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Prehistoric people used campfires as cinemas

The first people to live in what is now France carved art on stone slabs and placed them under the flickering light of a new study, according to a new study. fire to create the illusion of movement – an early form of animation, according to a new study.

The Researchers from the University of York and Durham University in the United Kingdom studied 50 stone slabs kept in the British Museum that had been carved by hunter-gatherers some 15,000 years ago.

Prehistoric people used campfires to turn into movie theaters - Photo 1.

Researchers have created a makeshift camp Prehistoric as part of the study. Photo: CNN.

The planks are made of limestone and were excavated from a stone shelter in Montatruc, France, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They feature different species of animals – mostly horses, weekdays. deer, red deer, and bison, but also wolves and alpine goats.

The researchers identified patterns of pink heat damage around the edges of some of the stones, providing evidence that they were placed near a top. fire.

To understand exactly why, the researchers conducted their own experiments in a prehistoric makeshift camp and used virtual reality software. They recreated the engravings to their original shape – with clear white lines – and placed them around a bonfire.

Prehistoric people used campfires as cinemas - Photo 2.

The researchers reconstructed the carved limestone plaques. Photo: CNN.

They said the heat-induced cracks showed they were placed near fireplaces to appear to move and flicker in the firelight. The interaction between the carved stone and the moving light of the fire made these forms dynamic and alive, the study said.

“We also did this experiment at night. So we had the full effect – the light flickering – it was a pretty cool experience, I think when I saw these engravings jump up. alive before our eyes,” said Izzy Wisher, a PhD student in the department of archeology at Durham University and a co-author of the study published Wednesday in the scientific journal PLOS ONE. 4).

“And then observe that the heating patterns generated by that activity are most consistent with the examples in Montatruc – that’s also very interesting.”

Prehistoric people used campfires to turn into movie theaters - Photo 4.

The researchers created a prehistoric makeshift encampment as part of the study. Photo: CNN.

The carvings may also have had a practical purpose – the stones may have marked the outline of the fireplace. But the researchers say their study indicates that they have more than just a single function, plus a similar function can be achieved with unengraved limestone.

The human brain is particularly well-suited to interpreting light and shifting shadows as motion, and identifying patterns that are visually familiar in such different lighting conditions, the study says.

The flames and the arrangement of a series of plaques will bring the carved animals to life as if animated, says Wisher.

“These are really animal-centric societies. Their whole lives are spent tracking animals, hunting animals, thinking about animals, processing animal skins to make clothes. So, perhaps it’s not an exaggeration to say that their stories also involve animals,” added Wisher.

“It’s interesting to think about this art as part of the stories they’re telling by the fireplace and when they’re talking about what they’ve been through up to that day, or telling stories about animals. the specific object that these animals are also coming to life in front of the fire,” the researcher commented.

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