Quick mention here that GAERHF has received funding from NYU's "Research Catalyst" grant program. Funds to hire two students assistants next academic year. I'm psyched! And grateful. I'll write a blog post soon...

First go at a #3D globe for GAERHF. Various UI/UX details to iron out. But try it at gaerhf.org/3d/#eyrarlan... . There's also a link from main page.

Well-illustrated site describing many figures from Russia. Many are Early Medieval. Here's an overall page: objet.art/as/subscript... , and here's an article: objet.art/as/articles/... . Need to explore more...

I have known that there is a petroglyph site on the Musandam Peninsula in Oman (that is, near the Strait of Hormuz). I don't think it's well-represented in the wikiverse. But first go at gaerhf.org#tawi-petrogl... .

Quick post of current GAERHF map. I guess I'm not doing terribly in terms of distribution. Much more to do. And I note that for now, Leaflet (the map rendering javascript library I use) can't (I don't think) shift the center at global scale and maintain display of points. Solutions to come..

If you place the cursor over the gallery of thumbnails at the bottom of the screen, all the "Info Floating Windows" (for want of a better term) will become partially transparent. Possibly useful? Definitely an experiment with UI/UX subtleties.

Interesting publication of recent find in Laos. Including human figures. Loosely dated but 7K-4K BP for elements within a long history of painting at the site? Now in GAERHF: gaerhf.org#tham-pha-mue... . Direct to article: link.springer.com/article/10.1... .

I'm changing up the GAERHF map interface. Info for each figure in a floating (sub)window. Option clicking opens new window. Interactions are complex so working on those. Single image here is gaerhf.org#figurine-tem... . And paired with gaerhf.org#deposit-figu... . Multi-figure links coming...

New 3D method maps Paleolithic engravings at Cova Matutano Researchers from Universitat Jaume I, the University of Barcelona, and ICREA tested a digital method to study very fine engravings on Late Paleolithic portable art... More information: archaeologymag.com/2026/02/pale... #archaeology

I've added a compelling frieze showing distressed bodies from Vichama in Peru. That's a late Caral Culture site perhaps occupied after the abandonment of Caral itself. Thumbnail image is from linked JAS (paywalled) article. Two additional entries from site also in GAERHF. gaerhf.org#famine-friez...

↓↓↓ *** APRIL 21st *** ↓↓↓ not the 1st. Sorry about that. -S.

Global Approaches to Early Representations of the Human Figure@gaerhf-bot.bsky.social · 7mo ago

On April 1st, 2026 at 5PM (Eastern time), I'll lead an @isawnyu.bsky.social "Expanding the Ancient World Workshop" titled "Digital Approaches to Global Art History: The Example of the Human Figure" and on topic of using GAERHF in teaching. isaw.nyu.edu/events/etaw-... to register. #GlobalAntiquity

On April 1st, 2026 at 5PM (Eastern time), I'll lead an @isawnyu.bsky.social "Expanding the Ancient World Workshop" titled "Digital Approaches to Global Art History: The Example of the Human Figure" and on topic of using GAERHF in teaching. isaw.nyu.edu/events/etaw-... to register. #GlobalAntiquity

Expanding the Ancient World Workshop

This workshop will take place online. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. Zoom information will be provided via confirmation email to registered participants. Expanding ...

isaw.nyu.edu

As follow up: Schroda Male figurine now in GAERHF. gaerhf.org#male-anthrop... . At least on a preliminary basis.

Global Approaches to Early Representations of the Human Figure@gaerhf-bot.bsky.social · 8mo ago

The southern African "Lydenburg Heads" (C. 500 CE) are now in GAERHF. Along with the "Luzira Head" (C. 1000 CE ??) from Uganda. See gaerhf.org#lydenburg-he... & gaerhf.org#luzira-head . I'm looking for a good landing page and pic for figurines from Schroda. artsandculture.google.com/asset/schrod...

The southern African "Lydenburg Heads" (C. 500 CE) are now in GAERHF. Along with the "Luzira Head" (C. 1000 CE ??) from Uganda. See gaerhf.org#lydenburg-he... & gaerhf.org#luzira-head . I'm looking for a good landing page and pic for figurines from Schroda. artsandculture.google.com/asset/schrod...

