Engraved Magdalenian Plaquettes: a regional and stylistic analysis of stone, bone and antler plaquettes from Upper Palaeolithic sites in France and Cantabric Spain 9780860544777, 9781407346441

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Engraved Magdalenian Plaquettes a regional and stylistic analysis of stone, bone and antler plaquettes from Upper Palaeolithic sites in France and Cantabric Spain

Ann Sieveking

BAR International Series 369 1987

B.A.R.

5, Centremead, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 ODQ, England.

GENERAL EDITORS A.R. Hands, B.Sc., M.A., D.Phil. D.R. Walker, M.A.

BAR S369,1987: 'Eng raved Mag dalenian Plaquettes' © Ann Sieveking,1987 The author’s moral rights under the 1988 UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act are hereby expressly asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, stored, sold, distributed, scanned, saved in any form of digital format or transmitted in any form digitally, without the written permission of the Publisher. ISBN 9780860544777 paperback ISBN 9781407346441 e-book DOI https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860544777 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library This book is available at www.barpublishing.com

C ONTENTS P age

I NTRODUCTION

P ART O NE

1

D escription o f c omputer p rogramme a nd 2 1 t ables b ased o n t his.

1 9

C hapter

1 .

N umerical c ategories a nd d escription o f t he s upport, a ssessed f or e ach r egion a ccording t o d ate. T ables 1 -6.

2 3

C hapter

2 .

N umerical c ategories a ssessed f or e ach r egion a ccording t o t he m aterial u sed. T ables 7 - 1 1.

4 3

C hapter

3 .

T echniques o f d ecoration , a ssessed f or e ach r egion a ccording t o d ate. T ables 1 2 -14.

6 7

C hapter

4 .

C ontent o f d ecoration a ssessed f or e ach r egion a ccording t o d ate. T ables 1 5 -21.

8 2

C hapter

5 .

S ummary o f T ables 1 -21 a nd c onclusions.

1 24

R egional a nalysis o f p laquette c ollections f rom i ndividual s ites: I ntroduction, l ist o f s ites.

1 33

P ART T WO

C hapter

6 .

P laquette c ollections i n W est a nd C entral F rance.

1 41

C hapter

7 .

P laquette c ollections i n t he P yrenees.

1 63

C hapter

8 .

P laquette c ollections i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain.

1 94

C hapter

9 .

P laquette c ollections o utside t he F ranco-Cantabric r egion.

2 04

C onclusions t o P arts O ne a nd T wo, t he c omputer s urvey a nd t he a nalysis b y r egion .

2 13

C hapter 1 0.

A ppendix

2 16

B ibliography

2 19

A cknowledgements

2 33

S ummary i n F rench

2 34

L ist o f P lates F igures M aps

2 35

I NTRODUCTION B y d efinition t he o bjects f rom U pper P alaeolithic d eposits, d escribed a s p laquettes, ( 1) a re p ieces o f s tone, b one, a ntler o r i vory, o ffering a t l east o ne s urface f lat e nough t o e ngrave. T hey a re s mall i n s ize, ( 95.5% o f t hem a re l ess t han 3 0 c ms i n t heir m aximum d imension), a nd t abular i n s hape, t hat i s t heir l ength a nd b readth m easurements a re g reater t han t heir t hickness: d epending u pon t he m aterial o f s upport i ndividual p ieces m ay b e a ngular, o val o r r ound. A f urther d efinitive c haracteristic i s t hat t hey a re n on-utilized p ieces. Ap laquette n eed n ot b e e ngraved, i n f act m any o f t he b urnt o r b roken p ieces d escribed f rom P yrenean s ites a re u ndecorated, b ut i t i s o nly t he d ecorated e xamples t hat a re u nder c onsideration i n t his s tudy: d ecoration r emains i n t he f orm o f e ngraving o r s hallow l ow r elief c arv ing; p aint m ay o nce h ave b een c ommon b ut i t i s v ery r arely p reserved t o t he p resent d ay. T he i ncised d ecoration s hows a nimals, ( Pl. 1 , a , a nd b ) i ncluding h umans, s chematic m otifs ( Pl. 2 , a ) a nd, i n t he s implest e xamples, l ines, u sually d rawn i n p arallel. I n t he m atter o f d ecoration p laquettes s how n o d ifference, e xcept i n d egree, f rom c ave o r o ther f orms o f m iniature a rt, b ut t hey m ay b e d istinguished i n o ther r espects. I n 1 885, i n a n a rticle i n M atgriaux e ntitled " Oeuvres i nedites d es A rtistes C hasseurs d e R ennes" C artailhac m ade t he d istinction b etween u tilized o bjects; t hat i s t ools, o rnaments a nd a rms, a nd n on-utilized o bjects; u sually s tones a nd f ragments o f b one t hat a re a lso e ngraved. T his s ame d ivision i s t he b asis o f L eroi-Gourhan's c lassification o f P alaeolithic A rt ( 1965) a lthough h ere, e ighty y ears l ater, i t i s m ore r igorously d efined. L eroi-Gourhan's f irst g roup, d escribed a s o bjects o f t echnical u se, h as t hree c ategories, a s h as h is s econd d escribed a s o bjects o f r eligious u se; i n t he s econd g roup t he f irst c ategory i s t hat o f s tatuettes, t he s econd, p ortable p ieces ( blocks, s labs a nd f lat s tones) a nd t he t hird, c ave a rt. P laquettes a re a p art, t hough n ot t he w hole o f t he s econd c ategory o f t he r eligious g roup. C onsidered f rom a nother v iewpoint, h owever, p laquettes m ay b e s een a s a g roup o f p alaeolithic a rt o bjects i ntermediate b etween c ave a nd m iniature a rt. L ike c ave a rt, t hey a re n on-utilized a nd o f p resumed r eligious s ignificance, b ut l ike t he m iniature p ieces, t hey a re f ound i n h abitation d eposits a nd a re, a t l east t heoretically, p ortable. I n f act i ndividual p laquettes a re p ortable, b ut a c ollection o f s uch p ieces i s l ess s o. I ndividual f inds e xist a nd o ne c annot i nsist t hat t hey h ave n ot b een m oved f rom o ne s ite t o a nother, b ut i t i s c haracteristic o f p laquettes t o o ccur i n g roups a nd t here i s c onsiderable e vidence t o s uggest t hat s uch g roups a re i n s itu , a lthough, a s d iscussed b elow , p .14, t heir f ind s pot w ithin t he s ite m ay r elate t o a s econdary r ather t han a p rimary u se. T his l ocational r eliability t ogether w ith t he a bundance o f t he m aterial, a nd t he q uality o f s ome o f t he e ngraving r ecommend p laquettes a s a n a rea o f r esearch. ( 1) I n t he O xford E nglish D ictionary p laquette i s d escribed a s " a s mall c oin" a nd p laque a s at ablet t hat i s u sually e ngraved i n ac ommemorative c ontext. T ablet i s p erh aps t he b est e nglish e quivalent o f w hat i s c orrectly a f rench w ord, b ut i ts O ld T estam ent i mage i s p rejudicial t o i ts u se i n ap alaeolithic c ontext a nd i n t he p resent s urvey t he w ord " plaquette" i s r etained . T here i s ap recedent f or t his i n t he e nglish e dition ( 1968) o f L eroi-Gourhan 's " The A rt o f P rehistoric M an" w hich u ses t he w ord p laquette a nd t he t erm i s g enerally t ransposed f or w ant o f a n a cceptable e nglish e quivalent.

1

I f, o n f irst c onsideration, i t i s s urprising t hat s uch a l arge c orpus o f P alaeolithic a rt s hould h ave r eceived r elatively l ittle a ttention ( the p resent s urvey, w hich i s n ot e xhaustive, c ontains 1 550 p ieces) o ne m ay r eflect t hat t he m aterial i s n ot e asily a ccessible, p rincipally b ecause t he d ecoration i s o ften v ery d ifficult t o d ecipher. ( P .2b, P l. 3 , a a nd b a nd F igs 1 a nd 2 , a ,b,c a nd d ). T he e ngraved l ine i s u sually s hallow , t he f igures a re o ften i ncomplete a nd o verlaid o r c ancelled o ut

F IG . 1 .

A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; l imestone b lock, 1 7.0 x 1 0 .4

c m . s howing t wo h orses , w alking , a nd a d eer, c antering. T he d eer h as a b arbed d art a imed i nto i ts t hroat, C ollection, B ritish M useum , C at. N o. 6 9 1.

b y e xtraneous o dd l ines a nd t he s urface o f m any o f t he p ieces i s n ow w orn. T he s tone e ngravings w ere n ot, p erhaps, s o d ifficult t o s ee w hen f irst m ade. M any f orms o f l imestone w eather t o b rown a nd w hen t his d iscoloured s urface i s e ngraved, e ven t he s hallowest o f l ines a ppears w hite. S ome f orms o f s chist h ave t his s ame p roperty b ut w ith t ime, o n b oth m aterials, t he f resh c ut w hite l ine d egrades t o t he b ackground c olour a nd t he v ery s hallow c ut, w hich w as a dequate t o p roduce a w hite l ine, i s d ifficult t o s ee a s a n i ncision a lone. S uch p hysical c hanges d o n ot a pply t o b one b ut o ne m ay c onjecture, s ince m any U pper P alaeolithic b one a nd a ntler o bjects a re s tained w ith o chre, t hat c olour w as h ere r ubbed i nto t he e ngraved l ines t o c larify t he d rawing, a nd h as n ow d ispersed. A f urther p roblem i n s tudying p laquettes i s t hat m uch i nformation i s m issing. N early a ll t hese p ieces c ome f rom n ineteenth o r e arly t wentieth c entury e xcavations f or w hich t here i s n o e xact r ecord o f s tratigraphical p osition, a ssociated m aterial o r e xact f ind s pot. S tudies o f t he p osition o f p laquettes i n a d eposit w hich m ight b e v ery v aluable, a re n ot p ossible a nd o ne c annot e ven s tudy a g roup a s a d istinct e ntity w hen p laquettes f rom a ll t he o ccupation l evels i n a 2

a

b P LATE 1 a . L augerie B asse; l imestone p ebble, 7 .5 x 5 .9 c m e ngraved w ith a t rotting r eindeer. C ollection, F itzwilliam M useum , C ambridge.

P hoto, A lexander M arshack.

b . I sturitz; s andstone p laque, 1 7.5 x 9 .0 c m, s howing t wo b ison, s uperimposed a nd f acing i n o pposite d irections , w ith, a t t he r ight a l ightly e ngraved h orse, f acing l eft.

S t P e her c ollection, M usee d es A ntiquites

3

N ationales, p hoto J ean V ertut.

s ite h ave b een m ixed, o r w hen p ieces f rom d ifferent a reas o f a d eposit h ave b een c ollected t ogether. E ven a mongst P alaeolithic a rt p ieces, p laquettes a re e xceptionally b ereft o f a n i mmediate c ontext a nd s o, i n s tudying t hem o ne m ust c apitalize o n w hat e vidence r emains. T his c onsists o f t he i nformation t hat c an b e d erived f rom e ach i ndividual p iece, i ts s ize, m aterial, d ecoration e tc, a nd t he g eographical l ocation o f e ach g roup, o r s ingle p iece.

F IG. 2 .

a . A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; l imestone , f ragment o f

p ebble, 1 0.5 x 5 .7 c ms s howing, i n o ne p lane a r eindeer, c antering , f acing r ight ( see F ig. 2 , b ) w ith a t r ight a ngles t o t his, t he h ead a nd f orequarters o f as econd r eindeer ( Fig . 2 , c ) a lso f acing r ight a nd t he h ead o f at hird , s uperimposed o n t he n eck o f t he s econd,

( Fig. 2 , d ). C ollection , B ritish M useum,

C at.No. 6 90.

B ased o n t hese t wo a spects ( the c haracteristics o f e ach p iece a nd i ts l ocation) t he p resent s tudy i s a n e xamination o f p laquettes a ccording t o s tylistic a nalysis a nd r egional d istribution. I t i s n ecessary t o c ontrol t his d ata, i n s o f ar a s p ossible, b y a c hronological c lassification a lso, s ince a c hronological f ramework i s e ssential t o t he e lucidation o f s tyle a nd, e ven i f i t i s n ot p ossible t o d ate p laquettes a ccurately, t hey c an b e f itted i nto a s equence a s g eneralized a s t hat w hich i s e mployed h ere. I t i s p ossible t o u se s tyle t o d ate a rt o bjects, p articularly w hen t he i nventory i s a s l imited a nd f ormalized a s i t i s i n P alaeolithic a rt b ut t his m ethod o f c lassification i s n ot e mployed h ere. T he s uggested c hronological a ttribution m ade b y t he e xcavator, o r a uthor, h as b een a ccepted a nd r ecorded f or e ach p laquette c atalogued a nd w here n o e xact a ttribution e xists t he p iece h as e ither b een e ntered i n a g eneral c ategory, o r a s u nclassified. T he r esults o f t he c omputer t ables d emonstrate t hat t he i nclusion o f t hese p ieces w ith a l ess s pecific d ate h as n ot o bscured t he c hronological p atterning. W ith

r egard

t o

t he s election o f m aterial,

4

t he m ajority o f t he p ieces

b

C

d

F IG. 2 .

b , ca nd d .

T he t hree f igures s uperimposed i n F ig. 2 , a ,

a re h ere s hown s eparately.

5

c atalogued a re o f s tone. N on-utilization i s a d istinguishing f eature o f p laquettes, b ut w ith t he e xception o f s capulae a nd a ntler p almates ( Pl. 4 , a ), i t i s d ifficult t o b e c ertain t hat b roken p ieces o f b one o r a ntler a re n ot t he r esidual p art o f a t ool. T he s ituation i s s impler w ith s tone s ince f lint, w hich i s t he m ost c ommonly u tilized m aterial, i s v ery r arely c hosen a s a s upport f or e ngraving a nd t he u sual p laquette m aterials, s uch a s s andstone, l imestone, o r s chist a re l ittle u sed f or t ools. H ere t he o nly p roblematic g roup a re t he d ecorated p ebbles t hat h ave s ometimes b een u sed a s c ompressors. M agdalenian o ccupation l evels c ontain u ndecorated p ebbles u sed a s c ompressors, d ecorated p ebbles u sed a s c ompressors ( Pl. 4 , b ) a nd d ecorated p ebbles s howing n o s igns o f u se. I n. t his s urvey t he d ecorated p ebbles s howing u se a re i ncluded i n t he c ategory o f p laquettes, b ut, a s i n t he d etermination o f a s ize d ifference b etween p laquettes a nd m ural b locks, t he l ine d rawn i s a rbitrary, e ven i f d efensible. ( The r easons f or a ccepting u tilized p ebbles a s p laquettes a re e xamined m ore f ully i n T able 6 a nd t he u pper s ize d efinition o f p laquettes i s d iscussed i n T able 3 ).

F IG. 3 . L ourdes, L es E spelugues ; s chist c m .

p laquette,

T his

( 1924) w ith

s hows A s

t here

m ay

h uman

t orso

p ossible a nd

e ven

o ther d es

a

a p lumed

a t ail.

1 0.6

d rawing

b earded

a nd

t hat

a nd

t han

o ne

i s

a lso

i t

p lumes, b elong

t ail t o

C ollection,

A ntiquites

m an

i ndicates,

m ore

b eard,

f igure.

B reuil

h ead-dress

B reuil b e

x 5 .7

b y

I deally i t w ould h ave b een p referable t o u se o nly p hotographs i n r ecording p ieces n ot s een, b ut t his r estriction w ould d ispose o f m ost o f t he p ublished m aterial. A d rawing o f a p laquette m ay b e a n a ccurate r ecord o f t he a nimal d epicted b ut i t d oes n ot r eproduce t he d epth o f t he e ngraved l ine a nd m ost i llustrators h ave m ade a s election o f t he t raits e ngraved, t hus t he a nimal f igures h ave b een r eproduced b ut t he n umerous o dd l ines h ave u sually b een o mitted. B reuil, f or e xample, d ispenses w ith " meaningless" o ver-engraving, ( Pl. 4 , c a nd F ig. 3 ) b ut a t t he p resent d ay, c onditioned a s o ne s hould b e b y L eroi-Gourhan's r espect f or e very g raphic m anifestation, i t i s o bvious t hat t hese t ranscriptions a re n ot c omplete a nd t hat a s ubjective s election h as b een m ade. N evert heless, d rawings h ave b een u sed h ere t o c atalogue t hose p ieces f or w hich t here i s n o b etter r ecord a vailable s ince a p ossibly i mperfect p ublished s ource s till h as v alue i n r egional c omparisons.

s ome M us e

N ationales.

T he d ata a vailable f or p laquettes i mperfect i n m any w ays, i t

6

i s i s

P LATE 2 a .

L es E yzies; l imestone b lock, 1 3.0 x 8 .2, w ith s chematic d ecoration, C ollection,

B ritish M useum, C at. N o. 1 26, p hoto B ritish m useum. b . L a M arche; s chist p laquette, 7 .9 x 5 .3, s howing, a mong m any e xtraneous l ines a n i bex, f acing l eft.

C ollection, M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales, 7 7680, p hoto M .A.N.

7

P LATE 3 a .

A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; l imestone b lock, 1 7.0 x 1 0.4, e ngraved w ith t wo , o r m ore

h orses a nd a d eer, s uperimposed a nd f acing t o t he r ight. C at. N o. 6 9 1, P hoto, J ohn K ing . b .

C ollection, B ritish M useum ,

( For a n e xplanatory d rawing, s ee F ig. 1 .).

A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; l imestone , f ragment o f ap ebble, 1 0.5 x 7 .5 c m, s howing ,

i n o ne p lane, a c omplete r eindeer, f acing r ight.

A t r ight a ngles t o t his i s t he h ead

a nd f orequarters o f a nother w ith t he a dditional h ead o f at hird s uperimposed, b oth o f w hich f ace r ight.

C ollection, B ritish M useum , C at. N o. 6 90 , p hoto J ean V ertut.

a n e xplanatory d rawing s ee F ig. 2 , a , b , c , d .).

8

( For

i nexpertly e xcavated, i nadequately p ublished a nd c ertainly i ncompletely c ollected. I t c omes f rom n ineteenth c entury e xcavations, f rom t he d umps o f t hese, f rom h ill s lope d eposits o r m uch f requented s helters a nd i f o ne i s t o u se s uch m aterial i t c an o nly h ave v alue w ithin b road o utlines a nd i f u sed i n q uantity. A ccordingly, a l ist o f c haracteri stics w as c ompiled e numerating t he m aterial a nd s tate o f s upport, d imensions ) t echnique a nd l ayout o f d ecoration, s pecies d epicted, d etails i ncluded, a ssociations a nd d ate ( see A ppendix p p. 2 16-218). I n o rder t hat t he d ata s hould b e a ccessible t hese l isted characteristics n p unch c ards, e ach p laquette h aving a s eparate c ard o r, i f were p ut o d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces, h aving t wo a ssociated c ards. I n a ddition t o t he 1 04 l isted c ategories e ach c ard h as a c entral s pace f or i nformation i ndividual t o e ach s urface, i e s ite n ame, c ard n umber, e xact d imensions, p resent l ocation, c ountry a nd d epartment o f o rigin a nd a w ritten d escription o f t he d ecoration i ncluding f acts n ot r ecorded i n t he s tandard l ist. H owever, w hile p unch c ards p rovide a u niform m ethod o f r ecording e ach s eparate d ecorated s urface, a c omputer i s r equired t o c lassify a nd c ompile t he d ata a vailable f rom 1 550 o bjects. I nformation r etrieval o f t his c omplexity r equires s killed p rogramming a nd t his a spect w as h andled b y D r J ones a nd D r R uth M oulton, o f t he C omputer R esearch C entre a t U niversity C ollege, L ondon. ( The c omputer p rogramme i s d escribed o n p . 1 9 i n t he i ntroduction t o t he t wenty-one t ables a ssessed b y r egion, d ate, m aterial a nd o ther c riteria, a nd i t i s u nnecessary t o a nticipate t he d escription h ere). W hen u sed i n a c omputer p rogramme, t he p unch c ard d ata a cquires a g eneral s ignificance i n w hich t he i dentity o f e ach s ite i s l ost a nd, t o c orrect t his s ituation , e ach m ajor s ite h as b een a nalysed i ndividually. S ites w ith m ore t han 2 0 c ards w ere c lassified a s o f m ajor i mportance a nd 2 1 o f t hese h ave b een e xamined. T he i ndividual s ite a nalyses, c lassified b y r egion a nd c onsidered i n t he c ontext o f l esser s ites i n t he s ame g eographical g roup, a re s ummarized i n P art I I o f t his p aper. I t i s i ntended t hat t he c omplete d ata o n e ach p laquette s urface w ill b e p ublished a s a c atalogue a t s ome f uture d ate. T he r easons f or u sing a r egional a nd s tylistic a nalysis i n t he s tudy o f p laquettes a re b riefly d escribed a bove; h owever, o nly c ertain c haracteristics o f p laquettes a re s usceptible t o l isting a nd a f ew g eneral o bservations r equire t o b e m ade. ( 2) F irstly, p erhaps, t he s tatement m ade a bove, t hat p laquette c ollections a re f ound i n s itu, n eeds t o b e s ubstantiated. T he p roof f or t his i s l argely c ircums tantial: w hile i t i s n ot p ossible t o d ate c ollections a ccurately, n or

( 2)

T o a nticipate t he c riticism t hat s tylistic j udgements a re s ubjective, i t i s

L evine, i n a n a rticle o n P rehistoric Art a nd I deology ( 1957) m akes a g ood a nalysis o f s tyle i n t his c ontext. I t i s a n ecessary t o d efine s tyle.

p rocess o f s election a t t hree l evels.

