, also Kaul 1998, Layton 2001, Ross and Davidson 2006, Whitley 2011, Goldhahn and Ling 2013.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our next painting episode took place at one of the most iconic rock art sites in the world -the Anbangbang Gallery at Burrungkuy (Fig. 10), also known as Nourlangie Rock (e.g., Chaloupka 1982, 1993, Jèlinek 1989, Welch 2015, May et al 2019, 2020a, 2020b. This site attracts more than 150,000 visitors each year.…”

Section: Painting Countrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Children and Rock Art: A Case Study from Western Arnhem Land, Australia

Goldhahn

May

Maralngurra³

et al. 2020

Norwegian Archaeological Review

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In this paper, we explore the social context of rock art creation through the lens of one woman's childhood experiences in, what is now, Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia. We reflect upon oral history interviews conducted over the last three years with Warrdjak Senior Traditional Owner Josie Gumbuwa Maralngurra and her childhood spent walking country with family. As a witness to vast numbers of rock paintings being created, and sometimes an active participant in that process, Josie's memories provide rare insights into the social and cultural context of rock art practices during the late 1950s and early 1960s. We argue that Josie's personal experiences provide solid evidence for both the educational role that rock art continued to play across the region during the 20 th century and its role as a tool for helping to ensure intergenerational connection to country.

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New Insights into the Rock Art of Anbangbang Gallery, Kakadu National Park

Cited by 23 publications

References 12 publications

The symbolic role of the underground world among Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals

The symbolic role of the underground world among Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals

San Elders Speak

Children and Rock Art: A Case Study from Western Arnhem Land, Australia

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