Figure Stones - Our Forum

About the Forum.

Firstly I would like to thank all who have joined in with our forum Portable Rock Art and Figure Stones  it has been a positive experience that is helpful and informative to all who are interested in studying this most ancient art form, thank you to all for your posts and comments, but more importantly your additions to the scientific study. Science is what we can observe and test and demonstrate, and this is exactly what many of your finds reflect. Special thanks go to Rocky, Baggy and Greglafla for welcoming members, positive commentary and general helpfulness.

A selection of Figure Stones posted on the Forum.
I have selected a few of my favorite stone find submissions and the names of the respective researchers with some additional commentary to post here. (For those who have not joined our forum). 

Rocklith76 found this in Georgia USA, this bird effigy is probably best described as a piece of portable rock art describing a thunder bird. This could easily be ascribed to known Native American Indian cultures, however other symbology appears present making this poly iconic (ape like head profiles), so i would suggest the term 'figure stone', that being the case.

Thunder Bird Effigy Stone.

Another find from Rocklith76 in Georgia, this one i find to be highly poly iconic showing common glyph content and common convention. I find this one amazing for skill in fore-fort of design, combining many figures in a neat package, the artist a true genius. Pigment created eye shapes also appear present. Suggested figuration for this figure stone includes, duck, mammoth half, cloaked figure, ape face, fish half,  pointing finger, those and more can be seen in the other pictures on the forum.

Bird effigy Figure Stone

Another great find from Georgia, this time by Robert Firesheets. I suggest the main subject here as the front half of a horse grazing, head turned backwards, an incised line to detail the hoof. Other symbology is likely present as well, face profiles can be seen along the left edge.

Anil from England has also been responsible for some very impressive finds, this next one is also proof of the validity of our study, as common convention and figuration are present.  Very detailed bear half figuration can be seen facing right, and along the right, facing left, a detailed mammoth half depiction is also present, aligned upright with the bear. More subtle imagery can also be seen, and some potentiality unknown creature depictions.

This find also from Anil shows some well known faces and convention, which crop up often in poly iconic figure stones. This stone also features heavy pigment use, detailed eye shapes and staggering complexity. Can you find what looks like the head description of a dinosaur? Picture comparison and highlighting thanks to Rocky over at  The Rock Art Museum

This one is a Tim Banninger find from Kansas. This find has been heavily flaked and shows numerous face descriptions.

This one from Judy Eagerton in the United States also shows some common figuration and convention. This one may take a little time to appreciate the Gorilla image, although the 'Gorilla strut' is a well documented glyph in European finds, this one is more like a sculpture than the more common flat glyph profile style. A subtle elephant half and bear half can also be seen, and a face, upper central left. Can you find what looks to be a top half of a T-rex depiction in this find?

Further reading:

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

Flint axe shows Hadrosaurus - Figure Stones

An almost photo-realistic image of a Hadrosaurus face can be seen in this flint axe find, although we don't have any actual photos of a real Hadrosaurus to compare it with. This is as good as it gets, in fact one could argue it has a better 'feel' than any modern reconstruction as it was apparently made by people who witnessed the beast first hand, although recognition would also be testament to the quality work of artists who reconstruct dinosaur images from fossils.

So what of the naysayers? can they find a photo realistic image of a VW Beetle or a tin opener in other prehistoric flint tools? No they cannot because chaos is not responsible for the image, human workmanship is.  Just like we recognize pictures in items such as books, this is clearly a flint tool and was in the hands and worked by prehistoric humans,  the flake removal also goes beyond simple utilitarian shape creation.

Above: To those who know and understand paleolithic symbology, this flint axe also triggers the recognition of the bird motif.

So is this a prehistoric artistic impression of what a Hadrosaurus face actually looked like? well it actually matches quite a few known dinosaur likenesses, but Hadrosaurus seems to be the closest match, and I have other finds that would corroborate this interpretation.

This figure stone also holds other prehistoric symbology previously recognized in my finds, although one motif I have seen repeatedly, I'm not sure what creature it represents far past the loose interpretation of marine mammal.

Above: Another find from my site, could this be a rather simple description of another dinosaur head? crude 'teeth' can be seen.

Above: This is a fossil tooth, also from my site. Current geology theory would date this tooth to at least 70 Million years old.

Above: For those who are still stuck thinking that Dinosaurs and Humans would never have met, here is a video that demonstrates there is  a huge amount of evidence to the contrary.

Please note the original video has been deleted, so a replacement video has been found.

Rock's and Old Croc's - Prehistoric Artwork

 This prehistoric artwork find from my site here in Southern England can talk the talk. This flint has been modified to show deliberate depictions. Crocodiles were last believed to of lived wild in Britain millions of years ago.

 Above: Feline head profile right, crocodile and wolf  like creature profile left, another example here: Wolf and Horse Portable Rock Art and Flint Tool

  The reverse of the stone also shows another well documented glyph. Run or stand your ground?

 

 A classic glyph shown rightwards, my interpretation is ape or gorilla, although a slight CCW rotation to this glyph may indicate bear or another mammal head profile.

 

 A whale?

Prehistoric Artwork of Ancient Faces - Figure Stone

This was just a chance find but none the less an interesting figure stone and fine prehistoric artwork. Some very interesting face images can be seen with supporting details. Images appear to be of sub human, ape or hybrid forms. One face which only appears very briefly is actually of a well known and documented motif.