Hugh Thomas Profile picture
Jul 27 14 tweets 6 min read Read on X
At the moment, a lot of twitter accounts appear to be copying each other and saying that we know nothing about the world prior to the creation of writing. So I thought I'd share one of my favourite pieces of ancient art. This is the 'Lion-Man' & it is about 40,000 years old. 🧵1/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion-man#/media/File:Loewenmensch1.jpg
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It is also know as the Löwenmensch figurine. It was found in a cave in Germany in 1939. It is made out of mammoth ivory and stands at about 30cm tall (about 12 inches). 2/ Image
Using experimental archaeology, Hein was able to recreate this sculpture using recreation of the stone tools present in the cave system. He used legally obtained elephant ivory instead of mammoth. Hein published several articles on this including: 3/ doi.org/10.1016/j.anth…https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0003552118300438-gr2_lrg.jpg
I won't go into the detail of the different tools and and techniques he tried (scraping with things like burins) but it took Hein- wait for this- 360 HOURS! Now Hein admits, the time the person would have taken 40,000 years ago would have been less because they'd be skilled. 4/ https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0003552118300438-gr4_lrg.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion-man#/media/File:Loewenmensch1.jpg
But it still would have been dozens of hours. Remember, Hein could go to the fridge or get a drink from the tap. Our Upper Paleolithic carver wouldn't have that luxury. It suggests it took days/months to create, unless they got a leave pass from hunting/gathering etc. 5/ https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0003552118300438-gr6_lrg.jpg
Either possibility does has huge ramifications for our understanding of the Palaeolithic. Now this isn't the only sculpture. Here are some other stunners. All made tens of thousands of years ago. 6/  10.4000/palethnologie.888
 10.4000/palethnologie.888
 10.4000/palethnologie.888
So imagine 40,000 years ago. You have had a successful hunt. You feast on mammoth as you sit in your cave and stay warm by the fire. You break off some tusk and start carving, the sounds of music filling the air. Wait-what? Music? Yep, c.40,000 years ago they had flutes. 7/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_flute#/media/File:Flauta_paleol%C3%ADtica.jpg
So lets say you went back 40,000 years and you wandered close to the cave. What might it have been like? Hushed tones, quiet sounds of people working? Well-archaeologists have looked into that too. Things like the acoustics in caves. Watch this: 8/
I recognise the point people are trying to make by the 'history' lost tweets. But the more we excavate, the more we can piece together the lives of ancient people- even before recorded history. So do me a favour and show some love for some Palaeolithic art! 9/ https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0003552118300438-gr8_lrg.jpg
If you want to see where I got these photos- check out the ALT tags for references. Second, I apologise for the spelling/grammar. I am doing this whilst trying to do several thousand other things (including reviewing healthy and safety documents for my next excavation!👀👀) 10/10
Oh and if you made it this far- you can be the first to 'officially' know. I am about to make Youtube videos!! It's official. I have an account, an idea, and a camera! Filming to start this week and videos hopefully out in the next few weeks! Stay tuned! Make sure to subscribe
Finally, just because you can't say "A" on this hellhole without people screaming "WHAT ABOUT B". This isn't saying historical texts aren't important. They obviously are. It is just saying that our history isn't "lost" just because we don't have writing.
We have holes in the archaeological record. We have holes in the historical record.
If you are interested in archaeology- I am starting a Youtube channel! Tentatively titled 'Dig Deeper with Dr Hugh Thomas'. Hoping to have the first video up in the next week or two. Wasn't planning on announcing yet but 🤷‍♂️You can subscribe here
youtube.com/@drhughthomas

