Study suggests women created cave art

[questionmark]

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Oct. 11 (UPI) -- A study of hand prints on cave walls suggests much of Paleolithic cave art was created by women, a Penn State archaeologist says.

Taking as his starting point previous research that found average finger lengths in people vary by gender, Dean Snow has been studying ancient hand prints in caves for nearly a decade, National Geographic reported.

Looking at pictures of cave art at one point, Snow noticed the fingers on the hands stenciled next to depictions of animals and other objects appeared to conform to research descriptions of female hands.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/S.../#ixzz2hX3klv1R

Edited October 12, 2013 by questionmark

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

it's very interesting, though the science behind it is a bit questionable. the whole finger length thing is, as mentioned, an average, and not necessarily the best thing to draw conclusions from. at the very least, i think it might help show that these paintings could have been community efforts.

that said, what it does do a good job of highlighting how women are so often ignored or erased from history. there's no reason that the cave paintings could not have been done by women, yet depictions of the cave painters almost always assumed that they were men.

[questionmark]

it's very interesting, though the science behind it is a bit questionable. the whole finger length thing is, as mentioned, an average, and not necessarily the best thing to draw conclusions from. at the very least, i think it might help show that these paintings could have been community efforts.

that said, what it does do a good job of highlighting how women are so often ignored or erased from history. there's no reason that the cave paintings could not have been done by women, yet depictions of the cave painters almost always assumed that they were men.

There are many indications that the driving force of the troglodytes were the women.

[CatFromHell]

There are many indications that the driving force of the troglodytes were the women.

When we weren't in the kitchen.

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

There are many indications that the driving force of the troglodytes were the women.

what exactly does that mean, though? could you give more details?

[questionmark]

what exactly does that mean, though? could you give more details?

That it was most likely women who ran many of the cave societies, if I have a little time when back in DM I can look up the corresponding literature.

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

ah, ok. i've read similar things, briefly. it would be very neat to read anything related to that, if you do get the opportunity. maybe i'll do some research of my own.