We’ve moved past paleolithic man and have moved into the Neolithic time period. What you see above is possibly the world’s first landscape! How exciting is that?

It is a “landscape with volcanic eruption” that was painted on a shrine wall in Çatal Hüyük, Turkey around 6150 BCE. In the foreground of the painting, you’ll see a series of rectangles representing the homes built in the city. In the background is a (smoking?) twin peaked mountain named Hasan Dağ.

Oh goodness, I had to crack out the character map to finish that paragraph. That was exhausting.

Scholars believe the volcano might have had some sort of religious connotation, since it was painted in a shrine. We know the Hawaiians have Pele, so I’m sure the locals had beliefs connected to the eruptions of their volcanoes.

But the real reason why this painting is special is because it’s the first example…