1 . i n t he c hoice o f s ubject m atter, 2 . i n

t he m anner o f d epiction i .e. " what a spects o f t he m odel a re r etained? a re s tressed, b y d isproportion, o r c olour o r o ther m eans?

W hat a spects

W hat a spects a re

a ttentuated o r i gnored?" a nd , 3 . i n t he c onstruction o f p atterns o r a rrangement o f t he s ubject m atter i n t he t otal c omposition .

9

C

b

a

P LATE 4

1 0

t o j ustify t he i solation o f g roups i n a c ollection, i t i s n evertheless q uite c lear t hat c ertain c ollections a re s tylistically c oherent, o r t hat t here a re c oherent g roups w ithin s ome o f t he l arger c ollections. Ao ne p eriod s ite w ill h ave a s tylistically h omogenous c ollection o f p laquettes; t he f act t hat t he d ate o f t hese i s p erhaps u ncertain i s a d ifferent m atter. A s s tated a bove, s tylistic c riteria h ave n ot b een u sed i n t his s urvey t o d ate o bjects, b ut t he m ethod h as n ot b een r ejected b ecause i t i s n ot v alid, b ut b ecause i t i s s ubjective t o t he e xtent t hat i t m ay a lter b etween o ne p ractitioner a nd a nother. T o c laim t hat a c ertain e ngraving h as t he s tylistic c haracteristics o f M agdalenian V , f or e xample, i s n ot a f act i n t he s ame o rder a s t he o bservation t hat i t m easures 6 c ms b y 5 . H owever, a lthough s ubjective s tylistic j udgements h ave n o p lace i n a c omputer p rogramme t hey m ay b e u sed i n g eneral o bservations a nd, u sing s uch j udgements, o ne m ay r eturn t o t he q uestion o f h omogeneity i n s tyle i n p laquette c ollections. T wo s tylistically d ifferent g roups e xist a t L abastide, f or e xample, b ut o nly o ne s tyle i s r ecognizable a t E nlene, o r i n t he g reat m ajority o f p ieces a t B edeilhac. An umber o f s tylistic g roups e xist a t B runiquel ( almost c ertainly b elonging t o a s uccession o f c hronological s tages, b ut o ne c annot s ubstantiate t his) w hile t he d iversity o f s tyle a t L ourdes, o r L augerie B asse s uggest t hat p laquettes f rom d ifferent p eriods i n t he s ite a re n ow m ixed i n a m odern c ollection. S tylistic s imilarity i s n ot a c haracteristic t hat c an b e a ssessed b y p unch c ard o r c omputer; i t i s a q uestion o f l ook, a nd a n i mpression g iven. P laquette c ollections u sually h ave t his c oherence a nd u niformity o f s tyle w hile t he s ite c ollections o f o ther m iniature a rt p ieces v ery o ften d o n ot. I f o ne e xamines t he b onework f rom A bri M orin, f or e xample ( Deffarge, L aurent, S onneville-Bordes, 1 975) o r L a V ache, ( Delporte, 1 975) t he p ieces e xhibit a v ery w ide r ange o f s tyle. A t M orin o ne c an r ecognize a c ertain p iece a s t ypically D ordogne, l ate M agdalenian i n s tyle, o r a nother a s h aving a p arallel a t G ourdan. T his h eterogeneity i s p robably b est e xplained b y t rade o r e xchange ( Sieveking 1 976) b ut w hile t he b onework i n m any s ites g ives t he i mpression o f b eing a c ollection f rom v arious s ources, m ade b y v arious h ands, t his r ange o f s tyle i s n ot r epeated i n p laquette c ollections, f or w hich r eason o ne m ay r egard t hem a s b eing m ore p roperly i n s itu. I t i s u nlikely t hat a l arge n umber o f p ieces o f s tone w ere m oved f rom o ne s ite t o a nother a nd, s ince t he c ollections t hemselves d o n ot g ive t he a ppearance o f b eing a g roup o f p ieces a ssembled f rom d ifferent p laces, o ne m ay c onclude t hey w ere m anufactured i n t he s ite i n w hich t hey a re f ound. T his b eing s o, o ne P LATE 4 a .

L augerie B asse; a ntler p almate, 1 5.3 x 8 .0 c m , e ngraved w ith p art o f t he b ody o f a

b ison, f acing l eft. b .

C ollection, B ritish M useum , C at. N o. 2 0 1, p hoto, J ack S keel.

L a C olombiere , l imestone p ebble, 1 0.5 x 6 .5 c m .

I n o ne p lane t he h ead a nd f ore-

q uarters o f ah orse i s e ngraved, f acing l eft, w ith , a t r ight, t he h ead o f af eline , a lso f acing l eft.

I n t he i nverse p lane a nd s uperimposed o n t he

t he b ody a nd l egs o f ac ervid, f acing l eft.

h orse 's h ead i ndicates i t w as u sed a s ac ompressor. U niversity o f L yon 1 . c .

h orse a nd f eline m ay b e s een

C hipping o n a n a rea o f t he p ebble n ear t he

M ayet a nd P issot c ollection.

F aculte d es S ciences d e l a T erre, P hoto M artine F aure .

L ourdes, L es E spelugues; s chist p laquette, 1 0.6 x 5 .7 c m , s howing t he f igure o f a

b earded? m an, f acing l eft, e ntangled a mongst a g reat m any a dditional l ines . M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales, 5 5322, p hoto, M .A.N.

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C ollection,

m ay a sk w hy t hey w ere m ade, h ow t hey w ere u sed a nd h ow t hey r elate t o t he o ther a rt g roup w ith a f ixed l ocation, t hat i s, t he d ecorated c aves. I n t he l iterature, o riginating w ith B reuil, p laquettes h ave b een d escribed a s p ortable s anctuaries. T hey a re, a s d escribed a bove, a c ollection o f u nused p ieces, d ecorated w ith a n i nventory o f a nimals a nd a bstract m otifs t hat i s a lready f amiliar f rom c aves a nd t hey m ay b e a ssumed t o h ave a " religious" s ignificance. ( see L eroi-Gourhan's d efinition, p . 1 ). S anctuary i s n ot a n i deal d escription b ecause i t d enotes a p lace, e ither a h oly p lace, o r o ne i n w hich p eople m ay t ake r efuge; i t c an b e a pplied t o c aves, b ut t o d escribe a c ollection o f p laquettes i n t his w ay i s l ess a ccurate. T he i dea o f a p lace s et a part, ( a s anctuary), i s a ttractive a nd i t s upports t he r eligious c onnotation o f t hese p ieces b ut t he e vidence f or t heir b eing p laced i n a r eserved p osition i s i n f act m inimal. W ith t he e xception o f t he c ellar g roup a t L a M adeleine, w hich w as a t s ome d istance f rom t he m ain o ccupation a rea ( Capitan a nd P eyrony 1 928) a nd a s ingle p laquette f ound a t B edeilhac i n a n iche w ith o ther p ossibly v otive p ieces ( Martel 1 955), t here i s e ither n o e vidence e xtant o n t he p osition o f p laquettes, o r n o i ndication t hat t hey w ere i n a r eserved p lace. A t E nlene, m any o f t he e ngraved p ieces a re a ssociated w ith h earths, a s w ere s ome f rom L a M arche ( Pales 1 969) a nd o ne o f t he p ebbles f rom L a C olombiere ( Movius a nd J udson 1 956), w hile a t L abastide t he d ecorated p laquettes f ound b y C asteret ( Dix A ns s ous T erre 1 933 a nd B egouen 1 938) w ere i n a nd a round t he t wo h earths c ircled w ith s tones. I n t hese s ites, a nd i n o thers, t he p laquettes w ere a ssociated w ith a h abitation d eposit r ather t han b eing s eparated f rom i t. V ery l ittle e vidence e xists f or t he i ndividual p ositioning o f p laquettes; a t L a C olombiere t hey o ccurred i n t wo g roups; a t t he A bri D urif ( Pales 1 979) a nd i n L abastide t hey w ere f ound e ngraved f ace d own o n t he s oil b ut t he c urrent e xcavations a t E nlene ( Clottes a nd B egouen, p ers. c omm .) d isplay t hem a ll w ays u p a nd t here i s n o r eason t o s uppose t hat a ny o f t he p ositions r ecorded a bove h as s ignificance w ith r egard t o t heir o riginal u se. W hen p laquettes o ccur i n a g roup i n a c ave, o r s helter, t his m ay b e ( if y ou w ish) a " removed s anctuary", o r a s afe s torage p lace f or o bjects t hat w ill b e s et u p a gain w hen t heir o wners n ext v isit t he c ave, o r i t m ay d enote a s econdary u se o f t he s tones f or w hich t he e ngraving h as n o r elevance. W hen p laquettes a re s cattered a t r andom t hrough t he d eposit ( as o bserved a t E nlene) t hey s imply c onstitute o ne m ore c ategory o f a bandoned r ubbish: a p laquette f ragment i n a n o ccupation d eposit t hrows n o m ore l ight o n t he p urpose o f p laquette c ollections t han a b roken b äton-de-commandement d oes o n t he u se o f t hat t ool. T wo o f t he s ites r eferred t o a bove, L a M arche a nd L abastide, h ave p laquettes i n a c ontext t hat, e ven i f i t i s s econdary, i s p erhaps n ot f ortuitous. P ales ( 1969) r ecords t hat i n t he e arliest e xcavations a t L a M arche i t w as o bserved t hat m any s tones w ere e rected a round t he h earths. An umber o f t he e ngraved b locks f rom t his s ite s till s how t races o f b urning, o ften u nequally d istributed, s uggesting t hat a p art o f t he b lock w as b uried a nd p rotected a nd a p art e xposed, a nd a n umber o f t hese p ieces a re a lso b roken. T he e vidence, a lthough i t i s n ot c onclusive, s uggests t hat t his u se o f t he b locks i s s econdary a nd u nrelated t o t heir d ecoration. C asteret's d escription o f h is d iscovery i n L abastide i s e qually d ifficult t o a ssess. Iq uote f rom T en y ears u nder t he E arth ( 1939, D ix A ns s ous T erre, 1 933) w hich i s t he o nly 1 2

r ecord h e p ublished. " At t he e nd o f t he c avern, o n a n e arthy p ath m ore t han 1 ,300 f eet i n, a re t wo l arge c ircles m ade o f s tones t ouching e ach o ther i n t he m anner o f c romlechs. W ithin t he c ircles a re c harcoal, c harred b ones, h orses' j aws a nd t eeth a nd c hipped f lints. T here a re a lso r eindeer h orn j avelin p oints a nd s everal l imestone s labs w ith f ine e ngravings o f h orses, r eindeer, b ison, m ammoth a nd a b ear's h ead. A ll t hese s labs w ere l ying o n t he g round f ace d own". B egouen, w ho v isited t he c ave w ith C asteret a nd s hared t he p laquettes w ith h im , d escribes t hem a s b eing s cattered a bout, r ather t han c onfined t o t he h earths, b ut a part f rom e mphasizing t hat t hey w ere f ound f ace d own, n o m ore d etail i s g iven; " des r esLes d e f oyers s ont a bsolument i ntacts, t els, s emble t 'il q u 'ils o nt e te a bandonnes p ar l es d erniers h abitants", ( Begouen 1 938). T his w ould a ppear t o b e a c amp s ite, d eep i n t he c ave, w here p laquettes w ere a bandoned w ith o ther d ebris, b ut n ot a s anctuary. I n f act p laquettes f rom m any s ites s how t races o f b urning a nd a lthough m any a re t oo s mall t o h ave s erved a s a r evetment f or a h earth o ne c an s peculate t hat t he l arger p ieces w ere s elected a s a h earth-stone o r p laced a round t he h earth s o t hat t he f irelight s hould i lluminate t he e ngraving. T he t races o f b urning o n p laquettes h ave b een d escribed a s e vidence o f r itual, b ut t he e xisting e vidence i s n ot e nough t o s upport o r d isprove s uch a c laim . T he f act t hat s o m any p laquettes a re b roken i s a lso p ut f orward a s e vidence o f r itual, f or e xample, M ovius, i n d escribing o ne o f t he C olombiere p ebbles ( 1956), s peaks o f " killing" a p ebble w hen i ts u se i s f inished. T his i s a s implistic i nterpretation b ut h e i s n ot a lone i n m aking i t a nd b reakage i s s omewhat d ifficult t o e xplain. T he m ajority o f e ngraved p laquettes h ave b een b roken i n a ntiquity. A s o ne m ight e xpect, t he m ost f ragile s upports a re t he m ost f ragmentary a nd w hile f ragmentary p ieces h ave i ncomplete f igures, c omplete s upports h ave a h igher p roportion o f c omplete f igures ( see T ables 8 a nd 1 0). N early a ll p laquette c ollections c onsist p rincipally o f i ncomplete p ieces a nd i n m any s ituations s uch d amage c an b e a scribed t o n atural c auses, b ut t he p roblems o f b reakage a nd f ragmentary c ollections h ave a p articular i mplication i n t he P yrenees. T he r itual e xplanation o f b reakage i s t hat a p laquette w as e ngraved, p erhaps f or a m agical ( sympathetic?) p urpose a nd, h aving s erved i ts p urpose, w as d estroyed. T his p ostulates t hat b reakage o ccurs a fter d ecoration a s, i n m any i nstances, i t d oes. T here a re e xceptions t o t his, f or e xample, o n o ne p ebble f ragment f rom B runiquel, t he e ngraving i s c arried o ver t he s ide o nto t he b roken s urface, ( an o bservation m ade b y D r N ewcomer), a nd a p iece o f s andstone a t I sturitz w as e ngraved o n o ne s urface, s napped i n h alf a nd r e-utilized f or t wo l ow r eliefs o n t he r everse s urfaces. T hese e xceptions d o n ot i nvalidate t he s upposed s equence o f d ecoration f ollowed b y b reakage b ut t he p roblem i s n ot s o m uch w hether o r w hen t hese s tones w ere b roken a s w here s uch b reakage o ccurred. I f t he c auses o f b reakage w ere n atural, t he r esults o f t reading o n t he d eposit, o r o f f rost a ction, o ne w ould e xpect t he s everal f ragments o f a n o riginal p iece t o b e f ound i n t he s ame d eposit. H owever, t he t otal n umber o f b roken a nd r eassembled p ieces i ndexed i s n ot a s g reat a s o ne m ight e xpect. O nly 7 5 o f t he 1 550 p ieces l isted c onsist o f r eassembled f ragments a nd a n umber o f t hese a re m odern b reakages. I n W estern a nd E astern F rance a nd i n C antabria h abitation s ites a nd p laquette c ollections a re u sually l ocated i n o pen a ir s helters w here t he d eposits h ave b een s ubjected t o c limatic a ction a nd h ave s uffered t rampling i n s ubsequent o ccupations. H ere, p erhaps, i t i s n ot s urprising t hat f ragments a re m issing. T hese c ollections a lso s how a c onsiderable 1 3

d egree o f w ear ( Table 5a nd 8 ) w hich s upports t he e xplanation o f e xposure a nd d isturbance. H owever, a n umber o f c ollections i n t he P yrenees t hat a re f ound i n v ery p rotected s ituations i n t he i nterior g alleries o f d eep c aves a re n o l ess f ragmentary t han t he o pen a ir c ollections i n W estern F rance a nd h ave a n e qually l ow p roportion o f a djoining p ieces. A lthough m ade o f f ragile m aterials t hey a re v ery l ittle d amaged a nd o ne c annot, i n t his s ituation, s uggest t hat n atural c auses a re r esponsible f or t he s election o f u nrelated f ragments t hat r emain. I n s eeking a n e xplanation f or t he l ack o f a ssociated f ragments a t I sturitz S t P erier s uggested t hat p laquettes w ere r itually b roken a nd t hat s ome p ieces w ere r etained a nd s ome t hrown a way, b ut i t i s d ifficult t o a ccept t his e xplanation f or c ollections f ound d eep i n c aves. I f t he p laquettes a t M as d 'Azil o r I sturitz, f or e xample, w ere b roken i n s itu, t hen t o a ccount f or t he f ragmentary r esidue, o ne m ust p ostulate t hat m ost o f t he p ieces w ere c ollected a nd t aken o ut o f t he c ave. T he c hances o f a f ew a djoining f ragments b eing l eft a re q uite h igh w hile t he n umber o f s uch p ieces t hat w e h ave i s m inimal ( at M as d 'Azil t here a re t wo, a t I sturitz t hree p ieces i n a t otal o f 1 54). D eliberate b reakage i n s itu i s t hus n ot a n a cceptable e xplanation a nd o ne m ust a ssume t hat t he p laquettes w ere b roken i n s ome p lace o ther t han t hat i n w hich t he r emaining f ragments w ere f ound. I t i s, i n a ny c ase, p erhaps u nlikely t hat f ine e ngraving w as d one b y t he l ight o f a s mall f ire i n t he i nterior g allery o f a ny c ave. E xperiments i n s tone e ngraving ( Harding, p ers. c omm .) e mphasize t hat a g ood l ight i s n ecessary a nd i t i s r easonable t o s uppose t hat P alaeolithic e ngravers w orked i n d aylight. A t E nlene a g reat n umber o f s tone f ragments ( some e ngraved b ut m ost n ot) w ere c arried i nto t he i nterior g alleries, p resumably t o m ake a f loor t hat w ould r aise t he b edding f rom t he d amp. H ere o ne c an r econstruct a s ituation i n w hich p laquettes w ere e ngraved i n t he o pen a ir, a t t he m outh o f t he c ave, a nd b eing d iscarded, w ere t rodden o n a nd b roken. L ater s ome o f t hese w ere p icked u p, r egardless o f d ecoration, w ith h andfuls o f u ndecorated p ieces a nd t aken i nto t he c ave t o m ake a f loor ( both C ount H enri B egouen ( 1938) a nd t he p resent e xcavators h ave n oted t hat t hese p laquettes a re n ot f lakes f allen f rom t he r oof, b ut a d ifferent r ock f ormation t hat h as b een i mported). W hether t his p ractice w as u sual, o r u nique t o E nlene, o ne c annot s ay; w hen t here i s s o l ittle e vidence f or t he p osition o f p laquettes i n s ites o ne c an d o l ittle m ore t han g uess. H owever, i t i s a f act t hat f ragmentary c ollections, f ormed o f r esidual, u nassociated p ieces n ot o nly e xist, b ut a re q uite c ommon, p articularly i n t he d eep c ave c omplex o f t he P yrenees. O ne c ould s uggest t hat t hese s elected, e ngraved f ragments w ere t aken i nto a c ave a s a " votive g esture", o r t o f orm a ' shrine', b ut t he e xplanation i s p robably m ore m undane t han t his. A s a t E nlene, o ne m ay a ssume t hey w ere t aken i nto t he c ave f or a p ractical p urpose. T here i s a v ariation i n t he s ize o f i ndividual p ieces i n p laquette c ollections, w hich i n t hose i nstances w here a s econdary u se h as b een m ade o f t hem , m ay h ave d etermined t he f orm t his t ook, f or e xample a m oderate s ized s lab i s u seful t o e dge a h earth, w hile l ittle f ragments m ay i nsulate a f loor. T here i s a lso a d ifference i n l ocation f or i n W estern F rance d eep g alleries a re n ot u sed f or h abitation, b ut t here i s v ery l ittle e vidence t o r egard e ngraved p ebbles a nd f ragments f rom h abitation d eposits a s b eing a nything o ther t han a bandoned o bjects. I n c ertain s ituations, s uch a s L a M arche a nd E nlene, p laquettes o ccur i n a 1 4

p osition o f s econdary u se a nd i t i s p ossible t hat t he c ellar g roup f rom L a M adeleine i s i n a p rimary p osition; i f s o, i t i s n ow u nique. L imeuil i s t he o nly o ther s ite w here o ne m ight e ntertain t he i dea o f p laquettes a s a s anctuary, a nd t o a c ertain e xtent t his i s p rompted b y t heir s ize. T he b locks a re l arge a nd t hus, l ike L augerie H aute, t hey a re a g roup e quidistant i n s ize b etween p laquettes a nd m ural b locks. M ural s anctuaries c omposed o f s tanding b locks, s uch a s L e R oc a nd L aussel, a re a f eature p eculiar t o W estern F rance a nd L imeuil c ould b e a l ate e xample o f t his t radition. H owever, t he b locks w ere r ecovered f rom a h ill s lope d eposit a nd, s ince n one r emained i n t he s helter i tself, o ne c annot s ubstantiate t he i dea o f a s anctuary h ere. T he d ecoration o f p laquettes i mplies t hat t hey w ere o f i mportance a lthough n ot, p erhaps, i n t he c ontext i n w hich t hey a re f ound. A s i n c ave a rt, i t w as p robably t he c reation o f a f igure t hat w as i mportant, p erhaps a s a n a djunct t o a r ite, a m ime, a n i ncantation o r a n arrative, b ut t he e vidence s uggests t hat i ts i mportance w as t ransient. T he p iece, o nce u sed, w as p robably d iscarded: I t m ay h ave b een b roken d eliberately, b ut t here i s n o g ood e vidence f or b elieving t his s ince t he b reakage t hat e xists a ppears t o b e c onsistent w ith t he s trength o f t he s upport o r t he e xposed c haracter o f t he s ite ( see T ables 4 , 5a nd 8 ). C onservation w as p robably a c oncept q uite a lien t o t he p rehistoric m ind a nd o ne m ay a ccept t hat t he " prodigality" o bserved f or p resent d ay h unters ( Sahlins 1 979) i s r eflected i n t he U pper P alaeolithic. T here i s n o n eed t o c onserve s tone t ools, i f t he r aw m aterial f or m aking t hem i s a lways t o h and a nd t here w as, p erhaps, n o n eed t o c onserve p laquettes, i f t he s upport a nd t he a bility t o d ecorate i t w ere e asily s upplied. I t d oes n ot t ake l ong f or a s killed e ngraver t o d ecorate a p ebble ( Philip H arding 's e xperiments s uggest t hat a n a nimal f igure c an b e c ut i n t en t o t welve m inutes) w hile t he s kill e xhibited i s i n i tself e vidence t hat t he t echnique o f e ngraving w as m uch p ractised. I t i s p ossible t hat p laquettes w ere s ometimes r etained, t his m ay, f or e xample, h ave b een t he c ase a t L a M adeleine, b ut i f s o i t i s t he e xception t hat p roves t he r ule. T here i s v ery l ittle o ther e vidence t o s uggest c are, o r c ollection, o r c onservation i n t he P alaeolithic d isposition o f d ecorated p laquettes. I f b reakage, b urning a nd t he d isposition o f p laquettes c onstitute a n e xamination o f t he i nternal p roperties o f s uch c ollections, o ne m ay f ollow t his w ith a n e xamination o f t heir e xternal a spects, t hat i s, t he r elationship o f p laquettes t o c ave a rt a nd t heir p resence, o r a bsence, i n p articular s ites. L eroi-Gourhan h as s uggested t hat p laquette c ollections a re a c hronological a lternative t o d ecorated c aves a nd h e i nterprets t he a bundance o f d ecorated p laquettes i n t he l ate M agdalenian i n W estern F rance, a t a p eriod w hen c ave d ecoration i s i n d ecline, a s a n a lternative t o c ave u se. H owever, c hronological a lternation a ppears l ess m arked i n o ther r egions ( for e xample, i n t he P yrenees, b oth d ecorated c aves a nd p laquettes a re m ost a bundant i n M agdalenian I V a nd V ), a nd o ne m ay r egard t his p reference f or p laquettes i n W estern F rance, i n t he L ate M agdalenian, a s o ne o f t he r egional d ifferences t o e merge f rom t he p resent s tudy. T he d ecoration o f p laquettes i s c losely r elated t o t hat o f c aves, b ut t hey s hould n ot b e r egarded a s a d omestic d uplicate o f a m ural s anctuary. T he i nventory o f a nimals s hown i s t he s ame i n b oth g roups, b ut t heir o rder o f i mportance i s n ot ( see T ables 1 6 a nd 1 9) a nd w hile s igns a re i mportant i n c ave d ecoration t hey a re e xtremely r are o n p laquettes ( Table 1 8). A s i n c aves, t he a nimals o n p laquettes o ccur i n p alimpsest

