The First Signs

Unlocking the Mysteries of the World's Oldest Symbols

De: Genevieve von Petzinger

Narrado por: Robin Miles

One of the most significant works on our evolutionary ancestry since Richard Leakey's Origins, The First Signs is the first-ever exploration of the geometric images that accompany most cave art around the world—the first indications of symbolic meaning, intelligence, and language.

Imagine yourself as a caveman or cavewoman. The place: Europe. The time: 25,000 years ago, the last Ice Age. In reality you live in an open-air tent or a bone hut. But you also belong to a rich culture that creates art. In and around your cave paintings are handprints and dots, x's and triangles, parallel lines and spirals. Your people know what they mean. You also use them on tools and jewelry. And then you vanish—and with you, their meanings.

Join renowned archaeologist Genevieve von Petzinger on an Indiana Jones-worthy adventure from the open-air rock art sites of Northern Portugal to the dark depths of a remote cave in Spain that can be reached only by sliding face-first through the mud. Von Petzinger looks past the beautiful horses, powerful bison, graceful ibex, and faceless humans in the ancient paintings to the abstract geometric images that accompany them. These terse symbols appear more often than any other kinds of figures—signs that have never really been studied or explained until now.

Part travel journal, part popular science, part personal narrative, von Petzinger's groundbreaking book starts to crack the code on the first form of graphic communication. It's in her blood, as this talented scientist's grandmother served as a code breaker at Bletchley. Discernible patterns emerge that point to abstract thought and expression, and for the first time we can begin to understand the changes that might have been happening inside the minds of our Ice Age ancestors—offering a glimpse of when they became us.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Genevieve von Petzinger (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Wonderful

I have listened to this book four times. It is a subject that has interested me for years, and I have seen some of the caves she discusses. But this book provides context and beauty and science so perfectly I need to return.
Equally exquisite is the narration. The voice is so soothing and she never trips up on anything.

Engaging and accessible

As someone with an amateur interest in Paleolithic anthropology, I found the book to be very accessible and easy to understand. It includes a solid overview of the method and findings as well as providing caveats and being very careful about making any definite or broad conclusions.
The narrative the author created was engaging and very personal and relatable. The narration was also very good.

if you are looking for a indepth hard science paper and thesis, this is not for you. This book distills that information for the broader public and provides context and narrative.

Compelling interpretation. Very open to discussio

This is interesting. I would be satisfied if there was a carry over that tied together the nomad hunter gathers that crossed into North America via the land bridge that connected the continents.
just a thought.

Neat

I found this to be really eye opening and insightful. this was narrated in a wonderful way and it created a positive listening and learning experience for me

Rock art

Great fun! I throughly enjoyed it. The topic is so interesting and informative.
we have been who we are for a very long time.