Global Approaches to Early Representations of the Human Figure

New 3D method maps Paleolithic engravings at Cova Matutano

Researchers from Universitat Jaume I, the University of Barcelona, and ICREA tested a digital method to study very fine engravings on Late Paleolithic portable art...

More information: archaeologymag.com/2026/02/pale...

#archaeology

I've added a compelling frieze showing distressed bodies from Vichama in Peru. That's a late Caral Culture site perhaps occupied after the abandonment of Caral itself. Thumbnail image is from linked JAS (paywalled) article. Two additional entries from site also in GAERHF. gaerhf.org#famine-friez...

↓↓↓ *** APRIL 21st *** ↓↓↓ not the 1st. Sorry about that. -S.

Expanding the Ancient World Workshop This workshop will take place online. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. Zoom information will be provided via confirmation email to registered participants. Expanding ...

On April 1st, 2026 at 5PM (Eastern time), I'll lead an @isawnyu.bsky.social "Expanding the Ancient World Workshop" titled "Digital Approaches to Global Art History: The Example of the Human Figure" and on topic of using GAERHF in teaching. isaw.nyu.edu/events/etaw-... to register. #GlobalAntiquity

As follow up: Schroda Male figurine now in GAERHF. gaerhf.org#male-anthrop... . At least on a preliminary basis.

A Lydenburg Head. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Photograph of Luzira Head. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Schroda (South Africa) figurines as illustrated on the Google Arts and Culture site.

The southern African "Lydenburg Heads" (C. 500 CE) are now in GAERHF. Along with the "Luzira Head" (C. 1000 CE ??) from Uganda. See gaerhf.org#lydenburg-he... & gaerhf.org#luzira-head . I'm looking for a good landing page and pic for figurines from Schroda. artsandculture.google.com/asset/schrod...

Journal web page screen shot.

Screenshot for article Blinded by the Light (of Modernity): Does the Concept of Modern Human Behavior Obscure Diversity in Hominin Cultural Evolution?

Screen shot for article A Meme’s Eye View of Pleistocene Symbolic Behavior

Screenshot for article: Material Symbols and the Archaeological Record

The concept "Behavioral Modernity" is generally of interest to GAERHF. Though not as a "meme" just to be accepted. Here's a 2025 thematic issue of "Biological Theory" under title "Behavioral Modernity: Reframing the Idea, or Past its Use-By Date?" ed. Kim Sterelny. link.springer.com/collections/...

How old is the rock art in Texas’ Lower Pecos Canyonlands? New radiocarbon dating sets it as far back as 6,000 years ago. Archaeologists think the images of animal- and human-like figures represent a sophisticated cosmology.

archaeology.org/news/2025/12/02/new-dates-obtained-for-texas-rock-art/

GAERHF screenshot with map and image of figure.

Article screenshot. Showing niche with skeletons opposite carved face.

More excavation results from SE Turkey. A head carved at the base of Pre Pottery Neolithic T-Column installation. gaerhf.org#head-base-pi... . Türkiye Today article has great pics.

Now in GAERHF: gaerhf.org#platform-hea... . Along with a fair amount of other regional PPNA and PPNB +/-figures.

8,500-year-old carved faces, tiny double-faced bead reshape Sefertepe’s role in Tas Tepeler - Türkiye Today At Sefertepe in southeastern Türkiye, ancient carved faces, a double-faced bead and “skull room” reveal rich Neolithic world of symbols, ancestors

Interesting find. www.turkiyetoday.com/culture/8500... And yes, expanding the narrative of human creativity to more sites is useful.

GAERHF screen shot with map, descriptive text, and expanded image.

Ongoing interface and content work for GAERHF. Pic shows hovering over thumbnail for bigger image. And shows that I'm pasting in text from linked websites. I'm open to many sources. Text here is translation of inscription that dates figure as found on Wiki Commons. gaerhf.org#mankuwar-bud...

Join us online or in person for a talk from MAHSA’s Vaneshree Vidyarthi: ‘Mapping the Indian Palaeolithic’, part of the London Centre for the Ancient Near East’s Autumn seminar series.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lcane-autu...

Screen shot of website announcing talk.

GAERHF screenshot

GAERHF talk happening November 25th at 5PM in London. "Deep Time and Global Scope in a Digital Project: The example of the Human Figure" www.history.ac.uk/digital-huma... . It will be on Zoom as well. Link will be sent after registration (I think).

