Koonalda Cave, Nullarbor Plain, South Australia, c. 16,000-27,000 BP / k)latticepl25
North East Wall: Section 1. "There is one group of ten vertical adjacent parallel finger markings, eighteen inches to two feet long. It would require at least three controlled hand movements to line up these parallels. A definite intention to complete a predetermined pattern could be inferred from this grouping even though it is very simple. There are many examples of this type of pattern" (67).
"Plate 25. On the harder surfaces a stick or stone flake was used to mark the walls. This gave a 'V' shaped cross section instead of the 'U' shaped incision left by the fingers [as in example below]. Photograph by R. Edwards."
Palaeoart Interpretation (James Harrod): These appear to be categorizable as a 'Lattice (Grid) Motif', examples of which are documented at least from the Lower Paleolithic in Eurasia.
Photo © R. Edwards, in L. Maynard and R. Edwards, in Wright, R. V. S. (ed.). 1971. Archaeology of the Gallus Site, Koonalda Cave. Canberra: Australian Institute for Aboriginal Studies: plate 25. |
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