Mythic Rock Art and Ancient Migration - Bernie Taylor, Before Orion
Aug 10, 2023
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Bernie Taylor, Naturalist, Archaeoastronomer, and Author, discusses the mythological portrayals in rock art found across Europe and Africa. He explores the massive migrations of ancient humans and their cultural imprint through celestial maps of meaning. In the podcast, Taylor talks about the connection between animal migration patterns and solar and lunar cycles, the controversial discovery of Keniluk Man, the importance of passing on traditional knowledge, the influence of lunar cycles on migratory patterns, and the encoding of ancient myths with Native American astronomy. He also delves into animism and our worldview, the influence of the church on indigenous cultures, and an upcoming conference in Austin, Texas.
Indigenous cultures use mythology and storytelling to connect the earthly landscape with the celestial world, integrating natural environments and ancient mythology with astronomical observations.
Both Lakota Sioux and Upper Paleolithic cave art reflect overlapping constellations and integration in mythology, suggesting a holistic understanding of the cosmos where earthly and celestial elements intertwine.
Indigenous storytelling and mythology play a crucial role in preserving ancient astronomical knowledge and transmitting connections between earthly and celestial realms.
Recent archaeological discoveries in South Africa's Rising Star Cave suggest a cultural connection or migration between South Africa and Spain, challenging traditional narratives of human migration.
The Rising Star Cave in South Africa may have more recent cave art dating back approximately 34,000 years, connected to the art found in the El Castillo cave in Spain, indicating a complex and interconnected history of human migration.
Deep dives
Traditional storytelling and mapping the night sky
Indigenous cultures, like the Lakota Sioux and Upper Paleolithic cave artists, use mythology and storytelling to connect the earthly landscape with the celestial world. For example, the Lakota Sioux have a tradition of traveling through the Black Hills, connecting geological formations to constellations and mythological figures like Star Boy. Upper Paleolithic cave art also reflects this connection, using rock formations and animals to represent constellations and celestial journeys. These traditions provide a way to navigate and understand the night sky, integrating the natural environment and ancient mythology with astronomical observations.
Overlapping constellations and integration
In both Lakota Sioux and Upper Paleolithic mythologies, constellations often overlap and integrate with each other. For instance, the Lakota Sioux story of Star Boy traveling through the night sky involves integrating with various animals and formations to become centaurs, birdmen, and merfolk. Similarly, Upper Paleolithic cave art depicts the integration of figures like Orion and Pegasus, connecting them to geological formations. These overlapping constellations and integration in mythology suggest a holistic understanding of the cosmos, where earthly and celestial elements intertwine.
Using mythology for navigation and connection
Indigenous cultures' inclusion of mythological narratives in their astronomy allows for navigation and connection with the celestial realm. Lakota Sioux tradition emphasizes historical journeys through specific geological formations tied to constellations along the ecliptic. Upper Paleolithic cave art similarly captures the integration of geological features and constellations, providing a map of the night sky. These mythological narratives serve as guideposts, allowing for celestial navigation and a deep connection to the natural and celestial realms.
Preservation of ancient astronomical knowledge
Indigenous storytelling and mythology play a crucial role in preserving ancient astronomical knowledge. By passing down narratives and connections between earthly and celestial realms, indigenous cultures ensure that ancient observations and cosmological understanding are retained. The Lakota Sioux and Upper Paleolithic traditions demonstrate how these stories not only transmit knowledge about the night sky but also integrate natural environments, geological formations, and celestial constellations. By exploring and understanding these mythologies, we gain insight into how ancient cultures perceived and interacted with the cosmos.
Discovery of Ancient Art in Atlas Mountains
During their research, the speaker and George Shower discovered ancient artwork on a panel that led them to the Atlas Mountains in Jabal Toubkal, Morocco. The engravings depicted animals such as lions, giraffes, elephants, and marine mammals. This discovery led them to realize that North Africa was the origin of these images, particularly sub-Saharan regions like South Africa. Based on their findings, the speaker emphasizes the connection between ancient artwork and astronomical understanding in different cultures.
Similarities in Mythologies and Artistic Expressions
The podcast episode explores how mythologies and artistic expressions reflect human nature and experiences. Whether it is indigenous traditions, Greek mythology, or modern songs and movies, these stories and art forms provide insights into our subconscious and ways of understanding the world. The speaker argues that humans are inherently connected to animals and nature, evident in our language, emotions, and interpretations of stories. They suggest that by reclaiming this animistic perspective, we can better understand ourselves and our place in the world.
Controversy around Discoveries in South Africa
Recent archaeological discoveries in South Africa's Rising Star Cave of Bones have sparked controversy. The team initially claimed to have found Homo naledi rock art dating back 250,000 to 350,000 years. However, peer-reviewed studies contested these claims, stating that the images were misidentified as Homo naledi and were in fact similar to the ancient engravings found in Gibraltar. The speaker predicts that when further examination and cleaning of the rocks is conducted, the images will reveal similarities to the artwork seen in Gibraltar and the Upper Paleolithic Cave Art in Europe.
Migration and Cultural Exchange from Spain to South Africa
The podcast episode explores the idea of a direct line of representation between cave art found in the El Castillo cave in Spain and cave art found in South Africa. The main argument is that the same animals and symbols that are represented in the El Castillo cave art can also be found in South African cave art, suggesting a cultural exchange or migration from the southern tip of Africa to the northern tip of Spain. This challenges the traditional narrative of human migration and suggests that cultural connections were maintained between these regions.
Reimagining Rising Star Cave
The podcast episode suggests a reimagining of the significance of the Rising Star Cave in South Africa. While the cave is believed to be much older, the speaker suggests that the cave art found there is more recent, dating back to approximately 34,000 years ago. The speaker argues that the art found in the cave is connected to the art found in the El Castillo cave in Spain, demonstrating a cultural link between the two regions. This challenges previous understandings of human migration and suggests a more complex and interconnected history.
Bernie Taylor is a Naturalist, Archaeoastronomer and Author who has written extensively about the true stories of human evolution, as told through the mythological portrayals in rock art found across Europe and Africa. Through a comparative examination of the rock art found in Spain’s El Castillo cave, at the Rock of Gibraltar, and in South Africa’s Rising Star Cave, Taylor paints a picture of a highly mobile, artistic tribe of humans that completed massive migrations and carried with them the cultural imprint of their celestial maps of meaning. Check out Bernie’s work at Beforeorion.com, on his Youtube Channel @beforeoriondotcom and support the podcast by checking out his books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3s4DmNv
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PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities.