1 5

a nd a re s ometimes d rawn i ncomplete a nd, w hile f igures i n c aves a re c oncealed i n a wkward g alleries, t hose o n p laquettes a re h idden u nder a n e ntanglement o f e xtra l ines ( see P lates 2 , b , 3 , a a nd b a nd 4 , ba nd c ). A lthough t he d ifferences t hat e xist a re o f d egree, r ather t han c haracter, t hey s erve t o d istinguish t he t wo g roups. O ne c an a ccept t hat t he s ignificance o f t he d ecoration i s t he s ame f or p laquettes a nd c ave a rt a nd i n W estern F rance o ne m ay s ee a c ontinuous g radation b etween p laquette c ollections, m ural f riezes f ormed o f u pstanding b locks, l ow r elief s culpture i n t he o pen a ir, e ngraved s helters i n n ear d aylight a nd h alf-lit s ituations a nd d eep c aves t hat a re p ainted o r e ngraved. A mongst t hese m anifestations t he d eep c aves a re p robably t he p henomenon o f s hortest u se. T he i nterdependence o f p laquettes a nd m ural b lock f riezes i s e mphasized b y t he s ize r ange o f p laquettes i n t his r egion. I n W estern F rance t hey a re g enerally m uch l arger t han e lsewhere a nd t he d ivision m ade b etween p laquette a nd b lock i s o ften a rbitrary. T his s ituation i s n ot r epeated i n t he P yrenees w hich i s a r egion w ith a g reat m any d eep c aves t hat w ere a pparently v ery l ittle f requented a nd w here, p erhaps a s a c orollary t o t his, p laquettes h ave a g reat i mportance i n t he s ame c hronological p eriod ( Magdalenian I V). M any P yrenean s ites h ave l arge p laquette c ollections, a lthough t he p ieces a re t hemselves s mall i n d imension. I n t his, a s i n o ther r espects s uch a s t he a bsence o f l ow-relief s culpture a nd d aylit o r h alf-lit s anctuaries, t here i s h ere n o g radation b etween p laquette a nd m ural s ites, b ut r ather a m arked c ontrast i n b oth c haracter a nd l ocation. H owever, i f t he t wo g roups a re d istinct, t hey a re p erhaps r elated i n a c ompensatory m anner; p laquettes a ppear t o h ave a g reater i mportance w hen a nd w here t he c ave s anctuaries a re s o f ar r emoved ( both i n d istance a nd a ccessibility) f rom t he l iving s ites. T o s ay t hat p laquette c ollections s hare a n i nventory w ith c ave a rt a nd t hat b oth i nventories m ust h ave t he s ame s ignificance b egs t he q uestion o f m eaning. B oth g roups h ave a v ery s trict r epertory o f f igures a nd t he m ode o f d epiction a llowed i s a lmost e qually s trict; h orse, d eer, b ison, i bex, m ammoth , w ith a s maller n umber o f h umans, b ears, l ions a nd o ther s pecies a re d rawn i n p rofile, u sually i n a s tatic p osition. I n c aves a n umber o f " schematic" s igns a re a dded t o t hese w hich p erhaps h ave a s ignificant r elationship t o t he a nimal f igures, b ut m ay h ave n o r elationship a t a ll a nd t here a re a g reat m any u nfinished f igures, o dd l ines a nd d ots. I n t otality t hese e lements a ppear a s a s et o f s ymbols, u sed i conographically o r a s a f orm o f n otation. ( Leroi-Gourhan, 1 978. 1 972) T he l ayout o f t he v arious f igures i n c aves s uggests t hat e ach c omponent i s p erhaps r elated t o o thers i n a n arrative o r m yth . H aving n o r ecord o f t he b asic t heme, a lthough w e u nderstand t he i mmediate f orms d epicted, w e c annot n ow r econstruct t heir r elationship. T he a nimals s elected a re n ot a n i nventory o f f ood s pecies, o r a r ecord o f t he e nvironment; t hey d o n ot o bey t he d efinition o f t otems a nd t here i s v ery l ittle t hat i s s pontaneous o r i ndividual i n t he c arefully r epeated f ormulae t hat o ccur o n c ave w alls a nd p laquettes a like. T his a dherence t o a f ormula, i n t he i nventory o f a nimals a nd i n t he w ay t hey a re d rawn, i s o f g reat i mportance; w hether s kill i n p ainting a nd e ngraving i s a b onus o r a nother r equired a ttribute o ne c annot s ay, t hough i t i s t his q uite e xceptional s kill t hat d istinguishes p alaeolithic a rt f rom m ost o ther " primitive" f orms. D eep c aves s how r apid d ecoration a nd f ew s igns o f u se. H ere t here a re f ew f ootprints, n o r ubbish a nd n o h earths, w hile d ecorated p anels n ear d aylight, t hat a re e asier o f a ccess, s how d ecoration t hat i s m ore 1 6

l aborious, s uch a s e ngraving, o r l ow r elief w ork i n t he o pen a ir. M agdalenian I V i s t he p eriod o f d eep c ave d ecoration a nd t he i mpression g iven i s t hat t he c reation o f a d ecorated g allery i s a ll t hat i s i mportant. H aving p ainted t he s tatutory f igures a nd r ecreated t he f ormula, t he c ave w as a pparently a bandoned. P laquettes p erhaps t estify t o t he s ame p riorities; t he c reation o f a f igure o r a g roup o f f igures w as i mportant a nd, h aving b een m ade, t he e ngraving h ad n o m ore i mportance b ut, u nlike p aintings w hich s urvived i n a u nique a nd p rotected p osition o f a bandonment, p laquettes s uffered d amage w hen d iscarded o n a s helter f loor. W hether t his a nimal r epertory w as e ssential t o e very P alaeolithic s ite, o ne c annot d etermine. I t i s d ifficult t o e stablish t he r elationship o f h abitation s ites t o d ecorated c aves, o r o f t hese l ast t o s ites w ith p laquettes, b ut i n s ome s ituations t he e vidence s uggests t hat p laquettes a re c omplementary t o c aves, r ather t han a c hronological a lternative. T hey a re n ot f ound e verywhere, s ome s ites h ave a l arge c ollection o f p laquettes, s ome o ne, o r a f ew , a nd s ome n one a t a ll, a nd t his, o f c ourse, i s a n o bservation t hat a pplies t o a ll f orms o f m iniature a rt, n ot t o p laquettes a lone. T he e xistence o f a rt o bjects p robably d epends o n t he c haracter o f t he s ite; h unting c amps a nd s hort t erm s ettlements d o n ot, p erhaps, a llow l eisure f or c eremonies o r f or c reating t he f igurative p ieces a ssociated w ith s uch a ctivities. O ne m ay r easonably a ssume t hat a rt o bjects a re c reated i n t he l eisure o f a s ettlement o f l onger d uration; t his c ould b e a s easonal c amp, w here a n a bundant f ood s upply a llowed s ettlement, o r a c amp c onvened f or s ome p articular p urpose, a nd c ertainly o ne c ould d escribe i t a s a b ase c amp. F our o f t he m ajor s ites w ith l arge m iniature a rt a nd p laquette c ollections a re n otable f or t he q uantity o f a ntler t hey c ontained, ( these a re L augerie B asse, G ourdan, I sturitz a nd B runiquel). B etirac, ( 1952) p ointed o ut t hat n early a ll t he a ntler h e f ound a t M ontastruc ( Bruniquel) w as s hed a nd t hat n inety p er c ent o f t his w as w orked a nd S t Prier ( 1930) r ecorded t hat t he l arge a ntlers o f m ale r eindeer f ound a t I sturitz w ere a lso a lmost a ll s hed. A t G ourdan a l ower g allery w as s tocked w ith u nworked a ntler ( Piette 1 874), w hile a t L augerie B asse L artet a nd C hristy ( 1864) n oted t hat t he a ntler w as o f a ll a ges a nd t hat a ll o f i t s howed t races o f " sawing". P erhaps t hese e xtensive o ccupations i ndicate a s pecial p urpose s ite, a s ettlement e stablished t o p rocess a ntler c ollected i n t he l ocality, o r p erhaps ( since a ntler m ay b e p icked u p a t a ny t ime a fter b eing s hed) t hey a re s imply b ase c amps i n w hich a ntler w as k ept i n p ermanent s upply. T hese f our s helters, o r s eries o f s helters, a re a mongst t he l argest k nown ( in f act, a n e xtensive a rea f or o ccupation i s a f eature t hat t he t wenty-one s ites w ith l arge p laquette c ollections h ave i n c ommon). M any s helters a nd c aves a re n ot a dequate f or l arge o r l ong t erm s ettlement, b ut t his c annot b e s aid o f L augerie B asse, I sturitz, G ourdan o r t he A bris d u C hateaux a t B runiquel. T wo a re i n w ide r iver v alleys ( Bruniquel a nd L augerie) a nd t wo ( Gourdan a nd I sturitz) a t t he j unction o f v alley a nd p lain; a ll a re i n e asy r each o f w ater. R elatively e xtensive s helter a nd a r eliable f ood s upply a re r equired f or a b ase c amp; f or a n a ntler p rocessing s tation o ne m ust a dd a ntler, f lint a nd a m ore t han m inimal w ater s upply, s ince w ater i s e ssential t o t he p rocessing o f a ntler. T hese s ites a ppear t o f ill a ll t hese d efinitions a nd t he f act t hat t heir a rchaeological d eposits a re r ich s uggests a g roup s tayed h ere f or s ome t ime o r w as o f s ome s ize. I n t hese c ircumstances c eremonies, a musements, o r r ecitals w ere p erhaps p erformed a nd o ne m ay s peculate t hat, a s a n a djunct t o t hese, a s eries o f p laquettes w as p roduced. 1 7

S kill i n c arving a ntler t ools p robably f osters a s kill i n e ngraving d ecoration, w hether o n b one o r s tone. O ne c annot r econstruct s uch c eremonies w ith a ny m ore a ccuracy t han o ne c an d efine t he m eaning o f P alaeolithic a rt b ut o ne m ay a gree w ith C artailhac w ho w rote i n 1 885, " Il p arait j uste d 'admettre q ue l a r ace c apable d e r ealiser c es r epresentations d es a nimaux q u 'elle c onnaissait a vait u ne c ulture i ntellectuelle d e-j ä g rande:.

1 8

P ART O NE

D ESCRIPTION O F T HE C OMPUTER P ROGRAMME A ND T WENTY-ONE T ABLES U SED I N T HE R EGIONAL A ND S TYLISTIC A NALYSIS O F E NGRAVED P LAQUETTES F ROM U PPER P ALAEOLITHIC S ITES I N F RANCE A ND C ANTABRIC S PAIN

W ith t he a im o f e xamining t he r egional d istribution a nd s tylistic c haracteristics o f a s elected c orpus o f e ngraved p laquettes, 1 04 c haracteristics w ere l isted a nd, i n t he f irst i nstance, c ategorized o n p unch c ards. ( See b elow , A ppendix p . 2 16) T hese c ategories w ere s ubsequently t ransferred t o c omputer t ape t o b e u sed i n a n i nformation r etrieval p rogramme. T he p ackage u sed w as I nfol ( Information o riented l anguage) w hich i s a daptable, i n t hat s pecial r outines m ay b e w ritten f or i t. ( See I nfol 2 . R eference M anual, e dited b y L eveque, S haw a nd T urk. U CLCC. L ondon. M ay 1 974). T wenty-six t ables w ere r un i n t his p rogramme, t wenty-two o f w hich p roved u seful a nd e leven p rintouts o f a s ingle s elected c ategory w ere a dded t o t hese, a s a c heck o n s pecific e ntries. T he c omputer p rogramme w as r un o n 1 777 c atalogue e ntries, m ade f or 1 40 s ites. T his t otal o f 1 777 r epresents 1 550 o bjects; t he a dditional 2 27 e ntries w ere m ade f or t he s econd s ide o f p ieces w hich h ad d ecoration e laborate e nough t o m erit a c ard f or t he r everse s urface a s w ell a s f or t he o bverse. E ach c atalogue e ntry t hus r epresents o ne p unch c ard. Ad ivision i nto f our g eographical r egions i s u sed i n a ll t he t ables a nd t he a reas d efined a re W estern a nd C entral F rance, T he P yrenees, t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a nd s ites i n E urope o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. T he l ast g roup p roperly i ncludes I taly, G ermany, E ast S pain a nd C entral E urope, b ut t o d ate t he c omputer p rogramme h as b een r un o n a s election o f t hese; t he s ites i n E ast F rance a nd t he L ow C ountries h ave b een i ncluded a nd t he m ore d istant s ites i n G ermany, I taly e tc, h ave a t p resent b een o mitted. I n e very t able t he d ata i s a ssessed b y r egion a nd b y o ne, o r a g roup o f s elected c riteria. I n e very t able b ut o ne ( Table 1 7) t hese s elected c riteria ( for e xample, d egree o f f ragmentation, s patial d istribution o f d ecoration, o r d etails o f d epiction o n i ndividual a nimal f igures), a re f urther a ssessed a s a f unction e ither o f d ate o r o f t he m aterial o f s upport u sed. T his i s a chieved b y g iving e ach r egion i n a t able a s eparate p rint-out o n w hich, f or e xample, d ate i s t abulated h orizontally a gainst s patial d istribution o f d ecoration, t abulated v ertically. T hus e ach c omputer t able i s, i n r eality, f our; t he c riteria p eculiar t o e ach t able b eing c alculated s eparately f or e ach r egion a gainst d ate o r m aterial. W ith t he e xception o f T ables 1 a nd 1 7 t hese f ourfold t ables h ave h ere b een c onverted i nto h istograms w hich a re b oth m ore c omprehensible a nd m ore c ompact. T he f our g eographical r egions a re a lways r ecorded i n t he o rder o f W estern a nd C entral F rance, t he P yrenees, t he B asque P rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a nd s ites o utside t he A quitanico -Cantabric a rea. W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees a re t he g roups o f p rincipal i mportance a nd g reatest d ifferentiation; t he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a ccord, i n m any r espects, w ith W estern F rance w hile t he B asque p rovinces a nd

1 9

C antabric S pain a re a llied t o t he P yrenees. T he n umber o f " elements t hat s atisfy t he s earch" i s p rinted i n e ach d ivision o f t he h istograms a s a g uide t o t he r eliability o f t he p ercentages; o bviously t hose b ased o n g reater n umbers a re t he m ore r eliable a nd w hen t here a re l ess t han 8 e ntries i n a d ivision t he p ercentage i s s hown a s a s triped b lock; t hese e ntries t end t o b e m isleading a nd a re u nreliable b ut a re i ncluded b ecause t he s carcity o f d ata i n a ny s tage a nd r egion i s i tself o f i nterest. A s w ill b e s een, t he n umbers o n t he h istograms v ary a ccording t o w hether t he p ercentages a re c alculated a gainst o bject t otal, d ecorated s urface t otal o r a s elected t otal, f or e xample t he n umber o f s urfaces t hat s how n aturall istic d ecoration. I n e very c ase t he t otal u sed i s s tated a t t he b ottom o f t he t able. T he t ables a re d ivided i nto t hree g roups; t he f irst g roup i s c oncerned w ith i nformation a bout t he s upport u sed, t he s econd w ith t he t echniques o f d ecoration e mployed a nd t he t hird w ith t he c ontent o f d ecoration, b oth n aturalistic a nd s chematic. A l ist o f a ll t he t ables i s p rinted b elow , f ollowed b y a s eparate a nalysis o f e ach o ne a nd a s ummary o f t he c onclusions t hat m ay b e d rawn f rom t hese.

2 0

N UMERICAL C ATEGORIES A ND D ESCRIPTION O F S UPPORT

T ables 1 -6

T able

1 .

T able T able T able

2 . 3 . 4 .

T able T able

5 . 6 .

a ssessed a ccording t o d ate.

N umber o f o bjects a nd d ecorated s urfaces i n e ach r egion. M aterial o f o bjects u sed f or s upport. D imensions o f o bjects. S tate o f o bjects ( complete, o r d egree o f f ragmentation). C ondition o f s urfaces, w hether f resh o r w orn. S igns o f u se o n s urfaces.

T ables 7 - 1 1 a ssessed a ccording t o t he m aterial o f s upport.

T able

7 .

T able 8 . T able 9 . T able 1 0. T able 1 1.

D ecoration o f m ore t han o ne s urface o n a s ingle o bject. C ondition o f s urfaces, f ragmentation a nd w ear. T echnique o f d ecoration, o n i ndividual s urfaces. D isposition a nd f orm o f n aturalistic d ecoration o n i ndividual s urfaces. S chematic d ecoration o n i ndividual s urfaces.

T ECHNIQUE O F D ECORATION

T ables 1 2 -14 a ssessed a ccording t o d ate.

T able 1 2. T able 1 3. T able 1 4.

D ecoration o f m ore t han o ne s urface o n a s ingle o bject. T echnique o f d ecoration o n i ndividual s urfaces. S patial d istribution o f d ecoration o n i ndividual s urfaces.

C ONTENT O F D ECORATION

T ables 1 5 -21 a ssessed a ccording t o d ate.

T able 1 5. T able T able T able T able

1 6. 1 7. 1 8. 1 9.

T able 2 0. T able 2 1.

D isposition a nd f orm o f n aturalistic d ecoration o n i ndividual s urfaces. A nimal i dentifications. C orrelation o f a nimal s pecies d epicted. D etails o f d epiction o n i ndividual a nimal f igures. A ssociations o f a nimal f igures a nd o ther m otifs o n a s ingle s urface. S urfaces w ith l ess l egible d ecoration. S chematic d ecoration.

2 1

I L u eTua r ep2ew c o

L u eTuarep2ew r 4

A I u rTuarep9vx

r --

C • C r' )

u r p4aAvaü u eTor t2Txny u eTpao2Taa ,

2 2

A ND C ANTABRIA

o

O UTSIDE A QUITAINE

p ue u eT uzy

C ANTABRIC S PAIN

u eTuarep9ew X ixes u eea lmIos

O bject t otal

O bject t ota l

O bject t otal

u eTuaTep ie l . ; eve: p ezTrezaueD

B ASQUE P ROVINCES A ND

S OUTH W EST F RANCE

r 4

r."

r —

C r, C Y\

r-4

t —

z-74v uoaered-Td2

C ' )

t --

• I r I

s r

r".4 CNJ

N umber o f d ecorated

N umber o f o bjects

N umber o f d ecorated

N umber o f o bjects

N umber o f d ecorated

N umber o f o bjects

N umber o f d ecorated

N umber o f o bjects

r egion, a ssessed a ccording t o d ate.