The concept "Behavioral Modernity" is generally of interest to GAERHF. Though not as a "meme" just to be accepted. Here's a 2025 thematic issue of "Biological Theory" under title "Behavioral Modernity: Reframing the Idea, or Past its Use-By Date?" ed. Kim Sterelny. link.springer.com/collections/...

How old is the rock art in Texas’ Lower Pecos Canyonlands? New radiocarbon dating sets it as far back as 6,000 years ago. Archaeologists think the images of animal- and human-like figures represent a sophisticated cosmology. archaeology.org/news/2025/12/02/new-dates-obtained-for-texas-rock-art/

More excavation results from SE Turkey. A head carved at the base of Pre Pottery Neolithic T-Column installation. gaerhf.org#head-base-pi... . Türkiye Today article has great pics.

Now in GAERHF: gaerhf.org#platform-hea... . Along with a fair amount of other regional PPNA and PPNB +/-figures.

Global Approaches to Early Representations of the Human Figure@gaerhf-bot.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Interesting find. www.turkiyetoday.com/culture/8500... And yes, expanding the narrative of human creativity to more sites is useful.

Interesting find. www.turkiyetoday.com/culture/8500... And yes, expanding the narrative of human creativity to more sites is useful.

8,500-year-old carved faces, tiny double-faced bead reshape Sefertepe’s role in Tas Tepeler - Türkiye Today

At Sefertepe in southeastern Türkiye, ancient carved faces, a double-faced bead and “skull room” reveal rich Neolithic world of symbols, ancestors

turkiyetoday.com

Ongoing interface and content work for GAERHF. Pic shows hovering over thumbnail for bigger image. And shows that I'm pasting in text from linked websites. I'm open to many sources. Text here is translation of inscription that dates figure as found on Wiki Commons. gaerhf.org#mankuwar-bud...

Join us online or in person for a talk from MAHSA’s Vaneshree Vidyarthi: ‘Mapping the Indian Palaeolithic’, part of the London Centre for the Ancient Near East’s Autumn seminar series. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lcane-autu...

GAERHF talk happening November 25th at 5PM in London. "Deep Time and Global Scope in a Digital Project: The example of the Human Figure" www.history.ac.uk/digital-huma... . It will be on Zoom as well. Link will be sent after registration (I think).

Working on color palette for GAERHF that's more likely to be discernible by more people. The light-ish purple circle on map is current figure whose details are shown. Brown marker borders show which figures have "ivory" as a keyword. Input at top-left to select that. gaerhf.org#ivory-female...

"Keyword Highlighting" in GAERHF more robust. Type "go" in top-left input field and you'll see options. Hover over options and relevant figures will be highlighted with green border. Click on a keyword and those markers will stay green. Current selected object is gaerhf.org#bimaran-casket

Interface improvement: When you hover over the image in the top pane, it expands. Definitely makes it easier to see detail. Try the so-called "Peedie Pict" from Orkney: gaerhf.org#figure-carve...

HTML, CSS, and JS cleanup in GAERHF. And honestly, VS Code's Copilot a huge help! I was pretty much vibe coding. Image works better, layout less clobber its various parts, try control-shift-L to change the color scheme of markers. A slider shows/hides. Figure is gaerhf.org#head-shaped-... .

The "Museo delle Statue Stele Lunigianesi" website is very nice. Here's a link to "Classification". Click through to pages with individual examples. And click around the entire site. It's well done. I'd like to visit! statuestele.org/stele-statue...

Classification - Museo delle Statue Stele Lunigianesi

Group A

statuestele.org

There are now 500 figures in GAERHF. And counting... Long way to go before it's anything like comprehensive. This face from Argentina captures my mood as I think about where this all will end up. gaerhf.org#condorhuasi-... (Pic of Mask from Met Museum, Public Domain.)

Semi-functional UI development: "Keyword Highlighting". See pic. There's a small textbox at top left with "Gold". Green rings are figures with that keyword. I've clicked on a S. American beaker, highlighted in red, details in top pane. Pop-up is on hover over green marker. gaerhf.org#beaker-figur...

A new "human figure" related article: N. Sugiyama, K. Taube, S. Sugiyama, & A.T. Muñoz. 2025. "Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico" www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico | Antiquity | Cambridge Core

Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico

cambridge.org