Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | The Modern Antiquarian Forum

Annexus Quam

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Sabra Cadabra

Apr 21, 2004, 14:57

Of course, dude. Even the Neanderthals are 'accused' of using flowers and ochre too (though some are disputing it).

Now, caves and burials...

In one of the caves I have seen in the Basque country there is a secret 'sanctuary' accessible only by ladder, a small chamber full of the best pictures. Even today, tourists are not shown the inside. Call it animism, superstition, shamanism, belief in the afterlife, religion, faith... in the Paleolithic too was the norm.

I have heard of that Welsh cave. It is really a question of words that defines what a monument is. Many outcrops may have been reshaped in the same way that some entrances to Paleolithic caves were 'conditioned'. This is, for instance, a potential Mesolithic 'monument' (they call it the Idol of Pena Tu), one of my favourite Ur-Temples - it has a 'Goddess' proto-Neolithic motive too (I say goddess because it is so archetypical and common) inside:

http://www.llanesnet.com/monumentos/penatu/penatu.jpg

As for Paleolithic 'burials', there are loads. Mesolithic 'graves', there are too. Though I think what differentiates all of those with the Neolithic was the need to keep the bodies or bones underground, for some reason, even after a long time left to rot.

And on top of that (you may be referring to this too) burials in caves coexist perfectly well with dolmenic burials. In places where there is no granite (around the Mediterranean, for example), Neolithic cave burials are normal. And rock cut tombs are more common than dolmens in the Atlantic.

And then there's hypogeums, holes, pits, etc etc.

I do not believe there is an evolutionary line in all of this, like most people rush to believe. Every kind perfectly coexists with the other. The reason is AGAIN geographical, environmental or material.

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monumental masonry (fitzcoraldo)

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