N umber o f o bjects ( and d ecorated s urfaces) r ecorded f rom e ach

O bject t otal

p aTjTsseTouL 0 e LT C V

C HAPTER 1

N UMBER O F O BJECTS ( AND D ECORATED S URFACES) R ECORDED F ROM E ACH R EGION, A SSESSED A CCORDING T O D ATE. ( TABLE 1 )

I n m any s ites n o r eliable d ifferentiation i s m ade b etween M agdalenian I V , V o r V I s o a g eneralized c ategory i s i ncluded h ere, t o a ccommodate s uch p ieces. W hen l ooking f or c haracteristics t ypical o f M agdalenian I V , i t i s b etter t o i gnore t his g roup, b ut i n a ssessing t he n umber o f p ieces o f L ate M agdalenian d ate, i t m ust b e i ncluded. I n W estern F rance m ost p laquettes t hat a re a ccurately d ated b elong t o M agdalenian V I a nd o ne m ay r egard t he 1 03 o bjects e ntered f or t he g eneralized L ate M agdalenian h ere a s b eing, i n t he m ajority, o f t his d ate. I n t he P yrenees, h owever, t he r elative n umbers o f a ccurately d ated p ieces s uggest t hat a l arge p roportion o f t he 3 25 o bjects i ndexed i n t he g eneralized c ategory a re, i n t his r egion, o f M agdalenian I V d ate. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain t his c ategory c ontains a n u nimportant n umber o f p ieces ( 4) w hile t he 3 7 o bjects s o i ndexed o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria c an b e a ttributed t o M agdalenian V I, s ince M agdalenian I V a nd V a re v irtually a bsent h ere. T he c hronological d ivisions u sed i n t his s urvey a re a dapted t o t he m aterial a vailable. T he m ajority o f p laquettes b elong t o t he s tages o f M agdalenian I V, V a nd V I a nd i t i s t herefore p racticable t o i ndex t hese p eriods s eparately. A q uantity o f m aterial f rom o ld e xcavations i s k nown t o c ome f rom o ne o r m ore o f t hese s tages i n c ertain s ites, b ut c annot b e d ated m ore a ccurately a nd s o t he g eneralized c ategory i s i ncluded f or t hese l ate, b ut u ndifferentiated M agdalenian p ieces. B ecause t here a re f ew p laquettes f rom P erigordian, A urignacian a nd G ravettian d eposits, t hese p eriods a re g rouped t ogether a nd t he S olutrean i s i ncluded w ith t he e arly M agdalenian f or t he s ame r easons a nd o n s tylistic g rounds. A s tudy o f p alaeolithic d ecorated p laquettes i s, i n e ffect, a s tudy o f t he M iddle a nd L ate M agdalenian b ut t he d ivision o f M iddle M agdalenian i s n ot u sed h ere, f irstly b ecause t here i s l ittle m aterial f or M agdalenian I II i n a ny r egion e xcept W estern F rance a nd, s econdly, b ecause i n t he c ontext o f p laquettes i t s eems i ncorrect t o g roup M agdalenian I V w ith I II, r ather t han w ith V a nd V I. L eroi-Gourhan ( 1965) u ses t he d ivision o f M iddle M agdalenian ( ie II I a nd I V) i n h is a nalysis o f c ave a rt b ut B reuil ( 1934, 1 952), i n s tudying A rt M obilier p ointed o ut t hat d ecorated p ieces a re o f l ittle i mportance u ntil t he s tage o f M agdalenian I V, ( a f act w ith w hich L eroi-Gourhan a grees); 8 0% o f t he m iniature a rt p ieces o f t he P alaeolithic ( in B reuil's e stimate) b elong t o t he c lassic a nd L ate M agdalenian a nd t he c hronological i ncidence o f p laquettes s upports h is o bservation. I n t his s urvey M agdalenian I V, V a nd V I a re r eferred t o a s l ate a nd M agdalenian I , I I a nd I II a s e arly. T here i s n o b reak i n t echnical d evelopment o r c hange i n c ontent b etween t he e arly a nd l ate M agdalenian p laquettes a nd t he d ivision i s m ade h ere f or c onvenience o nly, a nd i n r espect o f t he q uantities o f m aterial a vailable. V ery f ew A zilian a nd E pi-Palaeolithic p laquettes h ave b een i ndexed a nd, i n t he p resent s urvey, t hey a re n ot r elevant; e ven f ewer p ieces a re u nclassified. I n a ll t ables b ut t he p resent, t hese t wo c ategories h ave b een c ombined w ith M agdalenian V I a nd t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian 2 3

r espectively. P laquettes o f t he e arliest g roup r ecorded, t hat i s o f P erigordian, A urignacian o r G ravettian d ate, a re v ery u nequally d istributed. 3 .6% o f t he 1 550 p ieces c atalogued h ere a re o f t his d ate; i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion t hey c omprise 1 2% o f t he r egional t otal, o utside t he A guitanico-Cantabric a rea 1 1% , b ut i n W estern F rance 2 % o nly a nd i n t he P yrenees 0 .7%. P laquettes o f S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian d ate a re n umerous i n W estern F rance a nd i n t he B asque P rovinces a nd C antabric S pain. I n W estern F rance t hey a ccount f or 2 8% o f t he r egional t otal ( La M arche a ugments t his g roup) a nd i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion f or 2 2%. P laquettes o f t his d ate a re v irtually a bsent i n t he P yrenees ( 1 e xample o nly) a nd a re i ll-represented o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. S olutrean i ndustries .a re r ich i n N orth S pain, w hile t he e arly M agdalenian h as a l ocally c onfined d istribution t o D ordogne, V ienne e tc, w hich c an a ccount f or t he p laquette c ollections i n t his a rea; n either s tage i s o f i mportance i n t he C entral P yrenees, b ut i t i s i nteresting t hat t here a re s o f ew p laquettes i n t he c hronological g roup o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria s ince t he S olutrean i s i mportant i n t he R höne V alley. F rom t he f our r egions u nder d iscussion, t here a re, i n a ll, 5 7 p ieces o f e arly d ate, 2 68 o f S olutrean o r E arly M agdalenian d ate, f orming 1 7% o f t he t otal a nd 1 ,209 o f l ate M agdalenian d ate. T he L ate M agdalenian p ieces f orm 7 8% o f t he c atalogued t otal a nd t he 1 6 e ntries o f E piP alaeolithic o r u nclassified d ate m ake u p t he n umerical t otal o f 1 550. P laquettes a re e verywhere a f ashion o f t he L ate M agdalenian, b ut t he d ifferent s tages o f t his c ulture a re u nequally r epresented f rom o ne r egion t o a nother. W ith r egard t o t he a ccurately d ated p ieces 5 1% o f t he p laquettes i n t he P yrenees a re o f M agdalenian I V d ate a nd i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion 7 7% b elong t o t his s tage. P laquettes o f M agdalenian V I d ate a re, c orrespondingly, o f l ess i mportance i n t he P yrenees a nd o f l ittle i mportance i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain. T he g eneralized L ate M agdalenian c ategory c onceals a l ot o f m aterial i n t he P yrenees a nd i t i s p robable t hat m uch o f t his " generalized" c ategory ( 325 p ieces) i s o f c lassic M agdalenian d ate. T his w ould a lter t he p roportional b alance c onsiderably a nd t he f igure o f 5 1% f or M agdalenian I V m ay b e r egarded a s r ather l ow . I n S outh W estern F rance, h owever, t he p osition i s r eversed: 7 5% o f a ll L ate M agdalenian p ieces b elong t o M agdalenian V I a nd o utside t he A quitanicoC antabric a rea t his p attern i s e ven m ore a ccentuated, w ith 9 5%. ( It m ust b e r emembered t hat t hese p ercentages a re f or t he a ccurately d ated p ieces o nly a nd t he g eneralized L ate M agdalenian c ategory i s n ot i ncluded h ere). I f t he c lassic M agdalenian ( IV) i s n ot v ery i mportant i n W estern F rance, i t i s v irtually a bsent o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. T his i s n ot u nexpected s ince t his l ast r egional g roup ( as d efined h ere) c overs F rance t o t he E ast a nd N orth o f t he G aronne b asin a nd i ts f oothills, t he R höne a nd a f ew s ites i n t he L ow C ountries, a ll r egions t hat, w ith r egard t o t he M agdalenian, w ere c olonized f rom A quitaine t owards t he e nd o f t his e poch . T he t otal o f p laquettes f or M agdalenian V I i s, i n f act, g reater t han f or a ny o ther p eriod. ( Counting o nly t he a ccurately d ated p ieces t here a re, f rom a ll r egions, 2 83 f or M agdalenian I V, 1 06 f or M agdalenian V a nd 3 51 f or M agdalenian V I). T his i s a b ias w hich i s p rincipally d ue t o t he f act t hat i n W estern F rance, w hich h as m ore p laquettes t han a ny o ther r egion, M agdalenian V I i s t he p eriod o f g reatest i mportance. T he o verall n umbers, h owever, d o n ot a lter t he p icture o f d ifferential p atterning 2 4

b etween r egions a nd s tages. T he d istribution o f t he e arliest g roups s eems t o d epend d irectly o n t he p resence o f t he r elevant i ndustrial t raditions, b ut t he s hift i n e mphasis i n t he L ate M agdalenian b etween P yrenees ( Magdalenian I V) a nd W estern F rance ( Magdalenian V I) a ppears t o b e a r egional p reference i n p laquette m anufacture, s ince M agdalenian I V i s n ot s carce i n t he D ordogne, n or i s M agdalenian V I p oorly r epresented i n e ither t he P yrenees o r t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain. H owever, t o c orrelate t he a ctual n umbers o f s ites k nown f or e ach c hronological s tage i s p robably i rrelevant. T hat t here a re f ar f ewer M agdalenian I V s ites i n W estern F rance t han t here a re M agdalenian V I i llustrates t he e xpansion i n M agdalenian V I, r ather t han a s carcity o f o ccupation i n M agdalenian I V. T here a re n ot a g reat m any s ites f or a ny U pper P alaeolithic s tage, p rior t o t he f inal M agdalenian ( Mellars 1 973) a nd o ne m ight e xpect t his e xpansion t o b e r epresented i n t he P yrenees, a s i t i s i n t he u pland z ones o f F rance ( Lorblanchet 1 969) a nd C entral E urope ( Sonneville-Bordes 1 963). I n f act t here a re m ore s ites o f M agdalenian V I t han I V i n t he P yrenees ( Clo nes 1 976) e ven i f t he i mbalance b etween t he s tages i s n ot s o g reat a s i t i s i n W estern F rance, b ut t he e xpansion i n o ccupation i s n ot h ere r eflected i n t he p laquette c ollections. M agdalenian I V i s t he g olden a ge o f p laquette p roduction i n t he P yrenees a nd t he f ashion p ersists h ere, w ith c ertain s tylistic c hanges, w hile a t a l ater d ate t he o riginal n aturalistic t radition r eaches a p eak i n W estern F rance. ( Tables 1 5 a nd 2 1 i llustrate t he r etention o f a n aturalistic t radition i n W estern F rance a nd s tylistic c hange i n t he P yrenees.) I n s ummary, t he p resent t able s hows p laquettes t o b e m ore n umerous i n W estern F rance t han i n a ny o ther r egion a nd m ost c ommon h ere i n t he s tage o f M agdalenian V I. A h igh f requency i n M agdalenian V I i s f ound o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a lso, w hich i n c ertain r espects i s a r egion p eripheral t o W estern F rance, b ut i t i s n ot r epeated i n t he P yrenees o r t he B asque a nd C antabric r egions, b oth o f w hich s how t he g reatest f requency i n M agdalenian I V. T he o verall f requency o f p laquettes n eed n ot h ave a ny r egional i mplications, ( Perigord i s, a fter a ll, t he m ost i ntensively s tudied a rea f or t he P alaeolithic), b ut t he c hronological i ncidence o f p laquettes s hows r egional d ifferences. T he a lliance o f t he B asque P rovinces a nd C antabria w ith t he P yrenees a nd o f W estern F rance w ith t he r egions o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric z one r ecurs a s a c onsistent a ssociation i n a n umber o f t he f ollowing t ables.

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M ATERIAL O F O BJECTS U SED F OR S UPPORT, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION, A CCORDING T O D ATE. ( TABLE 2 )

S capulae, a lthough a f ragile b one, a re m ore o ften i ndexed i n t his s urvey t han o ther b one f ragments, i vory o r a ntler. T his i s b ecause i t i s d ifficult t o b e c ertain t hat b roken p ieces o f b one, o r a ntler, a re n ot t he r esidual p art o f a t ool, b ut s capulae h ave l ittle u se i n m anufacture, e xcept f or t he p roduction o f b one d iscs. T his l ast i s a p rocess t hat n egates t he p ossibility o f u sing t he s capula a s a p laquette, s o t hat t he d ilemma o f u tilized o r n on-utilized d oes n ot a rise i n t his c ase. P robably m any m ore b one o r a ntler f ragments c ould b e c lassified a s p laquettes t han a re i ncluded h ere, b ut u nless t here i s n o d oubt t hat t hey a re n on-utilized p ieces ( such a s s capulae o r c omplete p almates), t hey h ave n ot b een i ncluded i n t he p resent s urvey. W ith s tone, t he p roblem i s s impler, F lint, w hich i s p referred f or t ools i s, a lmost w ithout e xception, n ot u sed a s a p laquette s upport, w hile, w ith t he e xception o f p ebbles, t he m aterials c hosen f or p laquettes a re o therwise l ittle u sed i n m anufacture. I n W estern F rance s capulae a re i mportant i n t he L ate M agdalenian ( VI). A h igh p roportion a re r ecorded i n t his r egion f or t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a lso, w hich m ay h ere b e t aken t o r einforce t he n umbers f or M agdalenian V I s ince, i n t his r egion, m ost M agdalenian p laquettes a re o f l ate d ate. A nother c oncentration o f s capulae o ccurs i n t he S olutrean i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain: t hey a re v ery r arely u sed a s a s upport o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a nd, a lthough t hey o ccur i n s mall n umbers i n t he P yrenees t hey a re n ot p articularly p referred a t a ny o ne p eriod. U nlike s ome f orms o f s tone, s capulae a re a vailable i n a ny r egion; t hey n eed n ot b e f rom t he s ame s pecies ( at C astillo, t hey a re r ed d eer, i n W estern F rance, u sually r eindeer) a nd t heir u se, o r a bsence, p robably r eflects c hoice r ather t han c ircumstance. I n W estern F rance p ebbles a re i mportant i n t he e arliest s tages ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) a nd i n M agdalenian I V. A mongst t he o ther f orms o f s tone s upport l imestone i s p referred t o s andstone o r s chist. A ntler i s a r arely u sed m aterial i n a ny r egion a nd i ts u se i s c onfined t o t he M agdalenian: t here a re h owever m ore a ntler p laquettes i n W estern F rance t han e lsewhere a nd m ost o f t hese c ome f rom L augerie B asse. I n a ll, i n t he L ate M agdalenian i n t his r egion t here a re 2 57 l imestone p laquettes, 8 7 i n s andstone o r s chist, 7 3 p ebbles a nd 1 03 s capulae. I n t he P yrenees t here a re s o f ew p laquettes i n t he P erigordian t o E arly M agdalenian s tages, t hat i t i s n ot w orth c onsidering t hem . A s s tated a bove, s capulae h ave n o p articular i mportance h ere, p ebbles h owever, b ecome i ncreasingly i mportant t hroughout t he M agdalenian ( in M agdalenian I V t hey f orm 2 .1% o f t he t otal f or t he p eriod, i n M agdalenian V 3 1.1% a nd i n M agdalenian V I 7 5%). I n t his r egion s andstone a nd s chist a re g enerally p referred t o l imestone a s a s upport u ntil M agdalenian V I, w hen p ebbles t ake p riority, b ut t he s tage o f M agdalenian I V i s a n e xception t o t his r ule. A t t his p eriod l imestone s hows a h igh p ercentage a lthough, i n t his i nstance,a n umber o f t he s upports a re s talagmite ( for w hich t here i s n o s eparate i ndexed c ategory). I n t he l ate M agdalenian i n t his r egion t here a re 2 75 p laquettes o f s chist o r s andstone, 9 1 o f l imestone a nd s talagmite, 2 7

1 00 p ebbles a nd 1 4 s capulae. T he P yrenees i s t he o nly r egion i n w hich m ud i s u sed f or p laquettes, b ut t he o ccurrence o f s uch p ieces i s d ue t o e xceptional c onditions o f p reservation. I n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion t here i s, a s s tated a bove, a n i mportant g roup o f s capulae i n t he S olutrean ( the c ollection f rom C astillo a ccounts f or m ost o f t hese) a nd t he o nly o ther s upport m aterial o f a ny i mportance i n t his, o r t he p receding p eriods, a re p ebbles. T his p reference f or p ebbles e xtends i nto t he l ate M agdalenian, w ith t he e xception o f t he s tage o f M agdalenian I V, i n w hich 8 3% o f t he M aterial u sed i s s chist o r s andstone. T his p ercentage r eflects t he i mportance o f I sturitz, w ith l arge M agdalenian I V c ollections, a nd t he p redilection f or s andstone a nd s chist i n t his s ite e mphasizes i ts a ffiliations t o s ites i n t he C entral P yrenees. I n g eneral l imestone i s n ot i mportant i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion i n t he M agdalenian a nd n or, a t t his s tage, a re s capulae. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t here a re f ew e arly p ieces b ut a p reference i s s hown f or p ebbles a nd s chist o ver o ther m aterials. S capulae a re v ery r arely u sed i n a ny s tage w hich i s s urprising s ince t his r egion, i n t he l ate M agdalenian p articularly, i s i n m any w ays a n e xtension o f W estern F rance a nd s capulae a re c ommon a t a l ate d ate i n A quitaine. H owever, i n t he c hoice o f s tone s upports, t he t wo r egions a re i n a greement, i n M agdalenian V I l imestone i s t he m ost u sed s upport o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea, a lthough i n t he l ate M agdalenian i n g eneral s chist a nd p ebbles a re m ore c ommonly u sed. I n t he m atter o f p ebbles, o ne m ay r efine u pon t he c omputer f igures; 1 5 o f t he 1 7 p ebbles e ntered u nder t he c ategory o f g eneralized l ate M agdalenian b elong t o t he s ite o f L a C olombiere. T heir d ate i s a m atter o f d eduction ( hence t he e ntry i n t his c ategory) b ut i n a ll p robability i t i s M agdalenian I V. T he p ebble e lement i n t his r egion m ay t hus b e t aken a s c haracteri stic o f M agdalenian I V. T he s ame c hronological p reference a pplies i n W estern F rance a nd t he o ccurence o f a n a ntler p laquette a t L a C olombiere s trengthens t he a ffiliations b etween t hese t wo r egions. H owever, i n t he P yrenees w here M agdalenian I V i s o f p aramount i mportance, p ebbles a re h ardly u sed a t a ll a t t his s tage, s o t hat o ne m ust r egard t heir o ccurence i n W estern F rance a nd s ites o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea a s a m atter o f s election r ather t han c hronological d etermination. A d egree o f r egional c hoice s eems t o o perate i n t he s election o f p laquette m aterials; a s s tated a bove, t he c hoice o f s capulae d oes n ot r eflect a vailability, n or i s t his f actor i mportant f or p ebbles. I t c annot a pply t o l imestone, e ither, w hich i s e verywhere a vailable i n t hese k arst f ormation f oothills, f ull o f c aves a nd s helters. T he l ocal s upplies o f s andstone a t B edeilhac ( Pyrenees) a nd I sturitz ( Basque P rovinces) m ay h ave i nfluenced t he c hoice o f m aterial a t t hese s ites b ut a vailability c annot a ccount f or t he p reference f or s chist o ver l imestone i n t he P yrenean r egion a s a w hole. T his s eems t o b e a c onsidered c hoice o n t he p art o f t he e ngraver, a s i s t he i ncrease w ith t ime i n t he p reference f or p ebbles. I n W estern F rance s capulae a nd l imestone a re p opular a s a s upport f or p laquettes, i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain s capulae a nd p ebbles a re p referred a nd i n t he P yrenees s andstone a nd s chist, w ith p ebbles p redominant a t a l ater d ate. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria p ebbles a re u sed a s m uch a t a n e arly, a s a t a l ate, d ate a nd t he l ater

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p reference i s f or s chist a nd l imestone i n l ine w ith W estern F rance. T hese t wo r egions a re i n m arked c ontrast t o t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion w here p ebbles b ecome p roportionally i mportant i n t he l ate M agdalenian. T he u se o f m ud o nly o ccurs i n t he P yrenees b ut o ne c annot r egard t his a s d ue t o a vailability; c onditions o f p reservation h ave t o b e e xceptional f or m ud e ngraving t o s urvive a nd i t i s n ot p ossible t o t ell w hether t he m ud p laquettes i n t he P yrenees a re r eally a r egional f eature, o r s imply t he r esult o f e xceptional c ircumstances.