GAERHF screen shot with new colors more likely to be discernible by more people.

Working on color palette for GAERHF that's more likely to be discernible by more people. The light-ish purple circle on map is current figure whose details are shown. Brown marker borders show which figures have "ivory" as a keyword. Input at top-left to select that. gaerhf.org#ivory-female...

Screen shot showing keyword highlighting.

"Keyword Highlighting" in GAERHF more robust. Type "go" in top-left input field and you'll see options. Hover over options and relevant figures will be highlighted with green border. Click on a keyword and those markers will stay green. Current selected object is gaerhf.org#bimaran-casket

In addition to other broadly "Mediterranean World" pieces, I am reminded of the so-called Tlatilco Acrobat from Mesoamerica. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tlatilc... . Not exact same position by any means. And no direct connection, of course. Though certainly, it came to mind.

Screenshot. Size of image when hovering. The inscribed figure is much more visible.

Screenshot. Image of figure too small to make out detail

Interface improvement: When you hover over the image in the top pane, it expands. Definitely makes it easier to see detail. Try the so-called "Peedie Pict" from Orkney: gaerhf.org#figure-carve...

Screen shot showing cleaned up layout.

Detail showing slider.

HTML, CSS, and JS cleanup in GAERHF. And honestly, VS Code's Copilot a huge help! I was pretty much vibe coding. Image works better, layout less clobber its various parts, try control-shift-L to change the color scheme of markers. A slider shows/hides. Figure is gaerhf.org#head-shaped-... .

Classification - Museo delle Statue Stele Lunigianesi Group A

The "Museo delle Statue Stele Lunigianesi" website is very nice. Here's a link to "Classification". Click through to pages with individual examples. And click around the entire site. It's well done. I'd like to visit! statuestele.org/stele-statue...

GAERHF Screen Shot

Mask Condorhuasi-Alamito artist(s) 400 BCE–500 CE https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/708743

There are now 500 figures in GAERHF. And counting... Long way to go before it's anything like comprehensive. This face from Argentina captures my mood as I think about where this all will end up. gaerhf.org#condorhuasi-... (Pic of Mask from Met Museum, Public Domain.)

GAERHF Screenshot.

Semi-functional UI development: "Keyword Highlighting". See pic. There's a small textbox at top left with "Gold". Green rings are figures with that keyword. I've clicked on a S. American beaker, highlighted in red, details in top pane. Pop-up is on hover over green marker. gaerhf.org#beaker-figur...

Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico | Antiquity | Cambridge Core Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico

A new "human figure" related article: N. Sugiyama, K. Taube, S. Sugiyama, & A.T. Muñoz. 2025. "Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico" www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

A Storm Hit Alaska. Now, a Native Community Is Racing to Save Its History.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/c... (Many figurines and masks illustrated in the article.) #paywall

GAERHF screenshot showing gallery, popup on map, and detail.

I'm working on a substantial UI update for GAERHF. Pic shows detail for a figure in Yemen, mouse is hovering over a figure across Red Sea, and a small gallery of all figures on screen is at bottom of page. Works best slightly zoomed in. Otherwise gallery too big. Try it at gaerhf.org#qatabanian-c...

GAERHF screenshot with map.

WIkimedia Commons image.

Quick note that I've added this Parthian "lute player" and that I'm happy to admit that I hadn't known that there is a series of Parthian musical figurines. See the linked wiki page for another example. gaerhf.org#parthian-lut... #AncientMusic

GAERHF screenshot showing highlighted figure as focus as well as a popup over location of another figure.

I'm working on an improvement to the GAERHF user experience. Links such as gaerhf.org#standing-fem... will highlight the location in red and maintain that highlight as you hover over other figures. Big picture: The spatial and temporal context of any one figure can be explored in relation to others.

I'm not going to include the "Nine Maidens" stone circle in GAERHF. It is a useful illustration of our willingness to find – to project – evocations of the human form in many contexts. No doubt a relatively recent name, which is on point. (P.s. Here's wiki page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Ma... )

GAERHF screenshot with map.

Wiki commons image.

4: Eyrarland Statue. C. 1000. gaerhf.org#eyrarland-st... . (All data entry at its start. Click through from GAERHF landing pages for more info. And click neighboring dots for other - also interesting - figures.)

GAERHF screenshot with map.

Wiki commons image.

3: Rällinge Statuette. C. 1000. gaerhf.org#rallinge-sta...