Did Neanderthals ever draw?

[Dancing David]

The "ritual burials" have also have been described as possibly just copying H. sapiens.

That would be hard to demonstrate either way.

 

[Dancing David]

Well, I did some looking
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3256228.stm
Absolutely no discussion of the prenance, and homo sap sap was around at the time.It is a news release so scant information.

http://www.paleodirect.com/pgset2/m177.htm
Strange attributes of art to a stone knife. Again no provenance.

I will read more later.

 

[athon]

I did a bit of Googling to learn more about Neanderthal art claims and found the Wikipedia entry for the Divje Babe flute.
If it's not too far off-topic, what's the current take on this 'artifact'?

Personally, I'm not entirely convinced one way or another. I don't buy the animal bite hypothesis for the bone, but I did discuss this once with an archaeologist who was dubious on several accounts (although, to be honest, I can't recall his exact reasons at the moment).

This one is in the limbo basket for me as far as confidence in its authenticity as a musical implement.

Athon

 

[fuelair]

Yes! They clearly drew water or they would have died out much sooner.