1 d

ON THE ARTISTICAL REMAINS OF THE CRO-MAGNON- ,

and the

NEANDERTHAL SPECIES.

Both species are the great protagonists of the long distant past. We are accostumed to see the Cro-Magnon as our ancestors. The great art of the Paleolithic period allows this assumption. But whenever we investigate the artistical heritage of man living twenty-, or thirity - thousand years ago, we are confronted with a pictural symbolism that science is unable to penetrate. We can assume, that the barriere is in `the eye of the beholder´, formed by contemporary psychological dispositions. Therefore there could be a remedy to the state, that hinders a clear comprehension of the symbolism and the underlying spirituality of early man.

We have come to accept, that with the passing of enormous time-spans, also mans psychological outlook has changed foreever, and therefore the results of penetrating the symbolism of our distant ancestors must remain very fragmentary.

( No doubt, materialistic science has its litmits. But -in other contexts- we have come across cultures, who had developed non-materialistic sciences. And we saw, that the sciences of each culture had and still have great affinities with the sciences of other cultures, despite the very diverse philosophic- ideologic- or religous preferences, together with the distances in time and space.

What is a non-materialistic science? I refere the kind reader to my articles on proto-astronomy. Summa summarum, we can say, that quantitatively there is not much difference. The difference rather lies in the quality aspect. But what does this imply when it comes to our desire to develope a better understanding of prehistory? )

If we allow the assumption, that prehistoric art and prehistoric religion `cover the same subject´,

then todays exponents of art and spirituality could be lending their methods and insights, to clarify certain important points, that so far have been neglected by the anthropologists. We know of a very rewarding involvement of artists in the matter. But the involvement of religion so far has been avoided, simply because not many religions qualify. Theology is rather useless in this context.

What is needed? As there is a possibility for a non- materialistic science, there is a possibility of a religion stripped of all deistic and dogmatic limitations. To this day, not a few people practice a type of spirituality, that seeks view-points gathered `beyond time´, not those based on dogma and books. With the arrival of Buddhism in the west, we will-some day also in the west- again have spiritually trained artists and meditators.

It is those who can contribute, when it comes to the delicate questions concerning the psychology of our ancient ancestors? Yes, if we assume, that the human mind can distinguish between what is `inborn´ and therefore timeless, and what is not.

By nature, every type of spirituality, therefore also that of the Cro-Magnon, included a inquiry into the causes of the apparent limitations, that man can encounter in his environment, in the confrontations with the animal kingdom, together with the seemingly individual psychological limitations. If this is so, then the possibility is great, that early man also used the painting in caves also as a method to overcome those barriers. There is evidence to the fact, that some ancient spiritual traditions, as Buddhism, perserverd at least some of those age-old methods.

Contemporary man believes, that the above mentioned limitations are not a collective `problem´, but pose a problem concerning the individual, therefore the complaints origin entirely in the faults on behalf of the artist . On the other hand, meditators and artists experience the society they contribute to often as being very limited and narrow. A exclusively extravert political attitude may even call for `changes in society´ to remedy this sorry state.

Amongst Buddhist meditators we detect the view, that a insurmountable insatisfactoryness is part of everybodys life, not only those of artists. Whenever artists become meditators, they sooner or later shed the above mentioned one-sidedness, together with the concerns limited to `art´. How come ? A prolonged introspective practice allows direct insights on what is a personal view and and what is a collective view. More; the accumulation of experiences allows to discern between what is experienced `in time´, and what can only be experienced beyond the workings of the mind. In other words, spiritual man at all times had potentially the capacity to discern between what is truely timeless, or `inborn´and what results as fruites of education and cultural influences. Such individuals could be adapted to `read´ the art of the Cro-Magnon, together with his symbols.

But we also can detect a continuity in the use of the symbolism found in the cave art- until it was adopted by Buddhism. This theme is treated in the article :`On Prehistoric Art´

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We have come to accept the idea, that our ancestors, the Cro-Magnon, produced the `highest ´type of art. If we allow trained artists and sculptors to have a non biased look at what we find in artifacts

stemming from the Neanderthal species, we cannot uphold this idea. But unfortunately, most of us, specialists or not, do not even recognize Neanderthal art as such. How come? The Cro Magnon left us paintings, the Neanderthal only stones. But only a small fractions of the the stones that we find at Neanderthal stations are pure working-tools ( that are invariably termed `primitive´). A good number of stones -most probably placed as votiv-offerings in formerly sacred locations- show, that the natural features of many stones were enhanced in various ways. The features of the `designs´are often so minute, that no contemporary stone-cutter ort sculptor could duplicate them.

