A strange shaped body with six limbs – what is that supposed to represent? Archaeologists have discovered a rock carving in Iran that poses guesswork. After closer analysis, they come to the conclusion that it is the millennia-old representation of a hybrid being – half human, half praying mantis. According to the scientists, this reflects the age-old fascination with these bizarre predatory insects.
Like greetings from ancient times, they can be found all over the world: Our ancestors left us numerous images in caves, on rock faces or stones. They show animals, people, hand silhouettes or abstract symbols. The prehistoric work of art, which researchers around Mohammad Naserifard from the University of Arak are now reporting, comes from the Markazi province in Iran. So far, the researchers have not been able to say exactly how old the 14 centimeter representation is. The minimum age is 4000 years. The rock carving created by carving could also be up to 40,000 years old. They probably made nomads who lived in the region during this period, the scientists said.
As Naserifard and his colleagues explain, the find differs significantly from other well-known rock carvings from the Markazi province. While often easily recognizable animals are depicted, the identity of the being appears mysterious in this case: it seems to be a creature with an upright shape and six limbs with strangely rounded ends. The alleged head has a triangular shape, two large eyes and an extension.
A hybrid?
These characteristics formed the basis for the suspicion that it could represent a praying mantis. The scientists therefore consulted insect researchers as part of their research. They concluded that a praying mantis from the Empusa family could be depicted. According to the explanation, representatives of these mantis occur in the Markazi region who have a strikingly elongated headdress and could therefore have served as a model for the representation.
However, the scientists suspect that not only an insect should be shown. According to them, the rounded structures at the ends of the limbs are reminiscent of the familiar images of the so-called “Squatter Man”. These are stylized images of human figures in connection with circular structures, which are known from many locations around the world. However, the meaning of these prehistoric images is still unclear. As the researchers explain, the representation from Iran appears to be a combination of praying mantis and this mysterious motif.
Ancient fascination for the bizarre predatory insects
But why a praying mantis? Naserifard and his colleagues see the illustration as evidence of the fascination of many people for these bizarre predatory insects. Praying mantises were also important in the mythology of the Mesopotamian peoples, the researchers report. And the mantis also played a religious role among the ancient Egyptians: in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, praying mantises appear as beings who accompany the dead on their way into the underworld. “Praying mantises have always fascinated and made people scary – because of their camouflage and mimicry skills, their rabid hunting technique and their bizarre sexual behavior,” the researchers write.
Various explanations seem possible why thousands of years ago someone could have carved a “mantis” into the rock. In connection with this, the scientists mention one interesting aspect at the end: Perhaps the artist was in a trance. One hypothesis suggests that rock art may have involved eating hallucinogenic plants.
Source: Pensoft Publishers, technical article: Journal of Orthoptera Research, doi: 10.3897 / jor.29.39400