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More from @DrHughT

Apr 24
What is the hardest site I have ever excavated? Well, that one is easy! Let me introduce you to the site of Zagora, on the island of Andros, Greece. A site I love with all my heart, but at the same time, has arguably the toughest working conditions I have ever faced!A thread 🧵1/
Zagora is located on the western coast of the island of Andros. It is a really fascinating site! After the collapse of the Bronze Age cultures, like the Minoans and Mycenaeans, Greece goes through this relatively quiet period for a few hundred years. Then, they bounce back. 2/ Image
Zagora is a settlement located on an isolated promontory. It is important because it was founded during this quiet period and existed until about 700 BCE, when all of a sudden, the town is just abandoned in a hurry. We don’t know why. Here is a little vid I made years ago. 3/
Read 18 tweets
Apr 5
The Antikythera mechanism is often held up as evidence that some unknown, advanced culture was influencing the ancient world. ‘The technology is too advanced!''There are no other examples!''It SHOULDN’T EXIST!'
How unique was it? Were there other advanced ancient machines? 🧵 1/ Image
Found by divers off the coast of Antikythera, Greece in 1901, the device is effectively an ancient, analogue computer. It was made of a series of fine tooth gears, likely working together to show celestial movements i.e moon/planets. Unfortunately, a lot of it is missing. 2/ Image
It is a complex device! Its ‘mystery’ comes from the fact that we haven’t found physical remains of similar geared objects. It is this point that makes it a lightning rod for conspiracy theorists. But as you will see, it may not have been as unique as people think... 3/ Image
Read 22 tweets
Feb 16
Much of our knowledge of ancient individuals is limited to the elite, people like rulers/generals. Yet occasionally we come across archaeology that reveals a tiny glimpse of the life of a regular person. Meet Onfim! He lived 800 years ago and boy, did he find homework boring.🧵1/ Image
In the town of Novgorod, they sometimes come across preserved birch bark. People used this bark to write on, including Onfim! Archaeologists have found 17 pieces of bark marked with his homework. But what do these inscriptions reveal? A young boy who disliked school! 2/ Image
The theory is that Onfim was about 6-7. We know his name because he tells us! This drawing (Right) shows Onfim as a monster. Onfim wrote ‘I am a wild beast!’. Next to it, he wrote a note to his friend Danilo,‘Greetings from Onfim to Danilo’. Were they passing notes in school? 3/ Image
Read 8 tweets
Feb 4
For the last 6 years, I have excavated dozens and dozens of tombs in NW Saudi Arabia hoping that I’d be able to determine how these spectacular structures developed over time! Happy to say that the first paper about these results will be published very soon. 1/ Image
The vast majority of Bronze Age tombs in the region were disturbed in antiquity or were reused for later Iron Age burials. Furthermore, the harsh environment of NW Arabia meant that preservation of human remains was particularly poor. So it took a long time! 2/ Image
We have slowly amassed radiocarbon dates which we believe are from the original burials, allowing us to theorise as to how the tombs developed. It’s the first of a number of papers we are writing on the funerary landscapes of NW Saudi Arabia. 3/ Image
Read 4 tweets
Jan 8
Archaeologists are constantly asked is 'How did ancient people move large stones?'. The thought of people moving 2/20/200 tonne stones thousands of years ago just seems impossible. But what if I told you we have a lot of photos/video of people moving huge stones today? 🧵1/ Image
One thing archaeologists regularly utilised is called Ethnography. This is where we look at how modern cultures do all types of things- including moving big stones. It ends up that even over the last 100 years, we have tonnes of ethnographic evidence including videos. 2/ Image
In Indonesia (Sumba), people still move large stones to create massive tombs for loved ones. In this video, they move a massive stone (20-30tn) using wood sleds. (Warning: they have a feast at end and slaughter a lot of animals- it isn't pretty). 3/ Image
Read 18 tweets
Jan 3
Seeing as everyone is loving Greek archaeology, how about we delve into one of my favourite topics- SCULPTURE! Greek sculpture had a massive impact on the evolution of art, but not many people know how it developed or who the main artists were. So, let’s dive into it! 🧵1/ Image
Today we will look at the development of male sculptures. After the collapse of the Bronze Age cultures, and Greece's resurgence, stone sculptures start appearing in the mid-late 7th century. Here is a favourite of mine- the New York Kouros from c.600-580 BCE. 2/ Image
Straight off, you might notice that this looks VERY Egyptian. A lot of archaeologists think that they were definitely a big influence. But relatively quickly the Greeks forge their own path. These early male sculptures are called Kouros(s)/Kouroi(pl) and represent young males. 3/ Image
Read 27 tweets

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