Sex Pistols' graffiti being studied by archaeologists is 'as important as the caves of Lascaux in southern France

One is a dazzling set of caveman drawings, found in France, from the Upper Paleolithic period thousands of years ago.
The other is an array of doodles, found in London, from the early Punk period around 40 years ago.
And both, it would seem, are equally worthy of scholastic debate.
Graffiti daubed on the walls of a flat by the  ' Johnny Rotten could be as important as the discovery of early Beatles recordings - or even the prehistoric Lascaux cave paintings.
The wild scrawls in the property once occupied by the punk pioneers give a unique insight into the origins of the 1970s musical movement.

Historic: These scribbles by Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten were discovered in a building in London formerly occupied by the punk band

Pioneers: The defined the punk movement in the late 1970s

Lascaux: The drawings have been compared to these prehistoric paintings found in south-western France

As musical memorabilia, the graffiti is hugely significant - and academics studying it say it could also be important as a work of art.

John Schofield, of the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, and independent researcher Paul Graves-Brown say the graffiti, found behind cupboards in the property in Denmark Street, is 'a direct and powerful representation of a radical and dramatic movement of rebellion'.

 

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The researchers carried out a detailed analysis of the graffiti's content and its cultural significance.
Though they admit it could be considered offensive, they argue that its presence confirms the Denmark Street flat as an important historical and archaeological site.
They even suggest it is worthy of comparison with the world's most famous graffiti - on the walls of the Lascaux caves in southern France.
But they 'recoil from the suggestion' that the site should be marked by a commemorative blue plaque - as this would not be in the spirit of punk.

Researchers say the drawings (Sid Vicious, above) are significant works of art

The findings could be more important than early Beatles recordings. Above, a doodle of the band's manager Malcolm McLaren

Their findings appear in the latest issue of Antiquity - less than a fortnight before the 35th anniversary of the day the Sex Pistols earned national notoriety by swearing on prime-time television.
The graffiti is in the upper room of a two-storey 19th-century house in the West End, now used as an office building.
Drs Schofield and Graves-Brown photographed and made a complete digital record of the material.
The bulk of the graffiti is by John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) and consists of eight cartoons depicting himself and other members of the band, as well as their manager, Malcolm McLaren, and other Pistols associates.

Dr Schofield says: 'The tabloid press once claimed that early Beatles recordings discovered at the BBC were the most important archaeological find since Tutankhamun's tomb.
'The Sex Pistols' graffiti in Denmark Street surely ranks alongside this and - to our minds - usurps it.'
The researchers refer to the site as 'anti-heritage', because it contradicts what agencies and heritage practitioners typically value.
They say: 'We feel justified in sticking our tongues out at the heritage establishment and suggesting that punk's iconoclasm provides the context for conservation decision-making.
'This is an important site, historically and archaeologically, for the material and evidence it contains. But should we retain it for the benefit of this and future generations? In our view, with anti-heritage, different rules apply.'
They argue that there appears to have been an informal consensus as to the importance of the site, and 'perhaps this DIY approach to heritage management is all that the site needs'.