Faculty of Geography and History, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
Faculty of Psychology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
Sci Rep. 2024 Aug 4;14(1):18029. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-68861-2.
The production of Paleolithic art represents one of the most intricate technical and cognitive endeavors of Homo sapiens, marked by its profound antiquity and vast temporal and spatial framework. Despite its significance, there have been no prior studies aimed at understanding the cognitive and motor skills linked to the creation of realistic images characteristic of this artistic cycle. This research integrates archaeology and experimental psychology, premised on the assumption that the neurological basis of Anatomically Modern Humans has not changed substantially since the Upper Paleolithic. This work employs an innovative interdisciplinary approach, utilizing psychometric tests and drawing and engraving tasks monitored by motion-sensing gloves, to compare the performance of experts and non-experts in visual arts when faced with challenges akin to those of Upper Paleolithic artistic production. The results revealed that expertise in visual arts is linked to enhanced spatial abilities and specific patterns in drawing from memory. Additionally, both experts and non-experts displayed similar motor skills when engraving using Paleolithic techniques, suggesting that these techniques required specialized training in the contemporary experts. In conclusion, this research deepens our understanding of the processes involved in Upper Paleolithic artistic production.
旧石器时代艺术的产生代表了智人最复杂的技术和认知努力之一，其特点是具有深远的古老性和广阔的时间和空间框架。尽管它很重要，但之前没有研究旨在了解与这一艺术周期中具有现实主义特征的图像创作相关的认知和运动技能。这项研究将考古学和实验心理学结合起来，前提是自旧石器时代晚期以来，现代人的神经基础没有发生实质性变化。这项工作采用了一种创新的跨学科方法，利用心理计量测试和通过运动感应手套监测的绘画和雕刻任务，比较视觉艺术专家和非专家在面对类似于旧石器时代艺术生产的挑战时的表现。结果表明，视觉艺术方面的专业知识与增强的空间能力和从记忆中绘画的特定模式有关。此外，当使用旧石器时代的技术进行雕刻时，专家和非专家都表现出相似的运动技能，这表明这些技术需要当代专家进行专门的训练。总之，这项研究加深了我们对旧石器时代艺术生产过程的理解。
