Setting fire in a Paleolithic Cave: The influence of cave dimensions on smoke dispersal

Kedar, Yafit; Kedar, Gil; Barkai, Ran

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.102112

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In any case, it is also necessary to take into account factors such as the smoke from the lighting tools (specifically in spaces with poor ventilation), which might alter the visibility rates (e.g. Kedar et al, 2020;Salmon et al, 2021). By contrast, reflectance would have further increase that viewshed (more or less 40%) but would not significantly change the visibility percentages of the panels.…”

Section: Visibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Line of Sight and Potential Audience Analysis to Unravel the Spatial Organization of Palaeolithic Cave Art

Intxaurbe

Gárate

Arriolabengoa

et al. 2022

J Archaeol Method Theory

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The endokarst landscape is the result of long erosion and sedimentation processes that have modelled an environment in which capricious forms abound. Despite being a hostile environment for human life, these caves must have attracted the attention of human groups from as early as the Palaeolithic. It is striking that many examples of rock art appear to be closely symbiotic with their natural support; nevertheless, it is difficult to confirm any relationship in the distribution of the decorated spaces, based on their morphology. Moreover, if we start from the hypothesis—widely accepted, but not demonstrated—that Palaeolithic cave art is a system of visual communication, the visibility of the art or the number of people who could be accommodated in the decorated sectors should be determining factors. In order to avoid making subjective appraisals when analysing these factors, we have designed a Python script with a workflow to work directly with 3D models of caverns using GISs, which can be easily replicated and edited by other researchers. Application of this script in the Magdalenian caves of Atxurra, Santimamiñe and Altxerri (Northern Spain) has allowed us to compare them accurately based on their visibility features. This has shown that in some cases, there may have been prior planning to enhance the visibility of some figures. In all cases, the groups of figures are located in deep and hidden parts of the caves, usually in sectors with limited capacity to accommodate people, which would be consistent with a system of restricted communication.

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Section: Visibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Line of Sight and Potential Audience Analysis to Unravel the Spatial Organization of Palaeolithic Cave Art

Intxaurbe

Gárate

Arriolabengoa

et al. 2022

J Archaeol Method Theory

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“…They were essential for the development of agriculture, as tools to plow the land and to hunt animals which were represented in painted caves. It is possible that the Neolithic cave painters suffered hypoxia and hallucinations due to lack of oxygen in deep caves [65], which endowed the caves with mystical properties. Pigments extracted from stones were also used for rock-art decoration [66,67].…”

Section: Prehistorymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Forerunners on Heritage Stones Investigation: Historical Synthesis and Evolution

Freire-Lista

2021

Heritage

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Human activity has required, since its origins, stones as raw material for carving, construction and rock art. The study, exploration, use and maintenance of building stones is a global phenomenon that has evolved from the first shelters, manufacture of lithic tools, to the construction of houses, infrastructures and monuments. Druids, philosophers, clergymen, quarrymen, master builders, naturalists, travelers, architects, archaeologists, physicists, chemists, curators, restorers, museologists, engineers and geologists, among other professionals, have worked with stones and they have produced the current knowledge in heritage stones. They are stones that have special significance in human culture. In this way, the connotation of heritage in stones has been acquired over the time. That is, the stones at the time of their historical use were simply stones used for a certain purpose. Therefore, the concept of heritage stone is broad, with cultural, historic, artistic, architectural, and scientific implications. A historical synthesis is presented of the main events that marked the use of stones from prehistory, through ancient history, medieval times, and to the modern period. In addition, the main authors who have written about stones are surveyed from Ancient Roman times to the middle of the twentieth century. Subtle properties of stones have been discovered and exploited by artists and artisans long before rigorous science took notice of them and explained them.

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“…The height of the layers does not depend on the hall ceiling height but on the hall entrance height. Thus, the lower layer height is always lower than the entrance height (Kedar and Barkai 2019;Kedar, Kedar, and Barkai 2020).…”

Section: Oxygen Ventilationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This program is used to simulate fire in complex compartments and buildings, and it has been verified in archaeology (Lancanette et al 2017) by simulating fire and comparing the results to samples from Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave. In addition, FDS was used to analyze the influence of various Paleolithic cave structure parameters on smoke dispersal (Kedar, Kedar, and Barkai 2020).…”

Section: Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Hypoxia in Paleolithic decorated caves: the use of artificial light in deep caves reduces oxygen concentration and induces altered states of consciousness

Kedar

Kedar²,

Barkai

2021

Time and Mind

Self Cite

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In this paper, we present a novel hypothesis as to what led humans in the Upper Paleolithic to penetrate and decorate deep, dark caves. Many of the depictions in these caves are located in halls or narrow passages deep in the interior, navigable only with artificial light. We simulated the effect of torches on oxygen concentrations in structures similar to Paleolithic decorated caves and showed that the oxygen quickly decreased to levels known to induce a state of hypoxia. Hypoxia increases the release of dopamine in the brain, resulting in hallucinations and out-of-body experiences. We discuss the significance of caves in indigenous world views and contend that entering these deep, dark environments was a conscious choice, motivated by an understanding of the transformative nature of an underground, oxygen-depleted space. The cave environment was conceived as both a liminal space and an ontological arena, allowing early humans to maintain their connectedness with the cosmos. It was not the decoration that rendered the caves significant; rather, the significance of the chosen caves was the reason for their decoration.

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Setting fire in a Paleolithic Cave: The influence of cave dimensions on smoke dispersal

Cited by 9 publications

References 45 publications

Application of Line of Sight and Potential Audience Analysis to Unravel the Spatial Organization of Palaeolithic Cave Art

Application of Line of Sight and Potential Audience Analysis to Unravel the Spatial Organization of Palaeolithic Cave Art

The Forerunners on Heritage Stones Investigation: Historical Synthesis and Evolution

Hypoxia in Paleolithic decorated caves: the use of artificial light in deep caves reduces oxygen concentration and induces altered states of consciousness

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