Quotes
“The First Signs is the first book by Genevieve von Petzinger, a groundbreaking researcher of geometric signs in Ice Age rock art, those famous paintings of wild animals, human hands, and abstract patterns…Like any good scientist, von Petzinger is cautious not to speculate too much on the potential for interpreting their meanings. But she clearly plans to continue her work…will excite anyone interested in the origins of human abstract thought and communication.” Shelf Awareness
“In this fascinating book, Genevieve von Petzinger takes you on a journey through later prehistory, interspersed with personal anecdotes of her exploration, often in muddy tunnels in dark caves in remote corners of Europe. She delves expertly into many of the questions I have often contemplated around the earliest expressions of art, symbols, and language, providing us with an extensive exploration of the artists in the mostly European landscape and offering her interpretation of the clues and evidence surrounding the later transition towards fully modern cognition.” Louise Leakey, paleontologist, director at the Turkana Basin Institute
“Archaeologist von Petzinger acts as guide and sleuth in this fascinating, accessible, and fast-paced exploration of Ice Age artists and the evocative cave paintings they left behind…Von Petzinger offers a new way to think about why our distant relatives created this art, and what it means. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for these great artists, their love of animals and the natural world, and their connection to us.” Virginia Morell, author of Animal Wise and Ancestral Passions
“Few mysteries intrigue more than what the numerous abstract symbols they inscribed on cave walls actually meant to the gifted artists of the last Ice Age. In this wonder-filled book Genevieve von Petzinger takes us tens of thousands of years back in time, and to some stunningly beautiful sites, in a fascinating attempt to penetrate the psyches of those ancient people.” Ian Tattersall, author of The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack and Other Cautionary Tales from Human Evolution
“Ms. Von Petzinger has created a fascinating look at signs found in the caves that have not been thought of before. I have been in many of the caves myself and recognized many of the symbols. I thought her analysis of the symbols reflected the intelligence of our ancient ancestors. She has done a remarkable job of analyzing part of the cave art that has never been done in that way before.” Jean Auel, author of the bestselling Earth’s Children series
“A young scholar brings fresh eyes and fascinating theses to the study of ancient rock art…Scholars and amateurs alike should perk up at her thought that these ancestral peoples did not confine their painting to the deep interiors of caves but likely decorated many easier-to-reach surfaces with self-expression…Anyone who’s longed to visit Lascaux or the caves of Cantabria will be eager to read von Petzinger’s admirable efforts at cracking the code.” Kirkus Reviews