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D IMESIONS O F O BJECTS, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION, A CCORDING T O D ATE ( TABLE 3 )

T he c atalogue e ntry f or e ach d ecorated s urface c arries t he e xact d imensions f or e ach p iece a nd t he c ategories l isted h ere a re i ntended o nly a s a g eneral c lassification f or r eference i n f requency o f o ccurrence, f orm o f d ecoration e tc. W estern F rance h as a n a ppreciable q uantity o f e arly p laquettes. I n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, a nd G ravettian s tages t he m ajority o f t he p ieces m easure b etween 1 0 -30 c ms i n t heir m aximum d imensions b ut i n t he n ext s tage ( Solutrean, E arly M agdalenian) w hile t he m ajority o f p ieces a re u nder 1 0 c ms, t here a re a lso a s ubstantial n umber ( 33 i n a ll) o f p ieces o ver 3 0 c ms. A s t he M agdalenian p rogresses, t he n umber o f m oderate s ized p ieces ( 10 -30 c ms) r ises a gain a nd i n M agdalenian V I t here i s a nother s ubstantial g roup ( 23 p ieces) o f p laquettes o ver 3 0 c ms. I n a ll r eliably d ated s tages o f t he l ate M agdalenian m oderate s ized p laquettes a re m ore c ommon i n t his r egion t han s mall, b ut t he t rend i s m ore p ronounced, t he l ater t he s tage. I n a ll, i n W estern F rance t here a re 6 4 p ieces o ver 3 0 c ms ( 9.3%) 3 13 b etween 1 0 -30 c ms ( 45%) a nd 3 05 u nder 1 0cms ( 44%). B y c ontrast, i n t he P yrenees t he t rend i n s ize i s r eversed. H ere t here i s t oo l ittle m aterial f or a nalysis i n p eriods b efore t he l ate M agdalenian b ut i n M agdalenian I V t here a re m ore p ieces o f m oderate s ize ( 10 -30cms) t han s mall ( under 1 0 c ms). A fter t his p eriod p laquettes b ecome i ncreasingly s maller, i n M agdalenian V t here a re m ore s mall t han m oderate p ieces, a nd i n M agdalenian V I t his p roportion i s r etained. T here a re o nly 5 p ieces o ver 3 0 c ms ( .9%) i n t he P yrenean r egion, 1 53 b etween 1 0 -30 c ms ( 30%) a nd 3 51 p ieces u nder 1 0 c ms ( 69%). I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria t he m oderate s ize g roup, 1 0 -30 c ms, p redominates i n t he e arly s tages, b ut s mall p laquettes a re m ore c ommon t han m oderate i n a ll s tages o f t he l ate M agdalenian a nd t he r atio b etween t he t wo s ize g roups r emains f airly c onstant. T here a re n o l arge p ieces. T he s mallness o f p laquettes i n t he l ate M agdalenian i s c onsistent w ith t he e vidence f rom t he P yrenees, a s i s t he a bsence o f s upports o f l arge s ize. I n a ll t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion h as 1 25 s mall p laquettes ( 52%) a nd 12 m oderate ( 47%). O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t here a re f ew e arly p ieces a nd d ifferentiated p ieces f or M agdalenian I V a nd V a re v irtually n one xistent. T he d ifferentiated p ieces f or M agdalenian V I s how t hree t imes a s m any p laquettes u nder 1 0 c ms a s o f m oderate s ize a nd t he g eneralized g roup e ndorses t his. I n t his r egion t here a re m ore s mall t han m oderate p ieces; 4 9 s mall, ( 65%), a nd 2 4 m oderate, ( 32%) a nd o nly t wo p laquettes o ver 3 0 c ms. I n t he r espect o f s ize t he s ites o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea d iffer f rom t hose o f W estern F rance, a lthough t his l ast i s t he r egion w ith w hich i t i s u sually a ssociated. W estern F rance i s i ndividual i n t hat i t h as a h igher p ercentage o f l arge s upports t han a ny o ther r egion a nd t he d ifference i n n umber b etween s mall a nd m oderate p ieces i s n ot e xtreme h ere, w hile t he g roups o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a nd i n t he P yrenees b oth s how a p revalence o f s mall s upports. T his i s m ost m arked i n t he P yrenees ( 69% s mall a nd 3 0% m oderate). T his r egion h as a g reater c oncentration o f p laquettes p er s ite t han i s f ound e lsewhere a nd t he o ccurrence o f s mall f ragmentary s upports i s c haracteristic o f t hese c ollections a nd 3 1

t his r egion. L arge s ized s upports a re a r egional c haracteristic o f W estern F rance a nd t heir a ppearance h ere i n t he L ate M agdalenian c ontrasts w ith t he s ize t rend ( towards s mall) i n a ll o ther r egions a t t his d ate. L a M arche a ccounts f or 2 6 o ut o f 3 3 o f t he l arge p ieces i n t his a rea i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian s tage a nd L imeuil f or a s ubstantial n umber ( 17 o ut o f 2 3) i n M agdalenian V I b ut t he p reference f or a l arge s upport i s ac onsistent f eature o f t his r egion a nd i s p erhaps r elated t o t he u se o f f ree s tanding b locks f or l ow r elief s culpture. I n s ome i nstances, a s a t L augerie H aute, i t i s d ifficult t o d ecide h ow t o c lassify t he i ntermediate p ieces. T hey m ay b e d escribed a s l arge p laquettes w ith l ow r elief, o r s mall c arved b locks, p robably f orming a m ural f rieze; e xcept t hat o ne m ust e stablish a b oundary f or p laquettes ( even a n a rtificial o ne) t here i s n o v alue i n i nsisting u pon a d ivision b etween p laquettes a nd b locks. I f t he d ivision b etween p ortable a nd m ural a rt i s h ere h ard t o p erceive, t hen t hat f act i s i tself o f i nterest. L ow r elief m ural s culpture i s a c haracteristic o f W estern F rance a nd t he p laquettes a nd b locks o f l arge s ize a re, i n a ll p eriods, a uxiliary t o t his.

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A ND C ANTABRIA

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S OUTH W EST F RANCE

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S TATE O F O BJECTS, ( COMPLETE , O R D EGREE O F F RAGMENTATION) A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION, A CCORDING T O D ATE. ( TABLE 4 )

I n s ome i nstances t he e ntry o f p laquettes i n t he c omplete a nd n early c omplete c ategories i s a m atter o f j udgment. I t i s e asy t o d ecide w hether a p ebble o r s capula i s c omplete, b ut l ess e asy t o d efend t he i nclusion o f a p iece o f l imestone o r a f ragment o f s chist. H owever, t here i s a c ategory c omprising t he i ndeterminable a s w ell a s t he f ragmentary o bjects a nd t he c ategory f or c omplete o bjects, i t i s h oped, o nly c ontains c onvincing p ieces. I t i s i nteresting t hat t he b roken a nd r eassembled c ategory h as s o f ew e ntries: t he d efinition a pplies t o p ieces b roken i n a ntiquity o r i n a m odern c ontext b ut t he p ercentage o f s uch p ieces r emains l ow i n e very r . egion ( 4.8% i n W estern F rance, 4 .6% i n t he P yrenees, 3 .7% i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion, 9 % o utside F ranco-Cantabria). T his i s r elevant t o t he q uestion o f " ritual" b reakage ( discussed i n t he I ntroduction); h ere o ne m ay o bserve t hat i f a p laquette w as b roken i nto p ieces a fter b eing d ecorated, t hen t he b reaking m ust u sually h ave b een d one i n s ome p lace o ther t han t hat i n w hich t he r emaining f ragment w as f ound, s ince i f t he o riginal p iece w as b roken i n s itu o ne w ould e xpect a g reater n umber o f r elated f ragments a nd r eassembled p ieces. I n W estern F rance c omplete p ieces a re m ost c ommon i n t he e arliest p eriod ( here d efined a s P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) a nd i n M agdalenian V ; t he p ercentage o f c omplete p ieces a t t hese s tages b eing r espectively 4 6.7% a nd 4 7.8%. I n t he p eriods t hat a re n umerically b est r epresented, t hat i s t he S olutrean, e arly M agdalenian a nd M agdalenian V I t he p roportion o f c omplete t o f ragmentary p ieces i s l ower a nd i n e ach c ase, s imilar ( 23.6% o f c omplete p ieces i n t he e arlier g roups, 2 3.7% i n t he l ater). A fter t he e arliest p eriods, t here i s n o s ignificant d ecrease o r i ncrease i n t he p roportion o f c omplete p ieces, w ith t he e xception o f t he g roup a ttributed t o M agdalenian V . T he h igh p roportion o f c omplete p ieces c annot h ere b e e xplained b y t he u se o f p ebbles a s a s upport m aterial, ( these a re c ommon i n t his r egion i n M agdalenian I V, b ut n ot i n V ); i t i s, h owever, a s mall s ample a nd t he n umber o f c omplete p ieces m ay b e d ue m ore t o c hance, o r m odern s election, t han t o a ny o ther s ignificant f actor. I n t he P yrenees t here i s n ot e nough m aterial f or a nalysis f rom t he e arly p eriods. A mongst t he a ccurately d ated p ieces, c omplete p laquettes a re f airly c ommon i n M agdalenian I V ( 33%) a nd m ost c ommon i n M agdalenian V I ( 42%). M agdalenian V I i s a p eriod i n w hich ( in t his r egion) p ebbles a re m uch u sed a s a f orm o f s upport a nd t hey a re l ess f ragile t han o ther m aterials b ut t he i ncidence o f c omplete p ieces i n M agdalenian I V h as n othing t o d o w ith t he u se o f p ebbles w hich a re v irtually n on-existent a t t his s tage ( 2 e xamples o ccur a mong 9 5 o bjects, s ee T able 2 ). I t a ppears f rom t he s ize o f t he p ieces ( see T able 3 ) a nd t he l esser d egree o f f ragmentation t hat h ere, i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V, p laquettes e ither s uffered l ess d amage o r t hat t he e ngravers c hose t o d raw o n l arger, l ess f ragile s upports ( for e xample, s talagmite i s u sed a s a s upport a t b oth E nlene a nd L abastide). S tylistically, a n umber o f P yrenean c ollections o f M agdalenian I V d ate c an b e c haracterized b y a f ondness f or d epicting c omplete a nimals a nd, a lthough o ne m ay a rgue t hat t hey a re c omplete b ecause t hey h ave n ot b een s mashed, t his s eems t oo f acile a n e xplanation. T hey a re d esigned c omplete a nd e ven w hen f ound i n f ragments t hey a re d istinctive. I t i s 3 4

d ifficult t o s ubstantiate a n o pinion a s s ubjective a s t his, h owever, a nd i t i s p referable s imply t o r emark t hat t he h igh n umber o f c omplete p ieces o f M agdalenian I V d ate i n t his r egion i s n ot c onsequent u pon t he s upport u sed. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain, c omplete p ieces a re m ost c ommon i n M agdalenian V I: i f t he n early c omplete g roup i s a dded t o t he c omplete, t he p roportion o f u nbroken p ieces i s o ver 6 0%; t he s ample i s s mall a nd n ot u nexpectedly, m ore t han h alf t he o bjects a re p ebbles. C omplete p ieces a re r elatively c ommon i n t he e arliest p eriods a nd r are i n b oth t he S olutrean/early M agdalenian s tage ( 7.3%) a nd i n M agdalenian I V ( 12.2%); o ne m ay a ssume t hat t he s capulae o f C astillo a nd t he s andstone p laquettes o f I sturitz a re r espectively r esponsible f or t hese l ow t otals. O utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea t here a re o nly t wo g roups s usceptible o f a nalysis, t hat i s t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd M agdalenian V I. T he g roup o f t en c omplete p ieces i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian r epresents t he p ebbles a t L a C olombiere o f p robable M agdalenian I V d ate. T he g roup o f e leven c omplete s mall p ieces i n M agdalenian V I, h owever, o nly i ncludes t wo p ebbles. L imestone f ragments a re u sed h ere a t t his s tage ( as i n W estern F rance) b ut t he i ncidence o f c omplete p ieces ( 4 U) i s m uch h igher t han i n W estern F rance ( 25.7%). A pparently n either s ize n or m aterials c an a ccount f or t he n umber o f c omplete p ieces o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i n M agdalenian V I a nd, f ailing a n e xplanation, o ne c an s uggest t hat, w ith a s mall s ample, t his i s d ue t o c hance o r t o m odern s election, e ither i n c ollecting o r p ublishing. H owever, i f t he u se o f p ebbles i s r esponsible f or t he h igh p roportion o f c omplete p laquettes i n t he l ate s eries o f t he P yrenees a nd C antabria n either t his e xplanation, n or c hance, c an b e h eld r esponsible f or t he i ncidence o f c omplete p ieces i n M agdalenian I V i n t he P yrenees. H ere t he e xistence o f c omplete p laquettes i s a pparently a m atter o f c hoice; t hat i s c hoice a s r eflected i n f irst c hoosing a r obust s upport f or d ecoration. S ize, a lso, i s p erhaps a r elevant f actor h ere, b ut s ince o ther g roups o f m oderate s ized p laquettes d o n ot s how t he s ame p orportion o f c omplete p ieces, o ne c annot p ut f orward t his f eature a lone a s a n e xplanation. I n c onclusion, t he d egree o f b reakage i n p laquettes i s a n a spect t hat h as l ittle r egional s ignificance. I f n ot d etermined b y t he m aterial o f t he s upport, o r b y s ize, i t s eems t o b e am atter o f h uman i ntervention o r o f p reservation ( see T able 5 ). T hat t hese f actors o perate i n t he P yrenees i n M agdalenian I V p erhaps r eflects t he i mportance o f t his c ultural s tage m ore t han t he c haracter o f t he r egion.

3 5

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3 6

A ND C ANTABRIA

O UTSIDE A QUITAINE

S OUTH W EST F RANCE

u s r4ex emo l u sTos eTa ly u sTpao2Tzed

( Percentages c alculated u pon

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r egion, a ccording t o d ate.

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C ONDITION O F S URFACES, W HETHER F RESH O R W ORN, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O D ATE . ( TABLE 5 )

P ercentages a re a ssessed o n t he t otal n umber o f s urfaces i ndexed o n t he c omputer f or e ach r egion, ( je 8 08 f or W estern F rance, 5 60 f or t he P yrenees e tc). I n s ome i nstances t he i nformation o f " fresh" o r " worn" w as l acking f or a p laquette s o t hat t he t able t otals f all s hort o f t he i ndexed t otals; f or e xample, i n W estern F rance, i n t he e arliest c hronological g roup t here a re 1 7 s urfaces r ecorded a s f resh a nd n one a s w orn b ut t here a re 2 0 s urfaces i ndexed f or t he p eriod: t he f resh s urfaces t herefore a ppear a s 8 5% a nd n ot 1 00% o f t he w hole. " Fresh" h ere m eans r elatively u nabraded a nd u ndamaged a nd, i f b roken, w ith f airly s harp f ractures r emaining. T he d efinition o f " worn" h as n othing t o d o w ith u se w hich i s i ndexed s eparately. W ear d enotes a brasion o f t he d ecorated s urface o r b lunting o f a f ractured e dge, d ue t o p hysical a ction i n t he d eposit i n w hich t he p laquette h as b een i ncorporated. I n W estern F rance t he e arliest p eriods h ave n o w orn p laquettes b ut i n a ll o ther p eriods t here a re a n a ppreciable n umber o f s uch p ieces; t he a verage p ercentage i s b etween 1 2% a nd 2 0% a nd i n M agdalenian I V a nd V I, t he p roportion r ises t o 2 8% a nd 3 0% r espectively. I n t he P yrenees t here i s t oo l ittle m aterial a vailable f or a ssessment i n t he e arly p eriods b ut i n a ll o ther s tages w orn p ieces a re g enerally u ncommon. 7 .1% f or M agdalenian I V i s t he h ighest p ercentage r ecorded i n t his r egion. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain t he r ecording i s p oor, w ith t he r esult t hat t he p ercentages c alculated a re t oo l ow a nd a re n ot v alid i n r elation t o e ach o ther. I sturitz m ust a ccount f or s uch w orn p ieces a s a re r ecorded i n t he P erigordian/Aurignacian/ G ravettian g roup a nd i n M agdalenian I V, C astillo f or t hose i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian, ( Solutrean, i n t his i nstance), b ut i n g eneral n o s ignificant d eduction c an b e m ade f or t his r egion, a lthough w ear a ppears t o b e a l ittle m ore c ommon h ere t han i t i s i n t he P yrenees. O utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea t he t able i s b etter f illed w ith r egard t o t he c ategories o f f reshness a nd w ear b ut t he p laquette m aterial a vailable h ere i s s canty. T he h igh v alues f or w ear i n t he t wo e arly p eriods s hould p erhaps b e v iewed w ith c aution w hen t here a re s o f ew p ieces i nvolved a nd w hen t he r atio o f f resh t o w orn p ieces i s c onsistent i n o ther p eriods. D ate a ppears t o h ave l ittle r elevance t o w ear; i t s eems p robable t hat w ear i s a l ocal o r i ndividual f actor, d epending o n t he p osition o f t he p laquette o r t he d egree o f e xposure o f e ach s ite, b ut i t i s i nteresting t hat i t o ccurs a lmost a s f requently o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria ( 11.2%) a s i n W estern F rance ( 16.9%) a nd t hat t hese t wo r egions a re s o d ifferent f rom t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion w here r espectively 2 .8% a nd 4 .6% o f t he s urfaces s how w ear. T he k nown d ifferences i n m aterial u sed a re p robably n ot r elevant, n or a re v ariations i n s ize b ut t he l ocation o f p laquettes i n a s ite c ould p rovide a n e xplanation. M any o f t he P yrenean c ollections c ome f rom d eep u nderground c aves; i n s ome i nstances a s a t B edeilhac a nd L abastide, t he p laquettes w ere a ssociated w ith a f ew f lints, a h earth p erhaps, b ut n ot w ith a ny s ubstantial o ccupation d eposit. I n o ther i nstances, t he h abitation d eposit ( as a t E nlene o r M as d 'Azil) i s i tself l ocated d eep i n a c ave a nd a lthough t he p laquettes w ere i ncorporated i n t he d eposit, t hey h ave p robably b een t rodden o n b y n o f eet o ther t han t hose o f t he o riginal o ccupiers w ho u sed t hese

3 7

s ubterranean g alleries f or a b rief s tay. I n W estern F rance t he c ircumstances a re d ifferent, h ere h abitation a nd p laquette c ollections a like a re u sually f ound i n o pen a ir s helters. T he c ellar g roup a t L a M adeleine s eems t o b e a n e xceptional c ase o f a g roup o f p laquettes i n a r eserved p lace, b ut g enerally t hey a re f ound i n t he o ccupational d ebris, i n s helters t hat a re e asily a ccessible a nd w here t he g round h as p robably b een m uch t rampled. B eing i n t he o pen a ir t hey h ave a lso b een s ubjected t o c onditions p roduced b y c limate a nd t emperature c hange, s uch a s a lternating f reeze a nd t haw a nd s olifluction p rocesses. T here i s n ot, p erhaps, e nough d etailed e vidence t o p rove o r d isprove t his e xplanation b ut i t s eems c onsistent t hat t he p laquettes f ound i n t he u nprotected o pen a ir s helters o f W estern F rance ( and o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea) s hould b e w orn a nd t hat t hose r ecovered f rom t he u nderground o ne p eriod s ites i n t he P yrenees s hould b e r elatively u ndamaged. I n c onclusion, w ear s eems t o b e a n a ttribute o f p laquettes t hat h as n o r egional s ignificance, e xcept i n s o f ar a s i t r eflects t he d ifferent h abitation p atterns t hat e xisted i n d ifferent r egions i n t he l ate U pper P alaeolithic.

3 8

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u eT1 .1 .9 . 5 .e . 10 u mToeu2Tany u eTpaa9Taad

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c m

S IGNS O F U SE O N P LAQUETTE S URFACES, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O D ATE. ( TABLE 6 )

" Signs o f u se" i nclude b attering, p eck m arkings a nd c hipping. T he f igures i ndexed h ere a re a lmost c ertainly d eficient. F ew a uthors m ention w hether a p laquette h as b een u sed a nd v ery f ew e arly i llustrators d raw i n t he m arks o f u se, s o t hat o ne h as t o r ely u pon f irst h and e vidence o r g ood p hotographs. 3 4 s urfaces s how u se i n W estern F rance. M agdalenian V I h as t he g reatest n umber, f ollowed b y t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian s tage, b ut t hese f igures r eflect t he n umber o f s urfaces i ndexed a t t hese p eriods r ather t han a h igh i ncidence o f u se. F or e xample, M agdalenian V I h as a t otal o f 3 11 s urfaces, 1 0 o f w hich s how u se ( 3.2%) t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian h as 2 37 s urfaces, 9 o f w hich s how u se ( 3.7%) w hile 1o ut o f 2 4 s urfaces s hows u se i n M agdalenian V . A part f rom a s light i ncrease i n M agdalenian I V ( 7.3%), t he f igures f or u se a re p roportional t o t he n umber o f s urfaces r ecorded a t a ll p eriods, w ith t he e xception o f t he e arliest s tage, ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) w here u se i s a l ittle m ore t han u sually c ommon. I n t he P yrenees t here a re 5 6 s urfaces s howing u se. T he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian c ategory h as 2 5 s urfaces s howing u se a nd M agdalenian V I h as 2 4, b ut t hese f igures a ssume a q uite d ifferent i mportance i n r elation t o t he t otal o f s urfaces r ecorded f or e ach s tage. T he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian h as 2 5 s urfaces s howing u se a mongst a t otal o f 3 53 s urfaces ( 7%) w hile M agdalenian V I h as 2 4 u sed s urfaces i n a t otal o f 3 7 ( 64%) M agdalenian I V a nd V h ave, r espectively, 3 u sed p ieces o ut o f a t otal o f 1 00 ( 3%) a nd 2 o ut o f a t otal o f 6 3 ( 3.1%). I n t his r egion m ost o f t he m aterial i ndexed f or t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian i s o f M agdalenian I V o r V d ate a nd t he p ercentages f or u se c onfirm t his a llocation. I n t he P yrenees u se b ecomes p roportionally o f f ar g reater i mportance i n M agdalenian V I t han i n a ny p eriod b efore. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria 3 8 s urfaces s how u se. T hey a re q uite n umerous i n t he e arliest s tage ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) w here 9 o ut o f a t otal o f 2 4 a re u sed ( 37%), o f l ittle i mportance i n t he s ucceeding p eriod ( Solutrean/early M agdalenian) o r i n M agdalenian I V, b ut r elatively i mportant i n M agdalenian V a nd V I. I n M agdalenian V 1 0 o ut o f a t otal o f 2 7 s urfaces s how u se ( 37%), i n M agdalenian V I 6 o ut o f 1 7 ( 35%). T his i s a p attern r eminiscent o f t he P yrenees b ut i n t he B asque/Cantabric r egion t he i ncrease i s n ot c onfined t o M agdalenian V I, n or i s i t s o m arked. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t here a re o nly 8 s urfaces r ecorded a s s howing u se a nd 5 o f t hese, o ut o f a t otal o f 6 f or t his s tage a re e pi-palaeolithic. I n t he t wo c hronological g roups o f a ny n umerical s ize M agdalenian V I h as o ne u sed s urface i n a t otal o f 2 6 a nd t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian o ne a lso. O ne m ay c onclude t hat u se w as n ot i mportant i n t his r egion, o r t hat i t o nly b ecame i mportant i n p ost U pper P alaeolithic c ontexts ( it i s r elevant t hat p ebbles a re v ery l ittle u sed h ere i n t he l atest s tages o f t he M agdalenian). T he r ecording o f e pi-Palaeolithic p ieces i s f ar f rom c omplete a nd s ince t hey a re i rrelevant t o t he p resent s urvey, i t i s b etter t o r egard u se a s h aving a s l ittle, o r l ess i mportance, o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t han i t h as i n W estern F rance.

