PODCAST · history

The Visual Dynamics of Upper Palaeolithic Art

by The Visual Dynamics of Upper Palaeolithic Art

There have been many attempts to try and explain the intriguing depictions of animals in the caves of Europe that date from around 35,000 years ago onwards. Most of those attempts have fallen by the wayside mainly because they were incapable of being verified experimentally. This was all set to change, however, when, in 2008, Derek Hodgson wrote an article that showed how visual neuroscience and perceptual psychology could provide interesting insights into the mystery. Based on the findings of that article, a number of research groups began to apply the concepts and findings of Hodgson's article to investigating cave art by applying recent technological know-how to experimentally test the suggestions therein. The results of those experimental studies provided resounding support for Hodgson's approach. The original 2008 article is presented in this podcast not least because it was such a ground-breaking contribution to cave art research.