Researchers have discovered what they believe to be ancient stingray sand sculptures, challenging the established timeline of human artistic expression, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Rock painting research Magazine.
A team of experts from Nelson Mandela University and the South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity used OSL dating to identify the alleged work of art. In 2018, the work was mistakenly identified as a symmetrical rock formation near Still Bay on the South African coast. The findings suggest it is a sand sculpture, a pattern carved into sand that later hardened into stone. The symmetrical features of the rock and the grooves on its surface support this theory.
According to the new theory, humans discovered a stingray on the coast about 130,000 years ago. The cultural significance of the animal remains to be determined: the stingray could have been a valuable food source or a symbol of early storytelling.
Further analysis is needed, but based on this finding, the human impulse for creativity and expression emerges much earlier than previously expected.
The team believes the stone was made during the Mesolithic period, predating previous figurative art by about 85,000 years. Prior to this discovery, a cave painting in Indonesia was the oldest recognized figurative art, dating back 45,000 years. Through this study, the team proposed a connection between abstraction and realism in these early depictions.