In other words, not few stones found at former sacred locations show signs of having been treated with superior technical methods then we know today. But it is an art itself to distinguish normal stones from the `treated ´ones.

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Most `artistically ´ treated rocks were worked a unimaginable long time ago. In the authors oppinion, the experience to hold such `treated ´ stones in ones hand, equals that of holding an precious object of art, worthy to be exposed in a museum. But what allows us to pinpoint a object of art as being created by the Neanderthal? There are several features one learns to distinguish:

( a ) Often there are several therio-, and/or anthropomorph facial forms, on one single stone-

object.

( b ) One may detect ape-like, or Neanderthal facial forms. These allow us to speculate on

the origin of the work. But we also may encounter `Cro- Magnon ´ type of features, with

protruding nose etc.

( c ) The overall look of most ´artistically treated ´stones is often sinister. Only rarely we

encounter rock -cut smiles.

These three type of features are relatively easy to recognize; also from a certain distance. One does not have to take recourse to phantasy. The `artificial ´enhancement is invariably clearly outlined. The faces are there. But they never appear symmetrically. As we slowly turn a `Neanderthal-treated´ stone in our hands, we find, that these features are only discernible within a small angle-margin. But the sheer amount of `faces´ on stones allows us to dismiss the always present doubts, that we fall prey to `coincidence´ or to associations made famous by Rohrschach. When we pass this psychological barriere, then we notice

( d ) that if we use a good magnifying glass, many stones show very fine cuts and lines.

Most of these stones are

( e ) not bigger, then one could hold ins ones hand. But they are often heavey and bulky

( f ) they often have a overall apearance reminding vaguely of heads, hearts or a livers.

( g ) When layed on a flat surface, many of the stones show a tendency to have one side on which

the balance is so delicate, that they, once touched, can rock on for a long time.

( h ) Often `Neanderthal-treated ´rocks look as if they had a recently broken off edge, but then a

closer look reveals, that also those cuts are old and they were were intended. If one now uses

only one light source, then

( i ) we can detect elegant curvings, not made by `mother nature´. This, together with the

( j ) finer cuts in the surface suggest, that

( k ) that some stones may have been in a viscose state when treated.

The overall shape of many stones found in formerly sacred locations also remind us of

( l ) meteorites ,

( m ) many look like miniature-rock-mountain-peaks. Sometimes the sensation arises that one holds

complete miniature `sacred landscapes´( on a level with the Inka site of Macchu Picchu, to use

a example ) in ones hand. On certain stones we find also miniature grottes, rivulets for water

drainage, deep cut caves- and many most fine cut incicions. One is also remined of some

rocky areas in the Himalaya favored by Yogis, or of course, of places in the Dordogne in

France, in the Alps, and in the Amiata region in Italy.

Especially the presence of miniature-sacred landscapes allow us to say, that the Neanderthal species had a excellent sense of natural beauty, and he possesed the sense of sacrecy. The notion of sacredness of the Neandertal might therefore have had a similar basis, not different from the experience of sacredness known by the Cro Magnon species.

But there seems to be a basic difference of percieving life: The cave paintings of Chauvet or Lascaux could have been painted in modern times. Although painted in cark caves, the images of animals have mainly a `sunny ´ appreance. The artistical remains of the Neanderthal, have a complete different `look´ . And almost invariably, stones treated by the Neanderthal seem to exude intense horror.

Tantric Buddhists could associate the artistic vision of the Neanderthal with the wrathful aspect of life. If one is used to visualisations of wrathful divinities, then here one finds a prehistoric equivalent.

( n ) -There are also elegantly cut `abstract´reliefs, vaguely reminding of theriomorph shapes, and here and there are,

( o ) most difficult to detect, very fine cuts, that could -also- be interpreted as outlines of human bodies. But the style is definitly abstract. Also in this, the Neanderthal-style shows affinities with that of the Cro Magnon, who seemed as reluctant to portray man realistically.

Stone Age Art- is impossible to date, or to trace to a people. We can only guess as to the reason why these stones were cut. The concerning paragraph is photographically documentatedand titled:

`The Enigma in the Art of the Stone- Age´;

because the enigma seems to have been, long ago, a concept concerning what we today call `art´.

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