4 0

T he i nteresting f eature o f t his t able i s t he i ncidence o f u se i n t he l atest s tage o f t he M agdalenian i n t he P yrenees. T his h as r elevance t o t he u se o f p ebbles a nd s chematic d ecoration i n t his a rea ( see T ables 2 , 2 1 a nd 1 1) a nd a ll e merge a s r egional c haracteristics. S igns o f u se o n s urfaces, a ssessed f or e ach r egion a ccording t o m aterial, w as a lso r un i n t he c omputer p rogramme; t he a nswers w ere a ltogether p redictable a nd h ad n o r egional s ignificance a nd i t s eems u nnecessary t o p rint t he t able i n f ull. I n t he B asque a nd C antabric a rea p ebbles w ere t he o nly s upport m aterial s howing u se; i n t he o ther t hree r egions, a lthough t his s upport w as b y f ar t he m ost c ommonly e mployed, t here w ere o ne o r t wo p ieces o f s andstone a nd s chist t hat h ad a pparently b een u sed a nd i n W estern F rance 4 e xamples o f l imestone. I n a ll 9 0% o f t he s urfaces s howing u se a re p ebbles. A s t he p revalence o f t his s upport s uggests, u se i s g enerally a s a " compressor". T ypically t he p ebbles s elected a re s mall, t hey a re e longated o r o val i n s hape a nd s how b attering o r c hipping a t o ne, o r b oth e nds o n o ne, o r b oth s urfaces. ( P1.4, b ,Figs 8 , a a nd 9 a ) T here i s n othing t o d istinguish t hem f rom h undreds o f s uch t ools i n U pper P alaeolithic d eposits, e xcept t hat t hey h ave b een d ecorated b y e ngraving. I n s o f ar a s o ne c an d etermine, t he p ebbles w ere a lmost a lways e ngraved b efore b eing u sed, b ut t here a re r are e xceptions t o t his. I n t he s ense t hat p laquettes, b y d efinition, a re n on-utilized o bjects t hese c ompressors s hould n ot b e i ncluded i n t his s urvey b ut i t i s a rbitrary t o d ifferentiate t hem f rom s imilar p ebbles w ith d ecoration t hat a re u nused. O ne m ay j ustify t he i nclusion o f u sed p ebbles i n t he c ategory o f p laquettes o n t wo g rounds; f irstly t hey a re n ot a m anufactured t ool: a c ompressor i s a n u ntrimmed p ebble, u sed a s a n i ntermediate t ool i n t he m anufacture, o r t rimming, o f o ther m anufactured p ieces a nd, s econdly, t he u se o f t hese p ieces i s s ubsequent t o t heir d ecoration. O ne c annot d etermine w hether t hese p ebbles w ere d ecorated i n o rder t o b e u sed a s a t ool, o r w hether t he d ecoration w as e ngraved o n a s uitable s tone s urface w hich w as l ater u sed a s a c ompressor a nd, t his b eing s o, t he f act t hat t hey h ave b een u sed n eed n ot e xempt t hem f rom t he c ategory o f p laquettes. M any o f t hese d ecorated c ompressors a re t o b e f ound i n t he t ool c ollections f rom a s ite r ather t han w ith t he a rt p ieces b ut t hey f orm a s ignificant g roup a mongst p laquettes, a t a ll p eriods, n ot l east b ecause t hey a re o ften d ecorated s chematically.

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C HAPTER 2

D ECORATION O F M ORE T HAN O NE S URFACE O N A S INGLE O BJECT, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION, A CCORDING T O T HE M ATERIAL O F S UPPORT. ( TABLE 7 )

W hen a n o bject h as t wo ( very r arely t hree) s eparate d ecorated s urfaces, i t i s i ndexed a s " decorated o n m ore t han o ne s urface" ( Punch C ard C ategory 5 0). W hen t here i s a s econd c ard f or t he d ecorated r everse s urface, t he n umber o f t his r elated c ard i s i ncluded i n t he c atalogue e ntry f or t he r elevant p iece a nd . when t here i s n o r elated c ard, d ecoration o n t he r everse i s s imply r ecorded b y i ndexing C ategory 5 0. W hen t he d ecoration o n a s ingle s urface o ver-runs t he e dge a nd i s c ontinued o n t he s ide o f t he s upport, i t i s i ndexed a s " decoration c arried o ver f rom o ne s urface t o a nother" ( Punch C ard C ategory 5 1) ( Fig 4 ,P1. 5 , a a nd P l. 6 a ). T his s econd f orm o f d ecoration i s m ore

F IG. 4 .

A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; l imestone p ebble, 1 0.5 x 8 .7

c m . H ere t he e ngraving o f t he h orse 's f orelegs i s c arried o ver o n t o t he s ide o f t he s tone . C ollection , B ritish M useum , C at. N o. 6 64.

c ommonly f ound i n W estern F rance t han e lsewhere a nd h ere, a lthough m ost e xamples o ccur o n l imestone, i t i s p roportionally o f m ost i mportance o n p ebbles. I n t he P yrenees i t i s a gain m ost o ften f ound o n l imestone s upports ( Fig 4 2) a lthough i t i s p roportionally o f m ost i mportance i n t he s mall c ategory o f b one a nd i vory. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain b oth n umerically a nd p roportionally, s andstone i s t he m ost c ommon s upport t o h ave d ecoration c arried f rom o ne s urface t o 4 3

P LATE 5

a .

L augerie B asse; l imestone p ebble, 6 .0 x 6 .0 c m, s howing a r eindeer f acing r ight.

T he e ngraving o f b oth r ump a nd a ntler i s c arried o ver o nto t he s ide s urface o f t he s tone. C ollection, M us e d e l 'Homme, M .N. 3 8.189. 1 323, p hoto 3 O ster. b .

L augerie B asse; l imestone p laque, 1 4.0 x 1 0.0 c m , s howing a h orse, f acing l eft, w ith

m ultiple l egs a nd t wo o utlines t o t he h ead, s o d rawn t o s uggest m ovement, o r p erhaps t o d uplicate t he a nimal f igure.

C ollection, M us e d e l 'Homme , M .H. 3 8.189.132 1; p hoto,

3O ster.

4 4

a nother a nd o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea i t o ccurs i n a lmost e qual p roportions o n p ebbles, l imestone a nd s chist. A s T able 1 2 s hows, t his t rait h as a r egional a nd c hronological s ignificance ( it i s a c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V i n W estern F rance) a nd t he p resent t able e ndorses t his, i n t hat i t d emonstrates t hat t he m aterial o f s upport i s n ot o f m uch i mportance i n d etermining s uch d ecoration. I n c ontrast, d ecoration o n t he o bverse a nd r everse o f a s ingle p iece s hows l ittle r egional o r c hronological p atterning ( see T able 1 2) b ut i s a pparently r elated t o t he s upport m aterial u sed. I n W estern F rance l imestone i s t he m aterial m ost o ften d ecorated i n t his m anner(117 e xamples), b ut p roportionally t his f orm o f d ecoration i s o f m ost i mportance o n s capulae a nd p ebbles. I n t he P yrenees, n umerically p ebbles h ave m ost t wo s ided d ecoration, f ollowed b y s andstone, a nd, p roportionally, t hese t wo s upports h ave t he s ame r elative i mportance. I n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion s andstone h as t he g reatest n umerical i ncidence, f ollowed b y p ebbles a nd s capulae, b ut p roportionally d ecoration o n t wo s urfaces o ccurs m ost o ften o n l imestone. T he p roportional i mportance o f b one s upports, o ther t han s capulae, i s h igh i n t his r egion b ut s ince t here a re o nly 1 1 s uch p ieces t hey a re n ot, a s a c ategory, o f m uch i mportance. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria p ebbles a re o f m ost i mportance, b oth n umerically a nd p roportionally, f ollowed b y s chist a nd l imestone. P ebbles e merge a s t he f orm o f s upport m ost o ften d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces; a lthough i n t he B asque/Cantabric r egion a nd i n W estern F rance t hey a re n ot o f f irst i mportance, t hey m aintain o verall t he h ighest p roportional i ncidence. Aw aterworn r iver p ebble i s s moothed o n a ll s ides a nd t he s mall, f lattish p ebbles t hat a re u sed a s p laquette s upports o ffer t wo w ell p repared s urfaces f or e ngraving. A fter p ebbles, t he m aterials m ost o ften d ecorated i n t his m anner a re s andstone a nd s capulae; s capulae a re s mooth o n b oth f aces, a lthough o ne s ide o ffers a l arge g round t hant t he o ther w hich i s t ransected b y a b ony r idge, a nd s andstone, l ike s chist, b eing a b edded r ock, f lakes i nto t abular p ieces w ith s imilar s urfaces a bove a nd b elow. I n W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees p laquettes o f l imestone a re l ess o ften d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces t han a re t hose o f a ny o ther m aterial t hough t his i s n ot s o m uch a c ondition o f t he m aterial a s o f i ts s tate. T he m ajority o f p ebbles a re l imestone, b ut w orn t o a s mooth s hape w hile t he p laquettes i ndexed h ere a s l imestone a re b locks, o r s labs, b roken f rom a m atrix, a nd o ne o r b oth s urfaces r emain r ough. R oughness i s n ot a lways a d eterrent t o e ngraving, t he s upports a t L a M arche, f or e xample h ave v ery p oor s urfaces, b ut w here t he l east b ad s urface i s e ngraved, t he w orst i s o ften l eft p lain. D ecoration o n t wo s urfaces i s n ot a c haracteristic o f a ny p articular r egion, o r p eriod, b ut, l ike f ragmentation ( Table 8 ) i t i s a c ategory t hat i s d ependent o n m aterial.

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( Percentages c alculated o n s urface t otal)

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C ONDITION O F S URFACES, W HETHER F RESH O R W ORN, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O T HE M ATERIAL O F S UPPORT. ( TABLE 8 )

H ere, a s i n T able 5 t he p ercentages f or w ear a re s ometimes t oo l ow b ecause t he n umber o f e ntries i n t he t able o n o ccasion f alls s hort o f t he i ndexed t otal o f s urfaces. " Fresh" d enotes a r elatively u ndamaged s urface a nd a s upport w hich, i f b roken, r etains s harp f ractures. " Worn" d enotes a n a braded s urface a nd f ractures t hat h ave b een r ounded o r b lunted b y p hysical a ction i n t he a rchaeological d eposit. W estern F rance a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a re t he o nly r egions w ith a ppreciable n umbers o f s capulae, b oth g roups ,as o ne m ight e xpect w ith s uch a f ragile b one, s how w ear. T he p ercentage o f 1 2.9% i n W estern F rance i s r ather l ow b ecause t his i s a n i ncompletely f illed t able ( ie 8 9 s capulae a re h ere i ndexed f or t he c ategories o f f resh o r w orn, b ut t here a re 1 24 s uch s upports i n t he r egion). A p ercentage c alculated o n t he t otal o f 8 9 g ives 1 7.9%, w hich i s m ore a ccurate. T he s capulae i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion a re a lso i ncompletely i ndexed a nd h ere t he p ercentage o f 1 3.3% c an b e m ore p roperly r ecalculated a s 2 5%. T he d ifference i n d egree o f w ear b etween t hese t wo r egions p robably h as l ittle s ignificance. T he g roup i n t he B asque a nd C antabric a rea r epresents o ne s ite o nly ( Castillo) w hile t he s capulae o f W estern F rance c ome f rom a n umber o f s mall s helters a nd t he d ifferences i n w ear a re p robably i ndividual t o t he s ite c oncerned. B one s upports, o ther t han s capulae a nd a ntler a re r are i n a ll r egions a nd t he a mount o f w ear s hown i s m oderate o r l ittle. I n W estern F rance t he w ear o n s tone s upports o ther t han l imestone i s n ot g reat b ut l imestone s hows ah igh p ercentage ( 32.1%). I n t he P yrenees p ebbles a nd l imestone s how s imilar p ercentages ( 8.2% a nd 8 .4%) a nd t his d egree o f w ear i s c onsistent w ith s tone s upports, o ther t han l imestone, i n W estern F rance. H owever t he t wo n umerically l argest g roups i n t he P yrenees, s andstone a nd s chist, s how v ery l ittle w ear ( respectively 2 .1% a nd 3 .3%) a nd t he m ud p laquettes s how n o w ear o r d amage a t a ll. T he t able f or t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion i s i nadequately d ocumented a nd t he p ercentages a re t oo l ow b ut t he d egree o f w ear i s p robably c onsistent w ith W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees. P ebbles s how a l ittle m ore t han a verage w ear a nd, i nterestingly, t he f ew l imestone p ieces f rom t his r egion s how n o w ear a t a ll. T he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a re w ell d ocumented w ith r egard t o i nformation a bout w ear b ut d o n ot c ontain m any p laquettes. H owever t he w ear o n p ebbles i s h ere c onsiderable ( 27.9%), q uite n oticeable o n s andstone ( 14.3%) a nd a verage o n l imestone ( 8.3%). I n g eneral t he d egree o f w ear o n s tone s upports i s f airly c onstant ( about 8 %) b ut t here a re i nteresting e xceptions t o t his. W hile i n W estern F rance a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t he s andstone a nd s chist p ieces s how a n a verage a mount, i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion s andstone e xhibits a f airly s mall d egree o f w ear a nd i n t he P yrenees e xceptionally l ittle ( 2.1%). S andstone i s n ot a h ard m aterial a nd t his a bsence o f w ear m ust r eflect t he s ituation d iscussed i n T able 5 , w hich i s t hat i n t he P yrenees m any o f t he p laquette c ollections a re i n e xceptionally p rotected l ocations, d eep i n c aves a nd i n g alleries t hat h ave b een l ittle f requented. T his o bservation a pplies t o I sturitz 4 7

a lso, w hich i s a d eep c ave h abitation w ith n o d aylight i n o ne h all ( Isturitz r epresents t he s andstone e lement i n t he B asque/Cantabric r egion). S andstone a nd s chist a re t he m ost u sual m aterial o f s upport i n t he M agdalenian i n t he P yrenees ( as a t I sturitz) a nd i t w ould a ppear t hat t he e xceptional l ocation o f t hese c ollections i s r esponsible f or t he l ack o f w ear. T he o ther e xception t o t he e xpected d egree o f w ear o ccurs i n t he l imestone p laquettes o f W estern F rance. T his h igh p ercentage i s n ot r epeated i n a ny o ther r egion w here w ear i s e ither u nexceptional, ( in t he P yrenees a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria), o r a bsent, a s i n t he B asque/Cantabric g roup. L imestone i s t he m ost c ommonly u sed s upport i n W estern F rance a nd a gain, a s s tated i n T able 5 , t he l ocation o f p laquettes i n o pen-air s helter h abitation d eposits i s p robably r esponsible f or t heir o ften d amaged s tate. T he p osition o f i ndividual p laquettes i s r arely r ecorded a nd o ne c annot d etermine t heir e xact l ocation w ith r egard t o t he o ccupation h orizons i n a s helter d eposit, b ut i t i s p robable t hat a n o pen a ir s helter i n D ordogne h as b een m uch f requented a nd t hat p laquettes h ere h ad l ittle p rotection f rom t reading o r t he g eological c onditions o f s lip, f reeze a nd t haw t hat a re k nown t o h ave a ffected s uch d eposits. D egrees o f f ragmentation, w ith r espect t o t he m aterials o f t he s upport, w ere a lso a ssessed o n t he c omputer; t he r esults m ay b e s ummarized a s f ollows. I n W estern F rance t here a re n o c omplete s capulae a nd v ery f ew c omplete p ieces o f o ther b one o r a ntler. T aking t he p ercentages f or c omplete a nd n early c omplete s urfaces t ogether a pproximately 7 0% o f t he p ebble s upports a re c omplete a nd 2 6% o f t he l imestone. I n t he P yrenees t he p roportion o f c omplete p ebble s urfaces i s a lmost a s h igh a s i n W estern F rance ( 67%) a nd, a gain, t he n ext m ost o ften c omplete s upport i s l imestone ( 34.8%). S capulae, o ther b one a nd a ntler a re r are i n t his r egion. S andstone s urfaces m ay b e u nworn ( see a bove) b ut t hey a re n ot o ften u nbroken; a pproximately 1 0% -15% o f t hese a re c omplete b ut m ud, w hich i s t he m ost f ragile o f s upports h as a n a ppreciable n umber o f c omplete p ieces ( 23.8%). H ere t he f ragmentation o f t he s andstone p laquettes i s p erhaps n ot am atter o f f ragility o r l ocation b ut r epresents s election; f ragmentary c ollections a re c haracteristic o f c ertain s tages i n t he P yrenees. T he m ud p laquettes, h owever, a re a ttributed t o M agdalenian I V, a p eriod i n w hich, i n t his r egion, t he s upports a re m ore t han u sually o ften c omplete ( see T able 4 ). T he B asque a nd C antabric r egion h as a l arge n umber o f s capulae, n one o f w hich a re c omplete ( in f act t here i s n ot a s ingle e xample o f a c omplete s capula i n a ny r egion, a lthough a f ew e xamples a re c lassified a s n early c omplete). T here a re v ery f ew o ther b one o r a ntler s urfaces, 5 2.2% o f t he p ebbles s urfaces a re c omplete a nd 2 7.8% o f t he l imestone. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t he p roportions o f c omplete p ebble a nd l imestone s urfaces a re h igh, 7 7.2% f or p ebbles a nd 6 2.5% f or l imestone, a lthough t he s chist s urfaces a re g enerally f ragmented. T here s eems t o b e n o p articular r eason f or t he h igher t han u sual p ercentages o f c omplete p ebble a nd l imestone p ieces h ere a nd i t i s p erhaps a r esult o f s elective m odern c ollecting o r ( in t his r egion) o f s elective p ublication. I t i s n ecessary t o q ualify t he s tatement m ade a bove, w ith r egard t o t he f ragmentation o f t he s andstone a nd s chist s upports o f M agdalenian I V d ate. S uch m aterials, w hich a re g enerally f ragmented, s how a h igher t han u sual p roportion o f c omplete p ieces a t t his s tage. I n c ertain s ites, B runiquel, I sturitz a nd E nlene, f or e xample, a n umber o f t he s upports c hosen f or e ngraving h ave b een b roken p rior t o d ecoration, t o 4 8

a chieve a p articular s hape. T his i s o ften p entagonal o r t rapezoidal a nd t he s hape i s o btained b y b reaking o ne, m ore,or a ll t he s ides o f t he s tone b efore i t i s e ngraved. T his p roduces a s ituation i n w hich, a lthough t he s upport i s a f ragment, t he p iece i s c omplete i n t his f orm a s a d ecorated p laquette. T here i s n o s pecial c ategory f or t his g roup o f d eliberately s haped s upports i n t he c omputer l ist; i t i s a n o bservation m ade i n t he s tudy o f i ndividual s ites b ut i t i s r elevant t o m ention i t h ere, i n r elation t o t he f ragmentation o f s upports. I n t he p resent s tudy s uch p ieces a re c lassified a s c omplete a nd t he t erm f ragmentary i s u sed t o d escribe p ieces o n w hich t he d ecorative d esign i s i ncomplete. I n c onclusion, n either w ear n or f ragmentation, a s r eflected i n t he s upport m aterial u sed,show a ny r egional d istribution. P ebbles a re, e xpectedly, t he m ost r obust s upport, f ollowed b y l imestone; s capulae a re p redictably f ragile. S uch v ariations i n w ear o r f ragmentation a s e xist b etween t he f our r egions d istinguished h ere a re a pparently d etermined b y e xceptional f actors s uch a s l ocation ( for w ear) o r b y h uman s election , w hether i n a ntiquity o r a t t he p resent d ay, f or d egrees o f f ragmentation.

