Prehistoric hand stencils at Fern Cave, North Queensland (Australia): environmental and chronological implications of Raman spectroscopy and FT-IR imaging results

Raman spectroscopy and FT-IR imaging analyses of cave wall pigment samples from north Queensland (Australia) indicate that some hand stencils were undertaken during a dry environmental phase indicating late Holocene age. Other, earlier painting episodes also took place during dry environmental periods of the terminal Pleistocene and/or early Holocene. These results represent a rare opportunity to attain chronological information for rock art in conditions where insufficient carbon is present for radiocarbon dating.

Entrant amb curiositat a la gran obra de l'artista Nick Cave

Resumen basado en el de la publicaci??n

Rock paintings and microorganisms: a new insight on Escoural cave

European cave art is of tremendous importance to understand the cultural traditions of the Upper Palaeolithic (35 000 – 10 000 BP) populations. Indeed, Prehistoric communities performed numerous cave paintings all over Western Europe. Understanding these artworks should provide a better knowledge of these early cultural aspects. Although numerous studies have been carried out to analyse the materials used by those communities, nothing has been done on the techniques’ palette of Escoural Cave’s representations. The present work aims at providing the very first data about the techniques and materials used by the Prehistoric to perform the cave paintings of Escoural (Alentejo, Portugal), and the microorganisms possibly endangering this unique parietal art. In situ observations coupled with an extensive micro-sampling and micro-destructive analyses allowed to characterize the coloured material and the way they were applied on the walls of the cave. Both red and black pigments present major composition’s disparities among the different paintings and drawings, supporting a more complex occupations’ chronology than what was earlier thought. The Palaeolithic paintings have suffered deterioration from environmental conditions and include chemical, mechanical and aesthetic alterations, possibly as a result of fungal activity. The standard techniques for biological assessments used in these contexts provided important insights on the diversity of the microbial population, though they have accuracy limitations. To understand the extent and viability of the existing microbiota, DNA quantification and biomarkers analyses, such as desidrogenase activity were performed and correlated with ergosterol amounts; RESUMO: A Arte Rupestre Europeia é de grande importância para compreender as tradições culturais da população do Paleolítico Superior (35 000 - 10 000 BP). De fato, as comunidades Pré-históricas realizaram inúmeras pinturas rupestres em toda a Europa Ocidental, sendo crucial compreender estas obras de forma a proporcionar um melhor conhecimento destes ancestrais aspectos culturais. Embora vários estudos tenham sido realizados para analisar os materiais utilizados por estas comunidades, nada foi efetuado sobre a técnica de execução das representações presentes na Gruta do Escoural. O presente trabalho visa fornecer os primeiros dados sobre as técnicas e materiais utilizados na Pré-História para executar as pinturas rupestres de Escoural (Alentejo, Portugal) bem como caracterização dos microorganismos possivelmente associados aos danos deste bem único. Observações in situ, juntamente com uma extensa micro-amostragem e análises micro-destrutivas permitiu caracterizar os pigmentos utilizados e a forma como eles foram aplicados nas paredes da caverna. Tanto os pigmentos vermelhos como os pretos apresentam composição distinta nas diversas pinturas e desenhos aí representados, apoiando a presença de diferentes ocupações contrariamente ao que se pensava até então. As pinturas Paleolíticas têm sofrido deterioração, devido às condições ambientais, nomeadamente alterações químicas, mecânicas e, possivelmente como resultado da atividade fúngica. As técnicas usualmente utilizadas para a avaliação de contaminação biológica fornecem informação importante sobre a diversidade da população microbiana, embora apresentem algumas limitações. Para entender a extensão e a viabilidade da microbiota existente, a quantificação de DNA e análise de biomarcadores como actividade de desidrogenases foram realizadas e correlacionadas com o conteúdo em ergosterol.

[B_Kortezubi_Santimamiñe] Trabajos topográficos de complemento al escaneado tridimensional de la cueva de Santimamiñe (Kortezubi, Bizkaia). Poligonal de precisión y apoyo topográfico

[ES] Se trata de una cueva de gran belleza e interés geológico, se desarrolla sinuosamente a lo largo de algo más de 350 metros alternando grandes salas y estrechos corredores. Cuenta con un conjunto de pinturas rupestres catalogadas en el Paleolítico Superior y está incluida en la lista de Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO en «Cueva de Altamira y arte rupestre paleolítico del Norte de España».

Terahertz pulse investigation of paleolithic wall etchings

Results are presented of an examination of flow rock-covered Paleoloithic cave art using time-domain terahertz reflectometry.

Arizona, the wonderland; the history of its ancient cliff and cave dwellings, ruined pueblos, conquest by the Spaniards, Jesuit and Franciscan missions, trail makers and Indians; a survey of its climate, scenic marvels, topography, deserts, mountains, rivers and valleys; a review of its industries; an account of its influence on art, literature and science; and some reference to what it offers of delight to the automobilist, sportsman, pleasure and health seeker.

