GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES IN ROCK ART – A WATERFALL PORTRAYAL IN LA PASIEGA CAVE?

Scalariform from La Pasiega Cave, Spain. Illustration from Donsmaps.com.

I sometimes wonder if my columns countering some of the silly claims that are made about rock art brand me as mean spirited and too negative. I do believe, however, that this nonsense has to be countered. If not exposed to be the silliness that it represents it has the potential to infect the thinking of newly interested rock art enthusiasts, to say nothing of branding all of the rest of us as ridiculous in the eyes of science and the arts. So, at a risk of coming across as negative, I will continue calling them as I see them, and – here we go again.

Having recently dealt with a ridiculous claim about the Neandertal scalariform image in the cave of La Pasiega in Spain, I have now found another paper that makes a pretty far out claim – that it is a representation of a waterfall.

Closeup of scalariform from La Pasiega Cave, Spain. Illustration from Donsmaps.com.

Recently dated, the scalariform symbol could have only been produced by a Neandertal artist. “Two samples were taken from the scalariform and one from the dot field above the symbol, joining a sample taken during previous testing. Sample labeled PAS 34 returned a corrected age of 79,660 ybp (+/- 14,900 years), suggesting the scalariform could have been produced anywhere from 64,800 to 94,560 ybp. These results may prove the scalariform was produced by Neanderthal artist or artists 25,000 to 55,000 years before anatomically modern humans reached northern Iberia. Sanple PAS 3 (taken during previous testing) dated the dot field above the scalariform to 12,600 ybp (+/-100 years). This suggests Magdalenians may have added to the Neanderthal symbol making it their representation of a sacred location and the spirit who dwelt there.” (Fowler 2020:9) So, according to dating, the scalariform group appears to consist of the scalariform itself which was Neandertal, and the dot pattern above and bowl-shaped element below the scalariform which appear to be Magdalenian. The element to the right of the scalariform is not included in Fowler’s analysis.

“La Pasiega cave is located on the southeastern side of the Monte Castillo cave complex near the town of Puente Viesgo, Cantabria, Spain. It contains more than 700 individual paintings, including deer, horses, ibex, cattle, reindeer, giant elk, birds, fish, and anthropomorphs. The original entrance to Gallery C is now blocked, leaving the impression the painting has always been deep within the cave. In reality, it is approximately five to six meters from the original entrance, meaning the individuals responsible for its creation never lost sight of the illuminated opening. This dramatically changes the perception of how the painting might have appeared in the cave environment 64,800 to 94,560 years ago. Instead of being hidden deep in the cave, portions of the work my have been dimly lit by reflected light making the work accessible at any time, without torches, lamps or special preparations. It is conceivable the effect of the lighting would have impacted the painting’s appearance during the course of the day, month, or year.” (Fowler 2020:13) By “impacted the painting’s appearance” I believe that Fowler is referring to the effects of changing light on its appearance.

Waterfall at the head of the Ason River, Spain. Internet photograph, public domain.

“In the Cantabrian Mountains in the southeastern portion of Cantabria, an underground stream exits the base of a second level crag, creating a two-tiered waterfall known as Nacimiento del Rio Ason, or the birthplace of the Ason River. The 70 meter waterfall is reportedly spectacular in the Spring, when the stream is at peak flow. The geology and shape of the waterfall here bear a resemblance to the scalariform and the shadowed shape of the trough found in the cave. The geology at this area, three thick layers of strata, is strikingly similar to the main design of the scalariform, while the small extension on the upper right side of the symbol matches the point where the underground stream emerges from the base of the upper crag. These similarities make it a reasonable approximation of the Ason location. While this visual similarity is intriguing, and suggests an association, a waterfall at the head of the Ason valley could not have existed 64,800 years ago. However, a waterfall similar to the one which appears there today almost certainly existed there 74 to 95 kya – the upper range of the dating estimate.” (Fowler  2020:22)

Neandertal scalariform painted at head of the trough in the cave wall. Photograph P. Saura.

