Neanderthals created hand stencil rock art over 66,000 years ago, U-series dating reveals
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Dario Radley
(Link)

A discovery in Maltravieso Cave, located in Extremadura, Spain, has fundamentally challenged long-held beliefs about the origins of human artistic expression.

Neanderthals created hand stencil rock art over 66,000 years ago, U-series dating reveals

Researchers have determined that hand stencils in the cave date back over 66,000 years, suggesting that Neanderthals, rather than modern humans, were the world’s first artists. This revelation highlights the advanced cognitive and cultural capabilities of Neanderthals.

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The research, conducted by an international team of archaeologists from the University of Southampton and collaborating institutions in Great Britain and Spain, utilized uranium-thorium (U-series) dating to establish the age of the artwork. Their findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, confirm that these hand stencils are among the earliest known examples of intentionally created visual art.

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As cybertrucks burn, stencils run in the streets.

• Austria (BeneRegoef)
• Berkeley, CA
• Riverside, CA
• Fillmore St., SF
• Hayes Valley, SF
• Lower Haight, SF
• The Mission, SF 

The technique of dusting: how the greats of the Renaissance executed paintings​
by Redazione , published on 30/09/2020
From Finestre sull' Arte

One of these techniques was to cast with an awl: the tip of the tool was passed through the paper to leave a groove on the surface. For geometrically patterned decorations, the pierced mold technique could then be used: the design was traced on a sort of stencil through which the contours of the figures could be etched on the surface. 

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The spread of paper, beginning in the 1360s and 1370s, was one of the most important innovations in art history: until then, the preparatory drawing for a pictorial work was traced directly on the support. This was the way it was done in Byzantine times, when the drawing was traced on the plaster, either freehand or with the help of tools (it was necessary to have gained enough experience not to make mistakes, since the correction of any errors was definitely complicated), and this was also the way it was done in medieval painting before paper became a common material. Several analyses conducted on painted crosses, for example, have found this type of technique: take as an example the Rosano cross, a 12th-century work (probably painted around 1120), which has recently undergone reflectographic investigations aimed at determining what lies beneath the painting.

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No rain in sight today here in San Francisco. Quick update before we go out and soak up the vitamin D. Thanks to the usual social media street art streams for most of these.

Flipping Bill Evans LP to B side right now..... OK, back to it.

• Washington, DC
• United Kingdom
• Texas
• Tennessee
• Florida
• DotDotDot
• Australia

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Rain today in San Francisco, making a cold and wet end to a mostly horrible month. Fear not! Go into February with new uploads from around the world. Thanks to BeneRegoef, Radical Graffiti, Kathleen R., Lynn Ray, and all the people of keep submissions coming while keeping things weird and funky.

• Austria
• Asheville, NC
• >NEW< NÔ (France)
• France
• Jef Aerosol
• India
• Lebanon
• Turkey

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Several walks the past few months have allowed stencil discoveries in the streets of San Francisco. Yesterday's walk to a Civic Center protest brought about 6 stenciled utility boxes onto the radar. Here is what we've gotten wandering around the City and from compatriots:

• From the 19 Jan protests
• A few on Western Addition's Fillmore Street
• One wall on Valencia St.
• One DIY billboard in Upper Haight
• Lynn Ray found this one in TL/Union Square
• A few folks sent some 1980s Scott Williams art
• >NEW< Oakland's Brandon Joseph Baker painted the Van Ness utility boxes

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Stencil Archive has had a good time cutting back the X content searches. Over on Bluesky, most of our sources are now on there as of this week. BeneRegoef, who we share mutual friends and passions with, just joined, so there is a good community on that site. Might as well drop all the handles: @stencilarchive.bsky.social, @regoef.bsky.social, @radicalgraffiti.bsky.social. Sadly, @louniki.bsky.social hasn't gotten too active on bsky yet. We understand the tactic of staying on the site that probably needs it the most. Stencil Archive was never on X, but we have started to post our own photos much like our Zuck-IG profile. IG will be hard to leave for many people that may be over the whims of oligarchs.

Today's images are from these sources, especially BeneRegoef, and more. Enjoy!

• Austria
• Greece
• Ireland
• Poland
• Slovenia
• United Kingdom

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Hamburg legend TXMX drops last year's stencil images every January. It is now a long tradition here at Stencil Archive to get the hits from Germany (and sometimes other countries). This year, TXMX sent over photos of works from:

• Taze
• seileise
• Rumo
• Marlix
• Marshal Arts (one added from the dreaded social media)

Hamburg never disappoints! And for TXMX: Ich kann dir gar nicht genug danken.

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2025 begins, and we roll into the hours come what may. January is the month to get excited about receiving an email of last year's stencil photos from TXMX in Hamburg. Adding to the new year submission are a batch of photos from Rome, Italy via Adam K's latest travels. Finally, dear friend Kathleen dropped off one from Asheville, NC. We were just in NC and have some more to add to this one. Those, and more Hamburg photos, coming soon!

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Trying not to get too comsumed today, but what can one do while wearing a red sweat shirt, with a terrorized gingerbread man that says "bite me" on it? Before the overwhelm begins, and the family arrives, what better way to sip your current beverage.... and cope.... than with non-holiday stencils? We're trying over here! The Stencil Archive backlog has been cleared out for the Q4 end of year. Gifts for you all.

Thanks to: Amanda, Jeremy Novy, Ben de Biel, Louniki, A Murray, BeneRegoef
Spinning: John Coltrane Quartet at the Village Gate

• Argentina
• Southern and Northern California
• Chicago, IL
• Portland, OR
• San Juan, PR
• Morocco
• Slovenia

San Francisco: 

• here and there
• The Mission
• The Tenderloin
• The Western Addition
• A 2011 SF protest stencil