Show us your Elephants - Portable Rock Art

Show us your elephants!, you could become famous!, although I doubt there would be any kind of connection between the two. 

This is a personal invitation to send in one photo of your best elephant figure stone find. All valid entries will be judged on aesthetics, visible modification, subject likeness etc. by those who participate.  The top voted images will be displayed in rank order with full attributions given, name, location, website etc. to any who wish to give details.

Email your photos to: BrettRoxMartin@Gmail.com

Indian Rocks, Stone Face Effigies, Figure Stones and Prehistoric Art - Independent Acheological Research

The marvelous thing about scientific phenomena is that it can be re-tested and observed by independent researchers. Observations can be recorded and theories and conclusions can be drawn by any who care to investigate. People can also stumble upon a phenomena quite by chance.

At the start of my own investigation into my figurative flint tool discoveries, my independent conclusions were verified by the finds and study of others who proceeded me such as Ursel Benekendorff.

Introducing Tim Banninger another independent investigator who fell down the same rabbit hole many of us find ourselves in after realization of these artworks and there antiquity.

Tim had collected many stones he realized as worked before discovering there were faces carved into the stones.

Video opens in a new window.

Proof of Paint on Prehistoric Figure Stone Flint Tool?

Readers of my blog will know that on some occasions I have suggested that a form of paint or pigment has been used to form figurative impressions on flint artifacts. It's clear that ochre and tar were used in many of my finds, but what has caused the grey areas that I also suggest have been painted? Some may think they are just random inclusions in the flint, but in this flint tool find it can be seen that these gray markings are not random at all.

 

 The small ring shapes on this flint tool are conjoined to produce lines and patterns of rings, this was probably achieved by dipping a piece of grass in pigment and applying it to the surface of the flint. The pigment has over time petrified into the calcite patina.

White Flint Elephant Head with Crystal Inclusion

Another highly complex flint find from my site, showing numerous animal head profiles, elephant, bear, ape, and even a whole image of a suspected rodent, which could be the long extinct kimbetopsalis simmonsea.

Above: an elephant head profile likeness facing left, notice the similarity in the 'splayed trunk', with the previous post, also a whole rodent likeness, the trunk now becoming a tail.

A simple bear head impression facing right.

  

Above: Two standing linear rotational alignments found in this worked flint artifact.

Flint Elephant Head Effigies

Two more worked flint effigies from my site, both showing simple elephant head impressions facing right. As always the stones have much more figurative content, the minimum age of these artworks, according to the fossil record and climate conditions is 100,000 years old.

Below, three more flint sculptures showing elephant head impressions, all from my site:

1. Flint Elephant Head Art

2. Flint Elephant Head Art

3. Flint Elephant Head Art

Many more elephant impressions can be found on older posts on this blog and Omniglyphs Blog.

Standing Flint Blade with Subtle Iconography.

Two standing alignments in this prehistoric flint blade tool. The suspected iconography is subtle but numerous. As always ape like face profiles are present and no doubt those used to reading my materials will see other glyphs too. Red ocher etchings cover the stone, but artistic or symbolic usage here is unclear, they could be little stick men.

From: Portable Rock Art and Figure Stones - Eoliths

Orca and Elephant flint multi-tool

A simple Orca likeness can be seen heading both left and right, elephant and front leg, and a subtle bear or feline on the orca's tip. I would also suggest thumb and nail iconography. The flint is very sharp in places and would most likely have a very specialized use.

Stone age multi-tool

Translucent Flint Blade Tool with Birds and Bears

Many face profiles can be seen in this lithic implement, ape or hominin like faces being the most likely suspects generally. Both a left facing and right facing bear head glyph can be seen along with some subtle bird likenesses.

Stone age flint multi-tool.

Lithic Topology

Some very straight forward shape and or petroglyph content comparisons, of finds from my site.

My old favorite elephant and front leg is here plenty, I will leave it at that for suspected iconic creature content, enjoy ;-)

3 of the 4 here are blade tools as well as poly iconic.

Elephant and Diplodocus?

According to that popular thing known as science, the Elephant and the Diplodocus should never have met, there is at least 15 Million years separating the two in the fossil record.  

Paleo Bird Effigies

This afternoon I received a copy of, Field Guide, Finding and Identifying The North American Indian Stone Bird Effigy. by Dennis J. Moore. ISBN 978-0-578-06622-6

I'm unable to bring you a proper review of this book, but what I will give you are some first impressions and insights into the publication, being well versed in portable rock art and figure stones from my site here in the UK.

'The North American Indian Stone Bird effigy is an artifact directly associated with ancient tree burials. Tree and platform burials are mankind's oldest and most widespread way of dealing with a body after death.

The mysterious ritual practice of making and using a stone 'bird effigy' at funerals and cemeteries appeared fully developed in Michigan over 13,000 years ago by people moving north after the last Ice Age.'
From the back cover of the book.

A weighty soft cover volume, almost 200 pages, full of glossy high quality photos of single artifacts and lithic groupings. Instantly recognisable topologies and comparisons of suspected artifacts and lithic collections flow from page to page.

At fist glance who could possibly argue with such a detailed study into the origins of these artifacts, and who should doubt Mr Moore for his ability, recognition of sites, and for detailing this archeological evidence, for us all too see.

Let me tell you why at first visual appraisal I have no reasons to doubt the validity of Dennis Moore's study. Almost every page brings to me recognisable shape form topology, glyph content and visible agency. I am in no way condoning every lith in the book as a genuine artifact, what I am saying is I see a lot of very convincing images of artifacts in his book.

Trying not to be unfair to Dennis, his book and artifacts, I feel it a testimony that he has managed to produce such a detailed volume, without having access to what I consider to be a better selection of such things, that is unfair as such as location and culture discoveries of Dennis are not within his control, saying that this is by far the most complete topology of lithic discoveries from any archeological site I have ever seen, the academics would do well to follow in his footsteps.

My publication, if ever published, will have quite a name to live up to if ever to be compared.
To find out more, Go visit Dennis's website Paleo Bird Effigies.
USA @ Revelation in Stone.
Below, one of my own iconographic lithic finds. 

Further reading:

• Eoliths: Ancient Flint Tools from Tertiary Layers
• Figure Stones: Portable Rock Art & Prehistoric Faces
• Portable Rock Art: Ancient Carvings & Symbolic Stones