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First identification of non-human stencil hands at Wadi Sūra II (Egypt): A morphometric study for new insights into rock art symbolism


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Authors

Honoré, Emmanuelle 
Rakza, Thameur 
Senut, Brigitte 
Deruelle, Philippe 
Pouydebat, Emmanuelle 

Abstract

In the Libyan Desert, Wadi Sūra II shelter hosts numerous stencil paintings believed to date to the Early and Mid-Holocene. Tiny hands have previously been considered to belong to human babies. We challenge this identification, having conducted a morphometric study to compare the archaeological material with samples of hands of babies born at term and pre-term at the neonatal unit of the CHRU Jeanne de Flandre (Lille, France). The results show that the rock art small hands differ significantly in size, proportions and morphology from human hands. Potential biases between the different samples were quantified, but their average range cannot explain the observed differences. Evidence suggest that the hand stencils belong to an animal, most probably a reptile. The identification of non-human pentadactyl hand stencils is unique in the field of rock art and raises new perspectives for understanding the rock art at Wadi Sūra, and the behaviour and symbolic universe of the populations who made it.

Description

Keywords

morphometry, hand stencils, rock art, prehistory, Sahara

Journal Title

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2352-409X

Volume Title

6

Publisher

Elsevier
Sponsorship
Royal Society (NF141079)
The first author is funded by the British Academy and the Royal Society as a Newton International Fellow in the United-Kingdom and is very grateful for the strong support of these two organizations. We thank the Egyptian authorities for their support. We also thank all parents and individuals who have agreed to take part in the morphometric data collection. We are grateful to Dr S. Amblard-Pison, Dr A. Person, Dr S. Bouquillon-Delerive, Prof P. Thomas, Dr P. S. Randolph-Quinney, Prof. F. Thackeray, Prof. J. Robb, Dr J. Etling and L. Watrin for discussion and advice, to Dr S. Meiri and E. Maza from the Department of Zoology of Tel Aviv University, and S. Kudryavtsev from the Moscow Zoo for the pictures of Varanus griseus and Crocodylus niloticus specimens, to M.-C. Broudic for advices concerning the statistical analysis, to C. Duriez for the IT support and to Prof J. Robb for the review. The anonymous reviewers are warmly thanked for their careful review and relevant suggestions.