Some People Think This Old Painting Proves Dinosaurs Walked Around With Humans

Every now and then people on the Internet, bless them, believe they have found evidence for time travel in an old painting. It happens surprisingly often, and always with a simple explanation that doesn’t necessitate time travel being real, and time travelers themselves being absolute posers who insist on sitting for portraits in their old-timey holiday destination.

In a new and fun twist to the genre, people appear to believe dinosaurs lived alongside humans 500 years ago (yes, like in The Flintstones) because of a painting by “Peter·Bruce Gale” in 1562. In one typical post, Instagram user historyunreal wrote: “[It’s] a painting by Peter·Bruce Gale in 1562… 300 years before we supposedly knew anything about dinosaurs.”

[embedded content]

ⓘ IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.

So, despite no other evidence showing up, such as people writing down “isn’t it weird how we ride around on Brachiosaurus like a big lizardy horse?”, is this evidence that The Flintsones was in fact a documentary? No.

First off, “Peter·Bruce Gale” is not only not the artist of the painting, there’s no reference to him outside of this specific conspiracy theory. The artist of this painting – The Suicide of Saul – is Flemish Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It depicts events described in the Bible – the suicide of King Saul following his defeat by the Philistines on Mount Gilboa.

The Suicide of Saul by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
If dinosaurs were really there, he probably would have made it the focus.
Image credit: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Public Domain)

It is indeed painted in 1562, and shows some weird little dudes riding around in the background. But they aren’t dinosaurs. As pointed out by many posts, it is more likely a case of “Pieter has never seen a camel” than time traveling dinosaurs, or a cover-up of humans having lived alongside them all along. Camels are indeed mentioned in reference to King Saul in the Bible, and it is probable he attempted to include them in the background.

Just like lions in European medieval paintings being famously bad, drawings of camels have suffered from the same lack of a sitting model (as well as stylistic choices by artists who had seen the creatures).

ⓘ IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.

ⓘ IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.

ⓘ IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.

Camels were drawn in a variety of ways by those who hadn’t seen them. These, like coatis in reverse, just happen to look like Brachiosaurus.

Related Posts

Antigua ciudad de 5.000 años bajo el mar griego: la ciudad hundida más antigua del mundo

Lo que más nos fascina son los hallazgos submarinos, ya sean ruinas de barcos hundidos, ciudades perdidas hace mucho tiempo o reliquias enterradas. La ciudad perdida de Pavlopetri, que los científicos creen que es la ciudad sumergida más antigua …

Read more

Una joven descubrió accidentalmente un hueso de mamut de 2 millones de años en un campo de cebada

Una niña de 8 años descubrió los cuerpos de un mamut lanudo y un biso prehistórico después de un deslizamiento a lo largo de las orillas de un río en el oeste de Rusia. Una niña de 8 años en Rusia descubrió un conjunto de cuerpos de patas de mamut, …

Read more

Scarlett Johansson And Her Unforgettable Conversation With Her Daughter

The “Black Widow” star, born in 1984, is now a mother of two. (Photo: ITN). The “Black Widow” star, born in 1984, is now a mother of two. She has a 9-year-old daughter with her ex-husband Romain Dauriac and a 2-year-old son with comedian Colin Jost of “Saturday …

Read more

Cinematic Journey: 20 Works That Made Scarlett Johansson’s Name

Scarlett Johansson’s movies are always highly anticipated. She has been the highest-paid actress in the world since 2018. At the same time, she has also appeared many times on Forbes’ list of the 100 most powerful celebrities in the world. Scarlett Johansson …

Read more

A Centenary-Old Mystery Finally Solved: Mermaid Bones Discovered in Iceland

Reykjavik, Iceland – A shocking discovery has rocked the global archaeological community: what are believed to be the bones of a “mermaid” have been found in a coastal cave in western Iceland. During an excavation in a little-known area, the discovery was …

Read more

For the first time, the dark secret of the Bermuda Triangle was revealed, shaking the world

The Bermuda Triangle legend has been around for decades, with more than 50 ships and 20 planes mysteriously disappearing in the area. Map of the Bermuda Triangle with image of a ship in the middle of a storm – Photo: NEWSWEEK …

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *