Possible oldest prehistoric art ever known is discovered by Chinese scientists in the 'roof of the w

[Judi Lynn]

Michelle De Pacina
1 day ago



Dr. David Zhang and his team of scientists’ discovery of handprints and footprints are being debated over as to whether they are the world’s oldest prehistoric art.

Fossils on the travertine rock: Dr. David Zhang, a scientist from Guangdong, China, found impressions of handprints and footprints on a travertine rock with his research team in Quesang on the Tibetan Plateau in Oct. 2018, reported Time.

• Zhang, the lead researcher from Guangzhou University, plans to appeal to the Tibetan government to conserve his discovery as it “may be the oldest prehistoric art ever recorded and the earliest evidence of human life in the region.”
  
  
• According to Zhang’s team, whose findings were published in Science Bulletin, the tracks are between 169,000 and 226,000 years old, dating back to the Earth’s last ice age. Currently, the world’s oldest known art is estimated to be around 40,000 years old.
  
  
• They believe the impressions may have been made by children aged 7 and 12.
  
  
• Zhang’s findings date older than the earliest known human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau — nicknamed the “Roof of the World” — and it could provide insight into human evolution.

More:
https://nextshark.com/chinese-scientists-discover-worlds-oldest-art/

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Remarkably long fingers and less opposable thumb

Were they related to tree sloths?

[70sEraVet]

4. You're right. The fingers particularly are abnormally long.

Yet it is suggested that they were made by children?
Perhaps they were made by humans, just not of the Sapiens branch?

[BlancheSplanchnik]

2. Reading this gave me goosebumps.

Wow!!!

[left-of-center2012]

3. In the linked article ...

There is at least one person who questions whether handprints and footprints constitute art.
I tend to agree that it is at least questionable.

Nevertheless the discovery of these ancient markings is remarkable.

Thanks for sharing.

[paleotn]

5. Erectus, Denisovan or Neandertal perhaps?

Sapiens were still in Africa at that time. At least there's no other evidence of sapiens outside of Africa until 90 to 120K years ago, and that was way west in the Levant. Then again, absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence. Like when did the first humans reach the western hemisphere, there's soooo much we don't know about our own ancestors and our cousins.

[tavernier]

6. I could accept children's art

or at least a game amongst friends or siblings comparing each other’s hand imprints, as opposed to random prints without intent.

Fun to imagine scenarios of the intent of this “game”…
Hey mom, look what we made!

[joe_stampingbull]

7. looks better than my art

Possibly Neanderthal or Denisovan?