Bibliography: p. 467-468

Zarathustra’s Cave

In 'Zarathustra’s Cave' the iconic apartment set from 90’s sitcom 'Seinfeld' is presented devoid of actors or action of any kind. Instead the ‘apartment’ sits empty, accompanied by the ambient noise of the screen-space and the distant sound of city traffic. At irregular intervals this relative silence is punctuated by the laughter of an off-screen audience. Unprompted by any on-screen action, this spontaneous audience response ranges from raucous fits of cheering and applause to singular guffaws and giggles. The work is the product of a deep engagement with its subject matter, the result of countless hours of re-watching and editing to isolate the aural and visual spaces presented on the screen. In its resolute emptiness, the installation addresses the notion of narrative expectation. It creates a ‘nothing-space’, where a viewer can experientially oscillate between a sense of presence and absence, tension and pathos, or even between humour and existential crisis. The work was first exhibited in ‘NEW14’, at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Melbourne.

The use of cues for attention in ancient Greek art: aspects that influence concentration in the work of art and its elements

The goal of this study is to identify cues for the cognitive process of attention in ancient Greek art, aiming to find confirmation of its possible use by ancient Greek audiences and artists. Evidence of cues that trigger attention’s psychological dispositions was searched through content analysis of image reproductions of ancient Greek sculpture and fine vase painting from the archaic to the Hellenistic period - ca. 7th -1st cent. BC. Through this analysis, it was possible to observe the presence of cues that trigger orientation to the work of art (i.e. amplification, contrast, emotional salience, simplification, symmetry), of a cue that triggers a disseminate attention to the parts of the work (i.e. distribution of elements) and of cues that activate selective attention to specific elements in the work of art (i.e. contrast of elements, salient color, central positioning of elements, composition regarding the flow of elements and significant objects). Results support the universality of those dispositions, probably connected with basic competencies that are hard-wired in the nervous system and in the cognitive processes.

A GIS-based methodology to quantitatively define an Adjacent Protected Area in a shallow karst cavity: The case of Altamira cave

Different types of land use are usually present in the areas adjacent to many shallow karst cavities. Over time, the increasing amount of potentially harmful matter and energy, of mainly anthropic origin or influence, that reaches the interior of a shallow karst cavity can modify the hypogeal ecosystem and increase the risk of damage to the Palaeolithic rock art often preserved within the cavity. This study proposes a new Protected Area status based on the geological processes that control these matter and energy fluxes into the Altamira cave karst system. Analysis of the geological characteristics of the shallow karst system shows that direct and lateral infiltration, internal water circulation, ventilation, gas exchange and transmission of vibrations are the processes that control these matter and energy fluxes into the cave. This study applies a comprehensive methodological approach based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to establish the area of influence of each transfer process. The stratigraphic and structural characteristics of the interior of the cave were determined using 3D Laser Scanning topography combined with classical field work, data gathering, cartography and a porosity–permeability analysis of host rock samples. As a result, it was possible to determine the hydrogeological behavior of the cave. In addition, by mapping and modeling the surface parameters it was possible to identify the main features restricting hydrological behavior and hence direct and lateral infiltration into the cave. These surface parameters included the shape of the drainage network and a geomorphological and structural characterization via digital terrain models. Geological and geomorphological maps and models integrated into the GIS environment defined the areas involved in gas exchange and ventilation processes. Likewise, areas that could potentially transmit vibrations directly into the cave were identified. This study shows that it is possible to define a Protected Area by quantifying the area of influence related to each transfer process. The combined maximum area of influence of all the processes will result in the new Protected Area. This area will thus encompass all the processes that account for most of the matter and energy carried into the cave and will fulfill the criteria used to define the Protected Area. This methodology is based on the spatial quantification of processes and entities of geological origin and can therefore be applied to any shallow karst system that requires protection.

The Cave of Despair

Benjamin West; 2 ft. 1/64 in.x 2 ft. 6 in.; oil on canvas

The'cave' mineral oxammite: a high resolution thermogravimetry and Raman spectroscopic study

The thermal decomposition of natural ammonium oxalate known as oxammite has been studied using a combination of high resolution thermogravimetry coupled to an evolved gas mass spectrometer and Raman spectroscopy coupled to a thermal stage. Three mass loss steps were found at 57, 175 and 188°C attributed to dehydration, ammonia evolution and carbon dioxide evolution respectively. Raman spectroscopy shows two bands at 3235 and 3030 cm-1 attributed to the OH stretching vibrations and three bands at 2995, 2900 and 2879 cm-1, attributed to the NH vibrational modes. The thermal degradation of oxammite may be followed by the loss of intensity of these bands. No intensity remains in the OH stretching bands at 100°C and the NH stretching bands show no intensity at 200°C. Multiple CO symmetric stretching bands are observed at 1473, 1454, 1447 and 1431cm-1, suggesting that the mineral oxammite is composed of a mixture of chemicals including ammonium oxalate dihydrate, ammonium oxalate monohydrate and anhydrous ammonium oxalate.