Abstract
AbstractThis paper presents acts of fluting as tangible expressions of activities performed by Palaeolithic communities of practice, in which situated learning was part of the social transmission of knowledge and communities of practice include children, men and women. To identify individual members of the communities of practice who were involved in the creation of parietal art in the Franco-Cantabrian region we have analysed the age and the sex of the people who ‘decorated’ the caves. Secondly, by following the analysis of lines created by flutings by different members of the community of practice, we suggest that children under the age of seven, who had no the cognitive abilities to comprehend the meaning of images, were active and prolific fluters and performed acts of decorating cave walls by themselves or with the support of other community members. This approach allows us to consider parietal art as community art where visual contributions were created by community members of all age and sexes.
Highlights
One of the most interesting aspects of looking at prehistoric art is identifying the artists
By following the analysis of lines created by flutings by different members of the community of practice, we suggest that children under the age of seven, who had no the cognitive abilities to comprehend the meaning of images, were active and prolific fluters and performed acts of decorating cave walls by themselves or with the support of other community members
We propose that looking at cave art as community art, rather than an individual pursuit, allows an interpretation that goes beyond the existing perception of the symbolic meaning of cave art, and contribute to undertaking its social role
Summary
One of the most interesting aspects of looking at prehistoric art is identifying the artists Who were these people who, when we admire their creations millennia later, still make us marvel? In an attempt to identify the artists, we propose a focus on art created through the method of finger fluting in the Palaeolithic caves of France and Spain Identifying the individuals who created this particular art will allow us to explore various aspects of identity, including age and sex, and discuss whether this knowledge alters our understanding of visual art and communication in the context of Upper Palaeolithic cave art. Establishing the identity of an artist and/or a group of artists allows us add a new interpretive layer into our analyses of a site by exploring its use by prehistoric communities
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