Ancient carved 'faces' found: BBC

[Ivan Seeking]

A keen-eyed archaeologist claims to have found some of the oldest artwork ever - carved faces 200,000 years old.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3197402.stm

 

[selfAdjoint]

Very much in the eye of the beholder, don't you think?

I once read a book by an archeologist who claimed human beings were in the San Diego region of California during the warm period preceding the last ice age - that is tens of thousands of years before the conventional dates. His evidence was what he called hEarth's and stone tools that he had found on the slopes of the hills there (which would have been sea side at the time, since the oceans were higher). But other scientists scoffed and said his hEarth's were indistiguishable from accidental burnings, and his tools were just common pebbles, fondly looked at. I haven't heard any more about his theory for the last thirty years.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

The carved faces were found on a rock in a cave in Turkey and are believed to be the work of early humans, possibly homo erectus, who lived in the area during the Middle Pleistocene era. The faces are small, measuring only a few centimeters in size, but they are intricately carved with detailed features such as eyes, noses, and mouths.

The archaeologist, Dr. Erhan Kolbaşı, discovered the faces while conducting excavations in the Konartepe region of Turkey. He believes that they were created by using a sharp tool to carve into the soft limestone rock. The faces were found alongside other artifacts and animal bones, indicating that they were part of a larger living space for the early humans who inhabited the area.

The discovery of these carved faces challenges previous beliefs about the capabilities of early humans. It was previously thought that complex artwork did not emerge until around 40,000 years ago, but the age of these faces suggests that humans were creating art much earlier than previously thought.

Dr. Kolbaşı believes that the faces may have had a symbolic or ritualistic purpose for the early humans who created them. He also suggests that they may have been used for communication or storytelling, as they are similar to other forms of ancient art found in the region.

The discovery of these carved faces adds to our understanding of the abilities and behaviors of early humans. It also highlights the importance of continuing archaeological research and exploration in order to uncover more about our ancient ancestors.