Archeological find or prehistoric porn? Scientists say discovery of 'little horny man' carving with giant phallus is the earliest image of man in America
By MICHAEL ZENNIE
Last updated at 5:42 AM on 24th February 2012
The 12-inch rock carving discovered in a cave in central-eastern Brazil is now the earliest-known art that man made in the Americas.
And with a phallus nearly as big as his arm, 'little horny man' is also testament that man was fascinated with his genitals even 11,000 years ago. The archeologists who found the stick figure carving believe it is linked to a fertility ritual for early peoples. They believe it could help shine light on exactly when prehistoric humans migrated to the New World.
Horny man: This is the 11,000-year-old carving that is older than any other art found in the New World
Groundbreaking: This is the dig site in southern Brazil where scientists found the cave drawing, along with human remains and evidence that people dwelt there thousands of years ago
The carving was found in 2009 in Lapa do Santo -- a massive rock shelter where researchers from the University of São Paulo in Brazil had already dug up human bones, tools, ash from hearth and the ancient remainders of meals of fruit and small animals, according to Live Science magazine.
But they almost missed perhaps the biggest prize of all.
'We discovered this petroglyph in the final moments of excavation at the site,' said archaeologist and biological anthropologist Walter Alves Neves told the news site.The carving is in the same area as the burial ground for the Luzia woman, the oldest human remains found in South America -- taking to about 11,500 years ago.Scientists believe humans first crossed the Bering Strait into North America about 16,000 years ago. From there, they migrated throughout the continent and spread into South America.
Horny man: This diagram helps to explain the stick figure, which is apparently swatting
The carving, nicknamed 'little horny man' for its exceptionally large penis, has been dated as being 9,000 to 12,000 years old.
'The figure is probably linked to some kind of fertility ritual," Neves told LiveScience.
'There is another site in the same region where you find paintings with men with oversized phalluses, and also pregnant women, and even a (childbirth) scene.'The emphasis on the penis could itself tell a story about when man arrived in South America. Early cave paintings in Argentina focus on hands, while early carvings found at a different site focus on geometric shapes, Live Science reports
The differences in art mean humans likely had to be on the continent for a number of years in order for their expressions to diversify.
Last updated at 5:42 AM on 24th February 2012
The 12-inch rock carving discovered in a cave in central-eastern Brazil is now the earliest-known art that man made in the Americas.
And with a phallus nearly as big as his arm, 'little horny man' is also testament that man was fascinated with his genitals even 11,000 years ago. The archeologists who found the stick figure carving believe it is linked to a fertility ritual for early peoples. They believe it could help shine light on exactly when prehistoric humans migrated to the New World.
The carving was found in 2009 in Lapa do Santo -- a massive rock shelter where researchers from the University of São Paulo in Brazil had already dug up human bones, tools, ash from hearth and the ancient remainders of meals of fruit and small animals, according to Live Science magazine.
But they almost missed perhaps the biggest prize of all.
'We discovered this petroglyph in the final moments of excavation at the site,' said archaeologist and biological anthropologist Walter Alves Neves told the news site.The carving is in the same area as the burial ground for the Luzia woman, the oldest human remains found in South America -- taking to about 11,500 years ago.Scientists believe humans first crossed the Bering Strait into North America about 16,000 years ago. From there, they migrated throughout the continent and spread into South America.
The carving, nicknamed 'little horny man' for its exceptionally large penis, has been dated as being 9,000 to 12,000 years old.
'The figure is probably linked to some kind of fertility ritual," Neves told LiveScience.
'There is another site in the same region where you find paintings with men with oversized phalluses, and also pregnant women, and even a (childbirth) scene.'The emphasis on the penis could itself tell a story about when man arrived in South America. Early cave paintings in Argentina focus on hands, while early carvings found at a different site focus on geometric shapes, Live Science reports
The differences in art mean humans likely had to be on the continent for a number of years in order for their expressions to diversify.
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