In this paper, we examine the lunar calendar interpretation to evaluate whether it is a viable explanation for the production of Upper Palaeolithic parietal art. We consider in detail the history of this approach, focusing on recently published variations on this interpretation. We then discuss the scientific method and whether these recent studies are designed to address the research questions necessary to test a lunar calendar hypothesis. More broadly, we explore challenges related to inferring meaning in art of the deep past, the use of secondary sources and selecting appropriate ethnographic analogies. Finally, we assess claims that the lunar calendar interpretation documents the world's oldest (proto)writing system. We conclude that the lunar calendar interpretation as currently construed suffers from multiple theoretical and methodological weaknesses preventing it from being a viable explanation for the production of Upper Palaeolithic art. We further find that claims following from this interpretation to have discovered the oldest known (proto)writing system are unsubstantiated.

中文翻译：

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评估旧石器时代晚期顶叶艺术中农历的证据

在本文中，我们研究了农历解释，以评估它是否是旧石器时代晚期壁顶艺术产生的可行解释。我们详细考虑了这种方法的历史，重点关注最近发布的这种解释的变体。然后我们讨论科学方法以及这些最近的研究是否旨在解决测试农历假设所需的研究问题。更广泛地说，我们探讨了与推断远古艺术的意义、二手资料的使用和选择适当的民族志类比相关的挑战。最后，我们评估了农历解释记录了世界上最古老的（原始）书写系统的说法。我们的结论是，目前解释的农历解释存在多种理论和方法论缺陷，使其无法成为旧石器时代晚期艺术创作的可行解释。我们进一步发现，根据这种解释所提出的发现最古老的已知（原始）书写系统的说法是未经证实的。