What Were They Thinking? Cracking the Cave Art Code

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2018/02/32_signs.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1398;s:6:"height";i:744;s:4:"file";s:20:"2018/02/32_signs.png";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-336x179.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:179;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-771x410.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:410;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-768x409.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:409;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"32_signs-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-600x338.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-584x311.png";s:5:"width";i:584;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-470x250.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:250;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-600x400.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"32_signs-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => Genevieve von Petzinger
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:48:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs.png";s:13:"original_size";i:328959;s:14:"optimized_size";i:270514;s:7:"percent";d:17.77;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs-140x140.png";s:13:"original_size";i:13964;s:14:"optimized_size";i:9672;s:7:"percent";d:30.739999999999998;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs-336x179.png";s:13:"original_size";i:41067;s:14:"optimized_size";i:27466;s:7:"percent";d:33.119999999999997;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs-771x410.png";s:13:"original_size";i:143009;s:14:"optimized_size";i:108370;s:7:"percent";d:24.219999999999999;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:54:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs-80x80.png";s:13:"original_size";i:6095;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4298;s:7:"percent";d:29.48;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs-600x338.png";s:13:"original_size";i:106830;s:14:"optimized_size";i:77625;s:7:"percent";d:27.34;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs-300x300.png";s:13:"original_size";i:44872;s:14:"optimized_size";i:32677;s:7:"percent";d:27.18;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs-584x311.png";s:13:"original_size";i:95520;s:14:"optimized_size";i:68690;s:7:"percent";d:28.09;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs-470x250.png";s:13:"original_size";i:70221;s:14:"optimized_size";i:47501;s:7:"percent";d:32.350000000000001;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2018/02/32_signs-125x125.png";s:13:"original_size";i:11774;s:14:"optimized_size";i:8263;s:7:"percent";d:29.82;}}s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:862311;s:14:"optimized_size";i:655076;s:7:"percent";d:24.030000000000001;}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1648836299 
1518360969

Monday is “Darwin Day,” the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, the British naturalist who changed how humans understand the living world. Cave-art researcher Genevieve von Petzinger last week spoke at The University of Alabama at Birmingham to help mark the occasion. Von Petzinger studies geometric patterns found in caves all over Europe. As she tells WBHM’s Dan Carsen, in college she’d excavated Roman artifacts … but that wasn’t quite right for her. A few highlights:

Von Petzinger decided Roman artifacts weren’t old enough. “Which sounds really funny, right? Something 2,000 years old was too young. But I was like, this already feels like things have happened. I’m more interested in the origins of things. So I study some of the oldest art in the world — the art from caves in Europe from the Ice Age, between 10,000 and 40,000 years old.”

Genevieve von Petzinger

Genevieve von Petzinger

It’s Not Just the Deer and the Spears

“What fascinates me are the little squiggly marks, what we call the geometric signs — is there a pattern? Are they repeating them? How many signs are there? And, you know, do the same ones appear across space and time? Can we figure out things with them? And the answer is yes.”

The Signs that Repeat

“We have 32 signs, which is actually a very small number, that repeat at caves all across Europe for like 30,000 years … I think what we’re probably dealing with is some important ideas or concepts, almost like putting the one word on the wall as opposed to the whole sentence … what I’m digging into now is I think a thematic level: we might be able to start saying, “maybe this is a weapon, or maybe this is their house.”

Cave Wall, Window, and Computer?

“It’s a really unusual window into their minds. This is like trying to understand how they’re making sense of the world around them. And doing something like making graphic marks is actually a very mentally sophisticated thing to do because they’re actually storing information outside their body, which sounds funny but, I mean, what is a computer? So it’s that mental shift to understanding that information isn’t just in your head, or in your verbal words, but that you can actually store it and share it — a hugely important concept.”

Neanderthal Lineage

“We used to think that Neanderthals and humans weren’t related. And then we’ve realized now that they’ve interbred. And according to my genome, I’m almost 4 percent Neanderthal on my mother’s side. So there we go.”

Web Extra: Cave Art in Pop Culture  

Genevieve von Petzinger’s thoughts on the film Prometheus, in which cave art figures prominently:

 

What kind of support is the U.S. offering in the wake of the Myanmar quake?

The White House and former USAID staff have differing views on the nature of the U.S. response to the earthquake that struck Myanmar and neighboring countries.

Thyme for some healing soup recipes from around the world

Every culture has its own special soup. The belief is that a bowl will make you feel better if you're feeling under the weather, hung over or just in need of a pick-me-up.

Cory Booker’s anti-Trump speech on the Senate floor has lasted 15 hours and counting

The New Jersey Democrat has been criticizing the Trump administration's policies on immigration, education, the economy and more since 7 p.m. Monday. Here's what to know about his marathon speech.

Caregiving can test you, body and soul. It can also unlock a new sense of self

Helping a sick family member over months or years can be an enormous strain. It can also disrupt your identity. Psychologists say embracing this change can open up new ways for caregivers to cope.

Alabama can’t prosecute groups who help women travel to get an abortion, federal judge says

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson sided with an abortion fund and medical providers who sued Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall after he suggested they could face prosecution under anti-conspiracy laws.

Crumbling trust in American institutions: A MAHA activist takes on Girl Scout cookies

A controversial study raised the specter that Girl Scout cookies are unsafe. Authorities say they are safe, but the whole saga highlights a breakdown of trust in American institutions.

More Front Page Coverage