March 13, 2008: World's Oldest Animation

Clodfobble · 03-12-2008, 11:54 AM

What is believed to be the world's oldest example of animation has been discovered on an Iranian ceramic bowl approximately 5,200 years old. Though it was found in a grave in the Burnt City in the 1970s, it was only recently that someone noticed the 5 images of a goat and a tree formed a series. Below is a panoramic spread of the ouside of the bowl.

Sadly, it seems that The Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization, which has just released an 11-minute documentary about the bowl, feels people are too dumb to look at a series of images, so they have released an artist's interpretation .gif of what the animation might look like, which is the primary image making the rounds with this news article. Except the artist's interpretation is actually pretty crappy, the most grievous insult being that it uses at least seven images to make the goat jump twice, when there are only five images on the bowl to begin with. Apparently they also claimed that the tree was a depiction of the Assyrian Tree of Life, which according to the Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies is impossible, as the bowl predates Assyrian culture by over 1,000 years. (The offending .gif is too large to be attached here, but can be seen at the link above.)

Nonetheless, I think the little goat is plenty cool enough even when the hype is stripped away. Being on the outside of a bowl, the images easily could have been spun, which has been fueling speculation that a second piece could have been used to make the bowl into a proper zoetrope.

Shawnee123 · 03-12-2008, 01:42 PM

*waiting for someone to turn it into an lolgoat.

That is really neat. Good find.

spudcon · 03-12-2008, 04:14 PM

How's this?

Griff · 03-12-2008, 04:20 PM

You should call yourself an artist so you can get paid.

glatt · 03-12-2008, 04:22 PM

Awesome! You even cut the smaller one out because it didn't go well with the others, didn't you?

spudcon · 03-12-2008, 05:03 PM

Yup, the last one on the right was incomplete, screwed up the whole effect, so I chopped it out.
Not an artist, just a hobby. But thanx for the compliments.

spudcon · 03-12-2008, 05:23 PM

After careful study, I discovered I could compress it even more, and found out the real secret of the animation.

monster · 03-12-2008, 07:56 PM

lumberjim · 03-12-2008, 08:43 PM

so, there ARE homos in Iran. I knew it.

Clodfobble · 03-12-2008, 09:34 PM

Even worse, there are goat f*ckers!

xoxoxoBruce · 03-12-2008, 10:02 PM

Excellent find, Clodfobble.

Shawnee123 · 03-13-2008, 09:12 AM

spudcon,

that was awesome, thanks!

spudcon · 03-13-2008, 06:26 PM

Why thank you Ma'am. Tweren't nuthin'. That stuff keeps me off the streets.

xoxoxoBruce · 03-13-2008, 09:36 PM

That and feets of snow.

spudcon · 03-14-2008, 04:38 AM

Nothing wrong with my feets!

03-12-2008, 11:54 AM	#1
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	March 13, 2008: World's Oldest Animation What is believed to be the world's oldest example of animation has been discovered on an Iranian ceramic bowl approximately 5,200 years old. Though it was found in a grave in the Burnt City in the 1970s, it was only recently that someone noticed the 5 images of a goat and a tree formed a series. Below is a panoramic spread of the ouside of the bowl. Sadly, it seems that The Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization, which has just released an 11-minute documentary about the bowl, feels people are too dumb to look at a series of images, so they have released an artist's interpretation .gif of what the animation might look like, which is the primary image making the rounds with this news article. Except the artist's interpretation is actually pretty crappy, the most grievous insult being that it uses at least seven images to make the goat jump twice, when there are only five images on the bowl to begin with. Apparently they also claimed that the tree was a depiction of the Assyrian Tree of Life, which according to the Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies is impossible, as the bowl predates Assyrian culture by over 1,000 years. (The offending .gif is too large to be attached here, but can be seen at the link above.) Nonetheless, I think the little goat is plenty cool enough even when the hype is stripped away. Being on the outside of a bowl, the images easily could have been spun, which has been fueling speculation that a second piece could have been used to make the bowl into a proper zoetrope.

03-12-2008, 01:42 PM	#2
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	*waiting for someone to turn it into an lolgoat. That is really neat. Good find. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

03-12-2008, 04:14 PM	#3
spudcon Beware of potatoes Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY, USA Posts: 2,078	How's this? Attached Images

03-12-2008, 04:20 PM	#4
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	You should call yourself an artist so you can get paid. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

03-12-2008, 05:23 PM	#7
spudcon Beware of potatoes Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY, USA Posts: 2,078	After careful study, I discovered I could compress it even more, and found out the real secret of the animation. Attached Images

03-12-2008, 04:22 PM	#5
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Awesome! You even cut the smaller one out because it didn't go well with the others, didn't you?

03-12-2008, 05:03 PM	#6
spudcon Beware of potatoes Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY, USA Posts: 2,078	Yup, the last one on the right was incomplete, screwed up the whole effect, so I chopped it out. Not an artist, just a hobby. But thanx for the compliments.

03-12-2008, 07:56 PM	#8
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	__________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

03-12-2008, 08:43 PM	#9
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	so, there ARE homos in Iran. I knew it. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

03-12-2008, 09:34 PM	#10
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Even worse, there are goat f*ckers!

03-12-2008, 10:02 PM	#11
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Excellent find, Clodfobble. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-13-2008, 09:12 AM	#12
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	spudcon, that was awesome, thanks! __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

03-13-2008, 06:26 PM	#13
spudcon Beware of potatoes Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY, USA Posts: 2,078	Why thank you Ma'am. Tweren't nuthin'. That stuff keeps me off the streets.

03-13-2008, 09:36 PM	#14
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	That and feets of snow. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-14-2008, 04:38 AM	#15
spudcon Beware of potatoes Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY, USA Posts: 2,078	Nothing wrong with my feets!

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