Mauricio Anton - Almost a Time Portal: Reconstructing the life and times of the Gibraltar
Neanderthals

Part of #NEANDERTHAL: The Conference which was organised by the Gibraltar National Museum from 13th to 15th September 2018 at the University of Gibraltar.

Paleoanthropological illustration is a combination of art and science that allows the presentation of packages of information about the anatomy, behaviour and ecology of fossil hominins in an efficient and friendly format. One recent example is the creation of a collection of art pieces depicting various aspects of the life of the Neanderthal populations that inhabited Gibraltar.
The collaboration between the artist and the paleoanthropologists, geologists and archaeologists has led to the production five environmental scenes based on evidences from the Gibraltar sites, that show novel interpretations about Neanderthal behaviour, including body ornamentation, art, hunting and scavenging. The images also reflect the current knowledge about the fauna and landscape of the Gibraltar area during the later part of the Pleistocene. Striking scenes show ground-breaking hypotheses: the Neanderthals creating the famous Gorham’s Cave engraving, wearing vulture-wing body ornaments or scavenging on beached sea mammals. In this presentation, after a brief historical overview, the working methodology of this project is explained, expanding on details of both the artistic and the scientific aspects of the reconstructions. From the field visits to the sketching stage to the different phases of the final artwork, constant feedback between artist and scientists results in a dynamic and evolving process eventually leading to the finished artwork.

© Gibraltar National Museum, 2018