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( continued) T echnique o f d ecoration, o n i ndividual s urfaces,

a uozs p aeH/au0;8a 11 41

T ECHNIQUE O F D ECORATION, O N I NDIVIDUAL S URFACES, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O T HE M ATERIAL O F S UPPORT. ( Table 9 )

I n c ertain o f t hese c ategories i t i s p ossible t o e nter a p laquette t wice, f or e xample a s urface m ay s how b oth m inimal a nd f ormalized s hading, w hile i n o ther i nstances c ategories a re n ot c ompletely f illed b ecause o ne c annot a ssess s hading f or v ery s mall f ragments; i n e ither c ase t he v alidity o f t he p ercentages i s a ffected a nd t hey s hould b e r egarded a s a r elative g uide o nly. T he f our c ategories d escribing s hading a nd t he s ingle c ategory o f p lain l ine d rawing a re c oncerned w ith t he f orm a nd a mount ( or a bsence) o f s hading o n e ach p laquette s urface; m inimal, ( Pl. 7 , b ) m oderate ( Fig 4 ) a nd f ormalized ( Pl. 1 7 b ) s h ding r efer t o t he d epiction o f n aturalistic f igures, p lain l ine d rawing a pplies e qually t o f igures a nd a bstract ( schematic) m otifs ( Pl. 4a a nd P l. 1 0, a a nd b ). O verall s hading i s a t reatment o f t he w hole s urface, o r b ackground, o f a p laquette ( P1 2 , b ). T his l ast o ccurs o n s capulae i n t he P yrenees a nd m ore f requently o n t he s ame s upport i n t he B asque P rovinces a nd C antabric S pain ( Fig 5 ); W estern F rance h as a l arge s eries o f s capulae b ut h ere o nly t wo s urfaces o ut o f a t otal o f 1 19 a re d ecorated i n t his w ay. T he t echnique i s v ery r arely u sed o n a ny o ther s upport m aterial e ither h ere, i n W estern F rance, o r o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria b ut i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion i t o ccurs o ccasionally o n s andstone, l imestone a nd s chist. S chematic s hading i s

F IG. 5 .

C astillo ; s capula, 1 8.6 x 4 .5 c ms. T he s urface i s e ngraved,

o r s haded, o ver t he w hole a rea, i ncluding t he t wo d eer h eads. C ollection , M useo A rquelogico N acional, M adrid.

D rawing a fter

A lmagro, 1 976.

a r arely u sed t echnique w hich d oes, h owever, o ccur o n a v ariety o f s upports. I t h as s ome i mportance i n t he d ecoration o f b one a nd i vory i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion; i n t he P yrenees i t o ccurs o n s capulae a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria o n a p ebble. M inimal a nd m oderate s hading ( minimal m ore t han m oderate) o ccur o n p ebbles, s chist a nd s andstone s urfaces i n W estern F rance ,a nd o n s capulae,but p lain l ine d rawing i s p redominant o n a ll s tone s urfaces h ere a nd s hading i s m ore u sed o n a ntler t han o n a ny o ther s upport. ( The s upport c ategories o f o ther b one, i vory a nd m ud a re n umerically t oo s mall t o a ssess i n t his r egion). I n t he P yrenees p lain l ine d rawing p redominates o n m ud a nd a ll s tone s urfaces, w ith t he e xception o f l imestone. I n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion m inimal a nd m oderate s hading a re u sed o n s capulae, 5 2

s andstone a nd s chist, b ut v ery l ittle e mployed o n p ebbles o r l imestone. O utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric r egion a l ittle m inimal a nd m oderate s hading i s f ound o n a ll s tone s urfaces, b ut p lain l ine d rawing i s p redominant ( in t his a rea t he o nly m aterials u sed i n a ny q uantity a re p ebbles, s chist a nd l imestone). T hree c ategories r ecord t he d epth o f l ine e ngraved o n e ach p laquette s urface. I t i s n ot a lways p ossible t o a ssess t his f rom p ublished m aterial a nd t hese c ategories a re t hus i ncomplete. I n W estern F rance d eep c utting i s u sed o n s andstone, s chist a nd a ntler, b ut i s r are o n p ebbles a nd s capulae, a s i s d eep a nd s hallow c utting c ombined. T his l ast c ombination, h owever, i s u sed o n a bout 2 0% o f a ll o ther s upports ( Pl. 6 , b ). S hallow c utting p redominates o n p ebbles a nd l imestone ( Pl. 3 a ). I n t he P yrenees d eep c qtting i s u sed f requently o n m ud p laquettes, t o a n a ppreciable d egree o n l imestone a nd a l ittle o n o ther s urfaces i ncluding p ebbles a nd s capulae. D eep a nd s hallow c utting i s a gain c ommon o n m ud p laquettes a nd o n s capulae a nd, t o a l esser d egree, o n s andstone. S hallow c utting i s p redominant o n p ebbles a nd o n s chist, b ut l ess m arkedly s o o n l imestone. I n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion b oth d eep a nd d eep a nd s hallow c utting o ccur m ost o ften o n s andstone, d eep a nd s hallow c utting o ccurs a lso o n l imestone, s capulae a nd o ther b one s urfaces, w hile 8 5% o f p ebbles a re c ut w ith a s hallow l ine. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria p ebbles, s urprisingly, s how a c onsiderable d egree o f b oth d eep a nd d eep a nd s hallow c utting, a lthough t his f eature i s n ot s o m arked a s i t i s o n l imestone. 6 2% o f t he l imestone s urfaces i n t his r egion s how d eep, o r d eep w ith s hallow c utting, s chist, h owever, s hows v ery l ittle o f e ither o f t hese v ariants.

F IG . 6 .

A bri M orin ; s capula, 1 8.6 x 6 .2 c m , s howing m ultiple h ind

l egs, e ngraved t o s uggest a g roup o f r eindeer, o r af ew a nimals m oving. I nstitut d e g uarternaire, U niversity o f B ordeaux. D rawing a fter L aurent, 1 975.

F igures, o r p arts o f t hese, e ngraved w ith a m ultiple o utline ( to c reate m ovement, o r t o d uplicate t he f igures) a re a f eature i n t he d ecoration 1 o f p laquettes ( Figs.6, 7a nd 1). I t i s a t echnique u sed m ost i n W estern F rance w here i t o ccurs o n s capulae, a ntler, s chist a nd l imestone. 6 5% o f t he s urfaces d ecorated i n t his w ay a re l imestone ( Pl. 5 b ) a nd s capulae a re t he n ext m ost i mportant s upport m aterial w ith 2 0%. T he B asque a nd C antabric r egion a nd t he s ites o utside 5 3

A quitaine a nd C antabria h ave o ne e xample e ach o f t his t echnique w hile t he P yrenees h as s ix, a ll o ccurring o n d ifferent s upport m aterials. T hree f urther c ategories r ecord l ow r elief. I n W estern F rance s hallow c ut l ow r elief a nd r elief c ombined w ith e ngraving a re e mployed p rincipally o n a ntler a nd a s mall p ercentage o f l imestone s urfaces s how l ow r elief c ombined w ith e ngraving. I n t he P yrenees l ow r elief, u sually s hallow c ut, o r c ombined w ith e ngraving, o ccurs o n s andstone a nd m ud a nd t o a m uch l esser d egree ( combined w ith e ngraving) o n s capulae. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain s andstone i s a gain t he m aterial u sed f or l ow r elief o f a ll f orms ( 29% o f s andstone p ieces s how s ome r elief w ork) b ut h ere i t d oes n ot o ccur o n s capulae. O utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea t here a re o nly t wo s urfaces s howing l ow r elief ( shallow , a nd c ombined w ith e ngraving), b oth o f w hich a re l imestone. A s ingle c ategory d enotes s urfaces s howing a ny f orm o f c olouring. I n W estern F rance l imestone s urfaces a re m ost o ften c oloured, f ollowed b y p ebbles, s andstone a nd, i n t wo i nstances, s capulae. I n t he P yrenees c olour i s a gain m ost o ften f ound o n l imestone ( although i n t his r egion i t i s n ot t he m ost c ommonly u sed s upport m aterial) a nd a lso o n s andstone, s chist a nd p ebbles; i t e ven o ccurs o n m ud. I n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion c olouring o ccurs m ost o ften o n s andstone a nd a lso o n s chist a nd l imestone. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria c olour i s f ound o n l imestone a nd s andstone. T here s eems t o b e n o s ignificant a ssociation b etween a p articular s upport m aterial a nd c olour a nd, s ince o ne c annot o ften d etermine w hether c olour i s d ue t o p aint, o chre i n t he d eposit, o r b urning, i t i s u nprofitable t o a ttempt a n e xplanation. T able 1 3 s hows t hat c olour h as a c hronological i ncidence b ut i t h as, a pparently, n o r egional o r m aterial b ias. D eep a nd s hallow c utting a nd a u se o f l ow r elief a re a llied c ategories. G enerally, t heir o ccurrence i s p ractical a nd d etermined b y t he s upport, a s i n t he u se o f s andstone f or l ow r elief w ork ( in t he B asque/Cantabric a nd P yrenean r egions) o r m ud i n t he P yrenees. S andstone, m ud a nd l imestone a re t he m aterials u sed f or d eep c ut e ngraving a lso w hile p ebbles ( with t he e xception o f s ome e xamples o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria) a re e ngraved w ith a s hallow l ine. T his l ast g roup a re a n e xception t o t he r ule o f p racticality f or a lthough h ard, m any p ebbles a re h ere e ngraved w ith a d eep c ut l ine. O ne m ay a ssume t hat t he s andstone u sed a t I sturitz a ccounts f or t he i mportance o f l ow r elief c arving i n t his r egion ( Basque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria) w hile t he u se o f t he s ame m aterial a t Be deilhac, i n t he P yrenees, i s r esponsible f or t he i ncidence o f d eep c ut e ngraving i n t his r egion i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V ( see T able 1 3). P LATE 6 a .

A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; s mall, w aterworn l imestone b lock, 1 0 .0 x 9 .0 c m .

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t oo l ittle s pace h as b een a llowed t o c omplete t he b ison a nd p art o f i ts h ead i s d rawn o n t he a djoining s ide s urface .

C ollection, B ritish M useum .

C at. N o. 6 58, p hoto J ack S keel.

( Foran e xplanatory d rawing, s ee F ig . 1 0). b .

L a M arche; l imestone p laquette, 1 0.0 x 8 .0 c m , s howing a f emale f igure w ho m ay b e

s een a s f at o r s lim , a ccording t o t he i nterpretation o f t he l ines. s hallow c utting i s u sed i n t he d ecoration o f t his s tone. t es N ationales, 7 7684, p hoto, c ourtesy o f L eon P ales.

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T he u se o f m ultiple l ines i s a c haracteristic f eature o f W estern F rance a nd t he s upport u sed i s n ot o f g reat s ignificance, e qually, t he u se o f o verall s hading i s a c haracteristic o f t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque/ C antabric r egion w here a gain t he a ssociation w ith a p articular s upport ( scapulae) s eems t o b e i ncidental r ather t han s ignificant, s ince i t d oes n ot o ccur o n t he s capulae o f W estern F rance. T he P yrenees i s t he o nly a rea i n w hich l imestone s urfaces s how s hading b ut t his i s a m atter o f d ate, r ather t han m aterial f or l imestone i s e xceptionally i mportant h ere a s a p laquette s upport i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V. C ertain s upports i nvite, o r d iscourage, c ertain f orms o f d ecoration b ut i n t he m atter o f r egional p atterning o f d ecoration t echniques, t he c hoice o f m aterial a ppears l ess i mportant t han s tyle a nd d ate.

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T he " identifiable f igure" c ategory u sed h ere i s c omprehensive a nd g eneralized; i t i s u sed s imply t o d enote t hat t here i s a n i dentifiable n aturalistic f igure o n t he p laquette s urface i n q uestion. T his m ay b e a nimal o r h uman, o r a c haracteristic p art o f e ither a nd m ore t han o ne f igure m ay b e r epresented. T his c ategory i s n ot c oncerned w ith t he n umber o f f igures b ut w ith t heir i dentification; o ther m ore s pecific c ategories d enote m ore t han o ne f igure, m ore t han o ne f igure o f t he s ame a nimal s pecies a nd f igures o f d ifferent s pecies. N one o f t hese a uxiliary c ategories g ive t he n umber o f f igures d epicted; a s e ntered h ere t hey s imply i mply m ore t han o ne. T hree f urther c ategories a re c oncerned w ith t he c ompleteness o f f igures, a nd t wo m ore w ith t he p ositioning o f a ssociated f igures o n a s ingle s urface; o ne o f t hese d enotes s uperimpositions i n t he s ame p lane ( Fig. 1 ), a nd t he o ther d enotes f igures d rawn i n d ifferent p lanes, w hich a re u sually s uperi mposed ( Fig. 2 ), b ut n eed n ot b e. T he t hree p enultimate c ategories, n arrative s cenes ( Pl. 1 4, b ), a nimals w ith y oung ( Pl. 7 , a ) a nd c omposite a nimals n eed l ittle e xplanation, a ll a re r are ( the l ast e xceptionally s o). T he f inal c ategory i s i ndexed f or a n a nimal o r h uman f igure w ith u nusual a ttributes ( such a s a b ison w ith i ts t ongue p rotruding) ( Fig. 7 ) o r i n a n u nusual a ttitude, s uch a s h ead l owered,

F IG. 7 .

R ochereil; f ragment o f s capula, 9 .5 x 4 .25 c m, s howing a

l arge b ovid ( perhaps a b ison) w ith i ts h ead d rawn i n d uplicate a nd i ts t ongue p rotruding.

C ollection, M us e d e B rantöme.

5 9

g razing o r t rotting, e tc ( P1.11, b ). I t w ould h ave b een b etter t o h ave i ndexed t hese f eatures s eparately f or u nusual a ttributes a re a c haracteristic o f o ne p eriod a nd u nusual p ostures o f a nother, b ut t his i s a d ivision I d id n ot a nticipate w hen d esigning t he p unch c ard c ategories f or t he c omputer. T he d istinction i s n oted h owever, i n t he i ndividual e ntries. I n W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees i dentifiable a nimals a re m ost c ommon o n p ebbles a nd l imestone, i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain o n s chist, f ollowed b y ( in t he n umerically i mportant c ategories) p ebbles a nd l imestone a nd i n s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria o n l imestone. C omplete f igures a re m ost c ommonly f ound o n p ebbles i n t he P yrenees, t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, w hile i n W estern F rance . a ntler i s t he s upport w ith m ost c omplete f igures, f ollowed b y p ebbles a nd s chist; i n t he P yrenees a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria l imestone i s t he s econd m ost u sual s upport f or s uch f igures. T hese f requencies a ppear t o b e d etermined b y t he i ncidence o f c omplete s upports ( see T able 8 ). P ebbles a re, i n a ll r egions, t he f orm o f s upport t hat i s m ost o ften c omplete, f ollowed b y l imestone. A s a c orollary t o t his, i ncomplete f igures a re u sually f ound o n f ragile s upports; i n W estern F rance o n s capulae, i n t he P yrenees o n m ud, s chist, s andstone a nd s capulae, i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain o n l imestone ( an a nomaly?) a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria o n s chist. T he p roportions o f r ecognisable a nd c omplete a nimals a ppear t o b e m ore a m atter o f p reservation a nd t he s trength o f t he s upport t han a q ualitative c hoice o f s urface. T he t wo e xceptions t o t his a re t he s eries o f a ntler p laquettes i n W estern F rance a nd t he n umber o f i ncomplete f igures o n a r obust s upport ( limestone) i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain. T he a ssociation o f a nimals, w hether o f t he s ame o r d ifferent s pecies, i s n ot l ikely t o b e i nfluenced b y t he m aterial o f t he s upport, e xcept a s a m atter o f h uman c hoice. T he p ercentage f igures r eflect t his. I n W estern F rance, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion p ebbles h ave m ore a ssociations o f t he s ame t han d ifferent a nimals ( a p attern t hat i s r eversed o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, h owever) w hile a ntler i n W estern F rance a nd s capulae i n t he P yrenees s how o nly a ssociations o f d ifferent a nimals. A ssociations i n g eneral s how l ittle r elation t o a p articular s upport, f or e xample, i n W estern F rance s chist a nd l imestone h ave m ost a ssociations, i n t he P yrenees s capulae a nd s chist, i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion s capulae a nd p ebbles a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria p ebbles a nd l imestone. W estern F rance a nd t he B asque/Cantabric r egion h ave l arge s capulae c ollections b ut w hile a ssociations a re f requent o n t his m aterial i n t he s econd l ocality, i n t he f irst t hey a re l ess s o. T he s ame o bservation ( that t he s upport m aterial i s n ot a n i mportant d etermining f actor) a pplies t o s uperimpositions, i nversions, n arrative s cenes a nd t he d epiction o f u nusual p ostures. I n f act, s capulae i n W estern F rance a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion h ave a h igh i ncidence o f s uperimpositions ( complex o ver-engraving i s o ften u sed o n t his m aterial) b ut o therwise a n e xtensive s urface i s a ll t hat i s r equired f or a n arrative s cene a nd u nusual p ostures a nd i nversions a re a m atter o f d ate a nd s tyle r ather t han o f m aterial. T he a ntler p laquettes o f W estern F rance f orm a n e xceptional g roup; t hey a re t he o nly f ragile s upport w ith a h igh i ncidence o f c omplete f igures a nd, i n a ddition , t hey e xhibit a h igh f requency o f u nusual p ostures, o r 6 0

a ttributes, o f i nversions a nd o f n arrative s cenes. A ntler i s a n u nusual f orm o f s upport, a nyway, a nd 8 o f t he 1 1 p ieces r ecorded i n W estern F rance ( which h as b y f ar t he m ost e xamples) a re f rom L augerie B asse ( Pl. 7 , b , a nd P l. 1 1, a ). T he d ecoration o f t his s eries i s e xceptionally e laborate, b oth i n t echnique a nd c ontent a nd t hey e merge a s a n o utstanding g roup b oth f rom t he p resent t able a nd f rom t he i ndividual s ite a nalysis. H owever, t hey a re a n i ndividual, r ather t han a r egional f eature a nd i n g eneral t his s urvey o f n aturalistic d ecoration w ith r egard t o d isposition a nd f orm p roduces n o r egional p atterning i n t he m atter o f t he m aterials u sed.

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S CHEMATIC D ECORATION O N I NDIVIDUAL S URFACES, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O T HE M ATERIAL O F S UPPORT. ( TABLE 1 1)

S igns w ithout a nimal f igures, a c ategory i ncluded i n T able 2 1, i s o mitted h ere; t he e ntries a re t oo f ew t o m erit l isting b y m aterial. T he c ategory o f g eometric o r s chematic d ecoration i s i ndexed f or a ll n on-naturalistic d ecoration s uch a s c riss-cross l atticing, z igzags, d iamonds, p arallel l ines e tc. ( Pl. 2 a, F ig. 8 a , ba nd c . F ig. 9 a a nd b ).

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r espectively, a p ebble 1.5 x 5 .2 c m a nd a f ragment o f s chist, 5 .8 x3 .0 c m ; c , B edeilhac, a f ragment o f s andstone, 5 .7 x 4 .6 c m ( The d ecoration o n t he r everse o f t his p iece i s i llustrated i n P l. 9 , a ). C ollection , M usde d es A ntiquites N ationales, 4 8 140 w , 4 83 13 a nd 7 6966. E 6.

I n g eneral, t he r esults o f a ssessing s chematic d ecoration a ccording t o m aterial a re a s f ollows: i n W estern F rance 2 6 p ebble s urfaces a re d ecorated i n t his w ay a nd 4 0 l imestone s urfaces. O nly 3 o ut o f a t otal o f 1 07 s capulae s urfaces s how s uch d ecoration a nd t he i ncidence i s l ow f or a ll o ther m aterials. I n t he P yrenees 5 1 p ebble s urfaces h ave s chematic d ecoration; n o o ther c ategory h as s o m any, t here a re 1 6 e xamples o n s chist, 1 4 o n s andstone a nd 6 o n s capulae. P roportionally, t he i ncidence o f s chematic d ecoration o n p ebbles i s v ery m arked h ere a nd t he p roportion f or s capulae i s h igh , b ut t here i s o nly a s mall s ample, ( 15), f or t his l ast g roup a nd t he h igh p roportion i s p erhaps d ue t o c hance. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain t he i mportance o f s chematic d ecoration i s g enerally l ess, 1 1 p ebbles a re s o 6 3

d ecorated, 8 s andstone s urfaces a nd 4 s chist. P ebbles s till r emain t he g roup w ith t he h ighest p roportion o f s chematic d ecoration. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria h owever, t he s ituation c hanges, o nly t wo p ebbles h ere s how s chematic d ecoration w hile i t i s p roportionally m ost i mportant o n l imestone s urfaces. T he e vidence f rom W estern F rance, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque-Cantabric r egion s uggests t hat s chematic d ecoration i s a c haracteristic o f p ebbles, h owever T able 2 1 d emonstrates t hat s chematic d ecoration i s a lso a m atter o f d ate a nd t hat i t b ecomes i ncreasingly i mportant t owards t he e nd o f t he M agdalenian. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, M agdalenian V I i s t he s tage a t w hich m ost s chematic d ecoration o ccurs a nd t his, p erhaps, e xplains w hy i t i s h ere a ssociated w ith l imestone s urfaces a nd n ot w ith p ebbles s ince, a s T able 2 s hows, p ebbles a re v ery l ittle u sed i n t his r egion a t t his p eriod. I f d ate w ere w holly r esponsible f or s chematic d ecoration, h owever, t he a ssociation b etween t his d ecorative f orm a nd p ebbles s hould b e l ess m arked t han i t i s i n W estern F rance w here l imestone i s t he m ost u sed m aterial, ( followed b y s capulae) i n M agdalenian V I, a nd w here, a t t his s tage, p ebbles a ccount f or o nly 1 0% o f t he t otal. ( Pebbles f orm 7 5% o f t he m aterial u sed f or s upport i n t he P yrenees i n M agdalenian V I a nd 6 3% o f t he t otal i n t his p eriod i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion). B oth f actors, m aterial a nd d ate,

F IG. 9 .

