Grotta di Fumane. Alle origini dell'arte figurativa

The authors of this contribution ask themselves “when” and “how” Humans, driven by the urge to communicate, began to represent their own perception of the world around them through imagery. Retracing the main stages of this cognitive journey we arrive at Grotta di Fumane where there are evident traces of the presence of Homo Neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. Some calcareous slabs painted with red ochre have been found here. Among these, the so-called stone of the Shaman stands out, an exceptional item and one of the ! rst examples of figurative art ever found, clearly testimony to complex socio-cultural and spiritual levels.