Anthropos 89.1994: 169-180 
Art Origins 
Robert G. Bednarik 
Abstract. - This paper attempts a global review of the pres 
ently available evidence of Palaeolithic art, art-like phenomena, 
non-utilitarian behaviour evidence, and indications of hominid 
cognitive development of the pre-Upper Palaeolithic periods. 
The various claims for such early evidence are considered, 
especially those of the most recent years, and some relevant 
hypotheses are discussed. General patterns are defined and lead 
to the formulation of a coherent hypothesis of how “artistic” 
activities of the Upper Palaeolithic appear to have developed 
from earlier beginnings. [Palaeolithic art, non-utilitarian be 
haviour, cognitive evolution, symbolism, epistemology] 
Robert G. Bednarik, Chairperson of International Federation 
of Rock Art Organizations (IFRAO), Secretary of Australian 
Rock Art Research Association (AURA), Chairperson of AU 
RA Congress, Editor of three scientific journals and two se 
ries of archaeological monographs. - The author has produced 
about 300 own publications, predominantly on palaeoart. 
1. Introduction 
Art origins are suggested to be closely related to 
the cognitive development of Middle Pleistocene 
hominids (Bednarik 1992a), to the beginnings of 
human consciousness, to the advent of language 
(Davidson and Noble 1989), to the earliest sym 
bolic behaviour (Davis 1986; Halverson 1987), 
even to the beginnings of ritual and religion. The 
subject has often been addressed in a less than 
objective or informed fashion. For instance, any 
attempt to discuss art origins (or any related sub 
ject) by considering nothing else than the Upper 
Palaeolithic art of Europe needs to be banished 
into the realm of archaeological mythology. Most 
Pleistocene palaeoart is found outside of Europe 
(Bednarik 19927?, 1992c, 1993), and palaeoart pre 
dates the Upper Palaeolithic in several continents 
(Bednarik 1992d). Therefore the Franco-Canta- 
brian evidence dating from the Upper Palaeolithic 
neither marks the beginnings of art, nor is it of 
more than peripheral significance to the question 
of its origins. 
The complete neglect of extra-European evi 
dence in most publications on the subject is, how 
ever, not the only reason for having to ignore 
syntheses on the origins of art. The major stum 
bling block is of epistemological nature. Most au 
thors on the subject seem to be unaware that their 
own cognition and their biological intelligence (Je- 
rison 1973), the current result of human cognitive 
and intellectual evolution, are of limited relevance 
when one examines the processes that led to these 
faculties. A conceptual model of reality cannot 
be objectively contemplated by confirmationist re 
course to the biological intellect that is its own 
product. Anthropocentric reality, the only reality 
accessible to humans, probably does not resemble 
the real world, and while it may suffice in the study 
of other aspects of our universe, to study the begin 
nings of human cognition within such a simplistic 
framework is futile. The reason for this is simple: 
in all probability, palaeoart played a major role, if 
not the key role, in deriving the conceptual artefact 
which we experience as reality. This is because it 
is art which externalizes human concepts of reality: 
since its beginnings, art communicated awareness 
of perceived reality between humans. It does not, 
however, define objective reality, nor does the 
conceptualization of the world based on art, i.e. 
our reality, do so. Nor does empiricist “science.” 
This means, in essence, that an intelligent or 
ganism must base any study of its own cognition, 
if it is to be scientifically valid, on premises not 
derived from that cognition: palaeoart must be 
studied outside of human reactions to it. This will 
be extremely difficult to achieve for an organism 
that is normally unable to operate outside its own 
cognitive framework, and I would suggest it is 
the greatest scientific challenge humans have ever 
faced or will ever face. The present paper is not 
about how one might proceed in such an endeav 
our, I will simply survey the relevant phenomeno 
logical basis as it exists.