What Fowler is saying here is that he believes that the banded shape of the scalariform represents the three layers of strata in the cliff where a waterfall begins the Ason River, the small upward projection at the top represents the point of emergence of the underground stream which creates the waterfall, and the trough in the cave wall at the bottom left of the scalariform represents the flowing water of the waterfall.

Other elements of the design include a dot pattern at the upper left of the scalariform. “The dot field above the scalariform is approximately 19 inches high by 12 inches wide and has been dated to 12,600 ybp (+/- 100 years). Breuil’s meticulous recreation of Panel 78 indicates the shape is comprised of 149 individual dots.” (Fowler 2020:40)

Scalariform pattern drawn by Abbe Breuil.

“The bowl shape at the bottom right of the scalariform has not been tested, so no date has been assigned. However, the similarity in paint hues suggests they may have been applied at the same time as the dot field. No feature related specifically to the water, waterfall or its immediate geology matches this portion of the painting. However, the semicircular canyon where the waterfall is located – the head of the Ason Valley – shares the same basic shape, especially when viewed from the base of the waterfall. If the bowl shape was added at to the scalariform at the same time as the dot field, and does represent the head of the canyon, then the Neanderthal/Magdalenian collaboration of Panel 78 provides a reasonable accurate description of the appearance and location of a waterfall less than 50 kilometers away.” (Fowler 2020:48) So, according to Fowler, the bowl shape represents the curvature of the head of the valley where the waterfall is found.

“The intentional placement of the symbol inside the trough at La Pasiega certainly seems to suggest the artist intended to convey an association between the symbol and the depression (and by default, water from the stalactite). When viewed from the center of the gallery, the shadowing in the trough would have closely resembled a flow of water over the edge of the symbol, which is very similar to the pattern of the peak flow of the waterfall and the geology found at the head of the Ason valley. Whether Neanderthals intended the painting to represent a waterfall at Ason or some other waterfall in the region, modern humans entered the cave roughly 12,000 years ago and recognized the patterns in the design as a representation of the location where the Ason River was born. Their additions – the dot field, the bowl shaped object and the animals – seem to leave little doubt this was their intention.” (Fowler 2020:38) If I understand this correctly Fowler is saying that the scalariform represents a Neanderthal portrayal of the the layers of rock strata in the cliff, the Magdalenian dot pattern may represent the stream of the Ason from the spring where it originates to where it flows over the cliff, the possibly Magdelenian bowl shape below the scalariform is the curve of the end of the valley, and the waterfall itself supposedly is the trough in the cave wall below and to the left of the scalariform. I urge you to look the paper up and confirm this for yourselves.

Fowler then gets into some fairly fringie claims about the dot pattern resembling a seated goddess (page 46), and in a section titled “Panel 78 Symbolism: Similarities to Formalized Codes and Written Languages” (page 60) he discusses the resemblance of the dot pattern to Chinese language characters (although he apparently dismisses this similarity in the end it should never have been included in this paper).

So, in summation, do I believe that the scalariform group on Panel 78 in La Pasiega Cave, Spain, with both Neandertal and Magdalenian dated elements is a picture of Nascimiento del Rio Ason? No, I do not although I suppose it is a slight possibility. Do I believe that the dot pattern added by the Magdelenians is a seated goddess or a Chinese character – not a chance. It is sometimes difficult to control one’s imagination when one is in the grips of the creative fervor caused by a new idea, and Fowler’s analysis is certainly a new idea. In this enthusiasm it is too easy to cast about for evidence that will corraborate your idea, while ignoring counter arguments. So, new idea yes, I just think it goes too far.

NOTE: Images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.

REFERENCES:

Fowler, Thomas, 2020, La Pasiega Panel 78: A Possible Neanderthal-Magdalenian Palimpsest Depicting Waterfalls at the Head of the Ason Valley, December 2020, https://www.academia.edu/44743281/La_Pasiega_Panel_78_A_Possible_Neanderthal_Magdalenian_Palimpsest_Depicting_Waterfalls_at_the_Head_of_the_As%C3%B3n_Valley

Wikipedia, Cave of La Pasiega, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_La-Pasiega, accessioned on 22 May 2022.