Campbell - Symbols and Cave Paintings
After discussing the ancient cave paintings in Lascaux last week, I was reminded of the quotes we deliberated over during the beginning of semester. One of these quotes was by Rollo May, when he stated that symbolic action bridges the gap "between outer existence (the world) and inner meaning; and it arose out of man's capacity to separate inner meaning and outer existence" (p. 22). From the outset of mankind's existence, it has been a critical part of life to distinguish between the profane and the perceptive, to connect our sensuous experiences with the esoteric inner worlds of our minds and souls. Humans have developed countless ways in which we are able to discern the outer world and understand it internally, from symbols to language itself. In fact, these two conceptualizations are inherently related, as the utilization of symbolic characters evolved into the derivative language forms of our early ancestors. What did these symbols look like?
Our most archaic relatives survived for thousands of years without using a formal language system that we would recognize today. As Abrams (1996) pointed out, the earliest expressions of written language were those found in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, which largely depicted geometrical shapes and forms that were commonly seen in everyday life. These symbols morphed into Hebrew and Greek characters, which evolved further and further until eventually modern linguistic structure was created. However, well before written language existed a style of communication that was based on the secluded primal lifestyles of early humans, relying solely on sound and rhythmic patterns to convey meaning and depth. The only "written" documentation of these language systems were found in rock paintings or petroglyphic art styles, which portrayed images of animals, humans, religious organizations, and many other subjects.
One of the most well-known examples of these paintings are found in the Lascaux caves in a region of southwestern France. The caverns were discovered accidentally, igniting a wild excavation process into the cave systems during the mid-twentieth century. What these archaeologists uncovered were phenomenal and breath-taking: hundreds of wall paintings illustrating scenes from an antiquated time, depicting animal hunts to random shapes. These images date back to approximately 17,000 BCE and were created using natural minerals for pigment, such as iron and charcoal. French scholars have interpreted the paintings as part of ritualistic practices to ensure successful hunting, or possibly to resemble successful hunting in the past. Either way, these paintings represent the deeper meanings of rather tedious daily activities, and have therefore transformed these activities to indicate something spiritually beyond the realm of simple survival.
As of 1979, the Lascaux caves have been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Unfortunately, the caves have been closed to the public for almost a decade due to infestations of black mold, but pictures of the beautiful cave art is prevalent all over the internet. It is truly amazing that these images have persisted so long and, despite their incredibly old age, convey meaning to modern peoples (albeit they may have had different meanings when they were first created). What does this say about the use of symbolism as a way to connect the outer world of nature to the inner world within us, as Rollo May has claimed? How have the symbols of written language systems changed the way we interpret meaning when compared to the images that dominated "language" hundreds of thousands of years ago?
Our most archaic relatives survived for thousands of years without using a formal language system that we would recognize today. As Abrams (1996) pointed out, the earliest expressions of written language were those found in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, which largely depicted geometrical shapes and forms that were commonly seen in everyday life. These symbols morphed into Hebrew and Greek characters, which evolved further and further until eventually modern linguistic structure was created. However, well before written language existed a style of communication that was based on the secluded primal lifestyles of early humans, relying solely on sound and rhythmic patterns to convey meaning and depth. The only "written" documentation of these language systems were found in rock paintings or petroglyphic art styles, which portrayed images of animals, humans, religious organizations, and many other subjects.
One of the most well-known examples of these paintings are found in the Lascaux caves in a region of southwestern France. The caverns were discovered accidentally, igniting a wild excavation process into the cave systems during the mid-twentieth century. What these archaeologists uncovered were phenomenal and breath-taking: hundreds of wall paintings illustrating scenes from an antiquated time, depicting animal hunts to random shapes. These images date back to approximately 17,000 BCE and were created using natural minerals for pigment, such as iron and charcoal. French scholars have interpreted the paintings as part of ritualistic practices to ensure successful hunting, or possibly to resemble successful hunting in the past. Either way, these paintings represent the deeper meanings of rather tedious daily activities, and have therefore transformed these activities to indicate something spiritually beyond the realm of simple survival.
As of 1979, the Lascaux caves have been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Unfortunately, the caves have been closed to the public for almost a decade due to infestations of black mold, but pictures of the beautiful cave art is prevalent all over the internet. It is truly amazing that these images have persisted so long and, despite their incredibly old age, convey meaning to modern peoples (albeit they may have had different meanings when they were first created). What does this say about the use of symbolism as a way to connect the outer world of nature to the inner world within us, as Rollo May has claimed? How have the symbols of written language systems changed the way we interpret meaning when compared to the images that dominated "language" hundreds of thousands of years ago?
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