Pásztor Emília (szerk.): A fény régészete. A természetes fény szerepe az őskori ember életében - Bajai dolgozatok 20. (Baja, 2017)
Bevezetés
Bevezetés/lntroduction interpreting the drawings and symbols is an especially challenging task which requires great background work. One of the most popular topics is the identification of constellations, especially studying their origin that some researchers date back as early as the Upper Paleolithic Period (around 38 - 18 thousand years). Possibles source behind this are the prehistoric cave paintings. Most interest gathered/evolved around the dotted bull of the French Lascaus cave because in general, scientists/experts see the wall painted versions of the Pleiads () and the Taurus constellation (Rappenglück 2004 and many others). However, the identification of every presumably paleolithic constellation came from the theory that the creator of the illustrations copied, with almost „scientific precision", what he saw in the sky. Even the size of the "dots” is believed to match the brightness of the stars. But the theory only highlights that part of the illustration which otherwise contains many, often identical or similar, elements, that resembles a constellation used a thousand years later. Eudoxosz, Greek mathematician and astronomer made the earliest known descriptions of constellations around BC 370. Although, the use of constellations could have started a few thousand years earlier according to some studies (Roger 1998, 80), but the organising of stars into constellations is very culture-specific, and can be different even within one community. Thus, it seems the assumptions regarding the astronomic knowledge of the Palaeolithic man so far are more the result of scientists' enthusiasm towards the sky rather than drawn from actual, fact-based archaeological evidence. Yet, this doesn't mean the Palaeolithic man wasn't interested in celestial phenomena. 'The archaeology of light' exhibition aims to highlight the endless possibilities of studying an 'archaeological artefact' that might be invisible, but its effect has been preserved in the depths of the earth for thousands of years. Emília Pásztor 18
