The view that Neanderthals were backwards and slow compared to us is the result of the same racist attitudes that put forth the notion that even within our species there are some groups that are backward and slow compared to others. "Artefacts whose functional value lies not so much in their practical but rather in their symbolic use are proxies for fundamental aspects of human cognition as we know it." That's fine -- but cave art may have been part of a tradition of sympathetic magic in which success of the hunt depended on ceremonies performed involving these art works making them practical as well as symbolic. Taking the knee at football games may be symbolic but it is also practical if it raises consciousness of hypocrisy .
Scientists have found the first major evidence that Neanderthals, rather than modern humans, created the world's oldest known cave paintings -- suggesting they may have had an artistic sense similar to our own.
SCIENCEDAILY.COM
No comments:
Post a Comment