E xamples o f s chematic d ecoration f rom L a V ache; t wo

p ebbles, a , 1 0.5 x 4 .2 c m, b , 6 .6 x 2 .6 c m , b oth i n t he c ollection o f t he M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales .

6 4

m ust o perate f or s chematic d ecoration, d ate b eing m ore i mportant o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a nd m aterial m ore i mportant i n W estern F rance. B oth f actors c onverge i n t he P yrenees t o p roduce t he p ronounced b ias t owards s chematic d ecoration t hat e xists h ere i n t he l atest s tage o f t he M agdalenian. S igns o f u se, a ccording t o d ate ( Table 6 ) s hows u se t o b e v ery c ommon o n p laquettes o f M agdalenian V I d ate i n t he P yrenees. S igns o f u se, a ccording t o m aterial, h as n ot b een p rinted h ere b ecause i ts r esults a re s o u niform . P ebbles, w ith f ew e xceptions, a re t he m aterial s howing u se, u se i n t his c ontext b eing u se a s a c ompressor ( Fig. 8 , a , F ig. 9 , a a nd b ). T he a ssociation o f s chematic d ecoration w ith p ebbles, a nd p ebbles w ith u se, i s o f i nterest a nd s uggests t hat s chematic d ecoration i s p erhaps r elated t o u se. I f t his i s m ost p ronounced i n t he P yrenees, i t a pplies i n o ther r egions a lso: u se i s a lways a ssociated w ith p ebbles, a nd s chematic d ecoration i s v ery o ften s o. " Signs o f u se" i s a n i ncompletely f illed c ategory, s ince m any a uthors c onsider t hat i ts e xistence i s n ot r elevant t o d ecoration, a nd t he a ssociation o f u se w ith s chematic d ecoration m ay b e m ore c ommon t han t hese t ables s how . C ertain b one a nd a ntler t ool g roups, u sually t hose t hat a re o f i nterm ediate, o r n on-expendable, u se s uch a s s pear t hrowers, o r b ullr oarers, h ave d ecoration t hat i s p eculiar t o t heir t ype a nd w hile s uch d ecoration i s p rincipally n aturalistic i t i s a lso s ometimes a ssociated w ith a p articular f orm o f s chematic d ecoration, f or e xample t he f äon ä l 'oiseau s pear t hrowers h ave a c haracteristic, n on-naturalistic f orm o f s haft d ecoration a nd t he " wolf a nd c ervid" m otif o n b ull-roarers i s o ften c ombined w ith a p articular g eometric d ecoration o n t he r everse s urface. C ompressors, w hich o ne m ay c laim a re a t ool o f t he s ame n one xpendable c ategory, e ven i f n ot m anufactured o bjects, o ften h ave s chematic d ecoration b ut w hether t his a ssociation i s d ue m ore t o d ate o r s upport t han i t i s t o f unction o ne c annot d etermine. H owever, t hat u se, s chematic d ecoration , a nd t he c hoice o f p ebbles a s a s upport a ll o ccur a s a l ate f eature i s a n o bservable f act ( see T ables 6 , 2 1 a nd 2 ) a nd a ll h ave a p articular i mportance i n t he P yrenees.

6 5

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6 6

A ND C ANTABRIA

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C HAPTER 3

D ECORATION O F M ORE T HAN O NE S URFACE O N A S INGLE O BJECT, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION, A CCORDING T O D ATE. ( TABLE 1 2)

W hen e ach d ecorated s urface i s a s eparate e ntity a n e ntry i s m ade f or t he c ategory o f " decorated o n m ore t han o ne s urface". T here a re u sually o nly t wo d ecorated s urfaces, o bverse a nd r everse, b ut t his c ategory i s g iven a f lexible d escription, t o a llow f or d ecoration o n t hree s ides. T his i s, h owever, a v ery r are f eature, a nd t o d ate o nly t hree e xamples a re i ndexed a mong 1 550 o bjects. T he m ajority o f p ieces w ith d ecoration o n t wo s ides h ave t oo l ittle e ngraving o n t he r everse t o m erit a s econd c ard a nd t he e xistence o f s uch d ecoration i s r ecorded b y i ndexing P unch C ard C ategory 5 0 " decorated o n m ore t han o ne s urface". T here a re a n umber o f p ieces, h owever, w ith a c ard f or e ach s urface ( 227 o ut o f a t otal o f 3 02 d ecorated o n t wo s ides), t hese a re i ndexed f or t he r elevant c ategory, a nd, i n a ddition, t he r elated c ard n umber i s p rinted i n t he c atalogue e ntry f or t he r elevant p iece. W hen t he d ecoration o n a s ingle s urface e xtends o ver t he e dge o nto t he s ide o r e xceptionally, o nto t he r everse s urface, t his i s e ntered i n a s eparate c ategory ( Decoration c arried o ver f rom o ne s urface t o

F IG. 1 0.

A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; s mall, w aterworn, l imestone

b lock, 1 0.0 x 9 .0 c m . H ere t he e ngraving o f t he b ison 's h ead h as b een c ompleted o n t he s ide s urface o f t he s tone. C ollection, B ritish M useum , C at. N o. 6 58.

6 7

a nother). S ometimes t here i s i nsufficient s pace f or a n a ntler ,head ,or , l eg o n t he o bverse s urface a nd, i n c ompleting i t, t he e ngraving i s e xtended o nto t he s ide ( Fig. 1 0, P l. 5 a a nd F ig. 4 ). I t i s n ot a c ommon f eature i n a ny p eriod o r r egion, W estern F rance w ith 4 5 e xamples ( 6.2% o f t he t otal o f o bjects) h as t he m ost. N umerically t his c ategory i s m ost c ommon h ere i n t he S olutrean, e arly M agdalenian p eriod a nd t hen i n M agdalenian I V; p roportionally, h owever, t he i ncidence i s m ost m arked i n M agdalenian I V a nd o f l east i mportance i n t he l atest s tages o f t he M agdalenian. I n t he P yrenees d ecoration c arried o ver f rom o ne s urface t o a nother i s a r are f eature. T here a re 1 1 e xamples o nly, f orming 2 .1% o f t he t otal o f o bjects. N umerically t here a re m ore e xamples i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian p eriod ( 4 e xamples) a nd i n M agdalenian I V ( 3 e xamples) t han a t o ther p eriods a nd p roportionally t he i mportance o f t his c ategory i s g reatest i n M agdalenian I V. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria d ecoration c arried o nto a s ide s urface i s a gain a r are f eature; t here a re 9 e xamples i n a ll ( 3.7% o f t he o bject t otal) o f w hich 7o ccur i n M agdalenian I V. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t here a re o nly 4 e xamples o f t his d ecorative d evice b ut t hese f orm 5 .1% o f t he o bject t otal w hich h ere i s s mall: t wo o f t hese o ccur i n t he e arliest s tage ( defined i n t his s urvey a s P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian). I n g eneral, t his d ecorative t rick o f o verrunning t he t op s urface i s u sed m ost i n W estern F rance a nd l east o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, b ut i ts o ccurrence s eems t o b e i mportant c hronologically, r ather t han r egionally , f or i n t he t hree r egions w ith M agdalenian I V p laquette c ollections ( Western F rance, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion) i t i s u sed m ore a t t his s tage t han a t a ny o ther. I n W estern F rance i t i s p roportionally m ost c ommon a t t his s tage, i n t he B asque C antabric r egion 7 o ut o f 9 e xamples o ccur a t t his p eriod a nd i n t he P yrenees, a lthough i t i s g enerally l ittle u sed, i t a ppears m ost o ften i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd i n M agdalenian I V. H aving s aid a bove t hat d ecoration c arried o nto t he s ide s urface u sually r esults f rom a llowing i nsufficient s pace f or t he f igure o n t he m ain s urface, i t i s c onsistent t o f ind t his f eature i s c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V. T his i s t he p eriod i n w hich f igures a re p acked i nto t heir g round ( Pl. 1 , ba nd P l. 3 , b ) a nd w hen l arge f igures a re p referred. ( See L eroiG ourhan 's d efinition o f " cadrage ä c hamp t otal" 1 978 ,and T able 1 4). I f t he s ize o f a f igure i s m iscalculated, o ne s olution i s t o d raw p art o f i t o ver t he e dge ( Pl. 6 , a ). I n t his r espect t his c ategory a ppears a s a c orollary t o o ther s tylistic f orms a lthough, i n p revalence, t he t rait a ppears a s a r egional c haracteristic o f W estern F rance. T his i s i nteresting, i n t hat M agdalenian I V i s n umerically l ess w ell r epresented h ere t han i n e ither t he P yrenees o r t he B asque/Cantabric a rea. T he c ategory t hat r egisters d ecoration o n m ore t han o ne s urface d oes n ot h ave t he s ame i mplications. T he n umber o f p laquettes d ecorated o n t he r everse a s w ell a s t he o bverse s urface f orms 2 9% o f t he w hole i n W estern F rance ( 212 p ieces a re d ecorated o n t wo s ides o ut o f a t otal o f 7 18 o bjects) 2 9% i n t he P yrenees ( 150 p ieces i n a t otal o f 5 15 o bjects) 3 4% i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria ( 83 p ieces i n a t otal o f 2 40) a nd 4% o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria ( 34 p ieces s how 4 d ecoration o n t wo s ides, o ut o f a t otal o f 7 7 o bjects). T he h igh p roportion i n t his l ast r egion h as n o a pparent a rchaeological e xplanation a nd i s p robably d ue, i n t his r egion, t o s elective c ollection a nd i ncomplete p ublication. I n W estern F rance t he S olutrean 6 8

a nd e arly M agdalenian s tage h as t he g reatest n umber o f p laquettes d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces, a nd t hey a re p roportionally o f m ost i mportance i n t his s tage a lso. T hey a re o f l east i mportance i n M agdalenian V a nd V I. I n t he P yrenees t his s ituation i s r eversed; p laquettes d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces a re m ost c ommon n umerically i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd M agdalenian V I, p roportionally o f m ost i mportance i n M agdalenian V I a nd o f l east i mportance i n M agdalenian I V. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria, a lthough n umerically m ost c ommon i n M agdalenian I V, p laquettes d ecorated o n t wo s ides a re p roportionally m ost i mportant i n M agdalenian V I ( as i n t he P yrenees) a nd l east c ommon i n t he e arliest p eriods. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t his u sage i s m ost c ommon n umerically a nd p roportionally i n M agdalenian V I, b ut t he v alues f or t he t hree p eriods w ell r epresented h ere a re a ll m uch t he s ame. T he h igh i ncidences o f p laquettes d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces h ave n o a pparent c hronological c onsistency a nd, e xcept f or a l ink b etween t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque, C antabric r egion w ith h igh v alues f or M agdalenian V I, a nd W estern F rance a nd t he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria w ith l ower v alues i n t his s ame p eriod, t he p attern d oes n ot s eem t o h ave a ny r egional i mportance. H owever, i ts o ccurrence i s p erhaps r elated t o t he m aterial o f s upport. I n e ach r egion p ebbles a re i mportant a s s upports i n t he p eriod i n w hich p laquettes d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces a re p roportionally m ost f requent a nd i n t hree r egions ( Western F rance, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque, C antabric r egion) l imestone i s t he m ost u sed s upport i n t hose p eriods w ith l east t wo s ide d ecorated p laquettes. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria p ebbles a re i mportant i n b oth M agdalenian V I ( when d ecoration o n t wo s urfaces i s m ost f requently r ecorded) a nd i n t he e arliest p eriod ( when i t i s l east f requently r ecorded) b ut p ebbles h appen t o b e t he m ost f requent s upport i n b oth p eriods, a nyway, w hich p erhaps n egates t his r ather c ontradictory e vidence. T he r elationship b etween d ecoration o n t wo s urfaces a nd t he m aterial o f t he s upport i s s ubstantiated b y T able 7 .

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T ECHNIQUE O F D ECORATION O N I NDIVIDUAL S URFACES, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O D ATE . ( TABLE 1 3)

A ll c ategories i n t his t able a re n ot e qually w ell f illed, b ecause i t i s n ot p ossible t o a ssess s hading, f or e xample, f or s mall f ragments. I n s ome i nstances a s urface m ay b e e ntered t wice ( as h aving m inimal a nd s chematic s hading, f or e xample) a nd b oth t hese f actors a ffect t he v alidity o f t he p ercentages. T hey s hould b e r egarded a s a r elative g uide. A s s tated i n T able 9 t he f irst f ive c ategories a ssess t he e xistence, f orm a nd a mount o f s hading u sed o n e ach p laquette s urface. M inimal ( Pl. 7 , b ), m oderate ( Fig. 4 ) a nd f ormalized ( Pl. 1 7, b ) s hading r efer t o t he d epiction o f n aturalistic f igures. P lain l ine d rawing ( Pl. 1 0, a a nd b ) a pplies e qually t o f igures a nd g eometric m otifs, o verall s hading i s a t reatment o f t he w hole s urface, o r b ackground, o f a p laquette ( Pl. 2 , b ). I n W estern F rance s chematic a nd o verall s hading a re v ery l ittle u sed, m inimal a nd m oderate s hading a re a l ittle m ore c ommon , p rincipally i n t he e arliest p eriod a nd i n M agdalenian I V a nd V , b ut s hading i s a ltogether l ittle e mployed ( only 2 5% o f t he t otal s urfaces i ndexed s how s hading). I n t he P yrenees t he p attern i s a l ittle d ifferent; i n M agdalenian I V 3 6.8% o f s urfaces s how m inimal o r m oderate s hading, a lthough s chematic a nd o verall s hading r emain u ncommon a t t his p eriod. T he o nly p eriod i n w hich o verall s hading h as a ny v alue i n t his r egion i s M agdalenian V I i n w hich 5 % o f s urfaces a re s o e ngraved. O ne c an o nly m ake a n a nalysis f or t he l ater M agdalenian h ere b ecause t here i s t oo l ittle m aterial f or a ssessment i n t he e arly s tages b ut w ithin t his t imespan s hading i s e mployed o n a pproximately 2 5% o f t he s urfaces, a s i n W estern F rance. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain o verall s hading i s i mportant i n t he S olutrean, E arly M agdalenian p eriod ( at t his s tage 2 6.8% o f s urfaces a re s o e ngraved) a nd m inimal a nd m oderate s hading a re c onsiderably u sed a lso, s o t hat p lain l ine d rawing w hich u sually c omprises m ore t han 7 0% o f t he s urface t otal, h ere o nly a ccounts f or 1 8.3% o f t he s urfaces. M inimal a nd m oderate s hading a re i mportant i n M agdalenian I V a lso ( 38.2% o f a ll s urfaces a re s o e ngraved) b ut d ecline i n i mportance i n t he l ater M agdalenian. I n a ll, i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion s hading i s u sed o n a pproximately 4 0% o f t he s urfaces a vailable. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, a s i n W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees, s hading h as l ess i mportance ( approximately 2 5% o f a ll s urfaces a re s haded); i n t he e arliest p eriods 8 .3% o f s urfaces s how o verall s hading, i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian 1 5.7% o f s urfaces s how s chematic s hading a nd t here i s a c ertain a mount o f m oderate s hading i n t he t hree p eriods w ith a n a ppreciable n umber o f p laquettes, i e t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian, t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd M agdalenian V I, b ut p lain l ine d rawing h ere r emains o f p redominant i mportance, a s i n W estern F rance. A f urther t hree c ategories r ecord t he d epth o f l ine c ut o n e ach p laquette s urface. I t i s s ometimes d ifficult t o a ssess t his f rom i llustrated m aterial a nd t hese c ategories a re t herefore n ot c ompletely f illed. H owever i n W estern F rance t he e arliest p eriods s how m ostly s hallow c utting a nd n o d eep, t he S olutrean , E arly M agdalenian p eriod s hows a n i ncrease i n d epth, i n M agdalenian I V a nd V m ost s urfaces a re 7 2

s hallowly c ut w hile i n M agdalenian V I a nd i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, ( in t his r egion m ost p robably M agdalenian V I) t here i s m ore d eep c ut e ngraving t han a t a ny p revious s tage. I n t he P yrenees t his t rend i s r eversed a nd d eep c utting i s o f l east i mportance i n M agdalenian V I a nd o f m ost i mportance i n M agdalenian V . I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain d eep c utting i s o f s ome i mportance i n M agdalenian V , a s i t i s i n t he P yrenees a t t his s tage, b ut o f m uch g reater i mportance i n M agdalenian V I, w here 4 1.2% o f t he s urfaces s how d eep a nd s hallow c utt ing, a nd 1 7.6% s how d eep. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria c utting b ecomes i ncreasingly d eeper w ith t ime; i n M agdalenian V I 3 4.6% o f t he s urfaces s how d eep a nd s hallow c utting a nd 2 3.1% s how d eep c utting. T hus, w ith t he e xception o f t he P yrenees, t he e stablished t rend i s f or c utting t o p rogress f rom s hallow t o d eeper w ith t ime; i n t he P yrenees, h owever, t his p attern i s r eversed a nd d eep c utting i s o f l east i mportance i n t he l atest M agdalenian s tage. A s ingle c ategory r ecords c omplete o r i ncomplete f igures e ngraved w ith a m ultiple o utline. I f t his m ultiple i s o f l egs ( Fig. 6 ) i t g ives a n i mpression o f m ovement a nd i f o f h eads, o r b odies, o f a n umber o f a nimals ( Fig. A s a c ategory i t i s o f v ery l ittle i mportance 1). i n a ny r egion b ut W estern F rance w here i t o ccurs i n a ll p eriods ( except M agdalenian V ) a lthough i t i s o nly i mportant i n M agdalenian V I w here 9 .0% o f s urfaces a re s o d ecorated.

F IG. 1.

R ochereil; f ragment o f b one , 1 2.5 x 4 .75 c m , s howing a

g roup o f o xen, t he i mpression o f n umber a chieved b y ad uplication o f o utlines.

C ollection, M us e d e B rantöme.

T he n ext t hree c ategories r ecord t he u se o f r elief. I n W estern F rance t his t echnique i s u nimportant i n t he d ecoration o f p laquettes: t here i s n o d eep c ut r elief, v ery l ittle s hallow a nd e xcept i n t he e arliest p eriod ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) a nd i n M agdalenian I V v ery l ittle u se o f r elief c ombined w ith e ngraving. I n t he P yrenees t he s ituation i s s imilar, e xcept t hat t he l ittle u se m ade o f l ow r elief a nd e ngraving t ogether i s f ound i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd i n M agdalenian V I, r ather t han a t a n e arlier s tage. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria r elief w ork h as s ome i mportance i n M agdalenian I V. 3 .5% o f s urfaces s how d eep c ut r elief, 6 .9% s hallow c ut a nd 1 0.4% s how l ow r elief c ombined w ith e ngraving. T he s andstone u sed a t I sturitz a ccounts f or t hese f igures. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria l ow r elief w ork i s a gain a l ate f eature; i n M agdalenian V I 7 .6% o f t he s urfaces s how s hallow r elief, o r l ow r elief c ombined

7 3

w ith e ngraving. S urfaces s howing c olour a re i ndexed i n a s ingle c ategory, w hether t his i s p aint, o r c olour c hange c aused b y b urning. T hese t wo a spects a re n ot s eparated b ecause b urning c an p roduce r ugification, i n a ppearance s imilar t o o chre, a nd t he e ye a lone o ften c annot d etermine w hich i s p resent. B lack a nd r ed a re t he c olours f ound. I n W estern F rance c olouring i s p roportionally m ost i mportant i n M agdalenian I V, w here 2 5% o f s urfaces e xhibit t his f eature; t he S olutrean, E arly M agdalenian p eriod s hows 1 2.3% o f c oloured s urfaces, o ther p eriods l ess. I n t he P yrenees c olouring i s o nly i mportant i n M agdalenian I V ( 19.1%) a nd i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian ( 14.2%). I n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion t he p ercentage f or M agdalenian I V i s e ven h igher ( 31.3%) a nd c olouring o ccurs i n M agdalenian V ( 14.8%) b ut i s o therwise n ot i mportant. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i t i s i mportant i n M agdalenian V I ( 23.1%) a nd e xists i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian s tage ( 8.3%). W ith t he e xception o f t his l ast r egion, c olouring, w hatever i ts o rigin , i s a c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V a nd t he f act t hat i n t he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i t a ppears a s a f eature o f M agdalenian V I r ather t han I V h as l ess s ignificance i n r egard t o t he f act t hat t his s tage ( IV) o f t he M agdalenian i s a lmost u nrecorded o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea. O ne i solated p laquette a nd t he c ollection f rom L a C olombiere, i ndexed u nder g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, a re t he o nly e vidence o f M agdalenian I V i n t his r egion. T he a ssociation o f c olours a nd a p articular c hronological s tage i s i nteresting b ut t he e vidence a vailable i s n ot e xact e nough t o d etermine w hether t his i s d ue t o b urning, p aint, o r t he e xistence o f o chre i n t he d eposit. T here a re p robably m any m ore p laquettes w ith c olour t han a re i ndexed h ere, f or i t i s a f eature t hat i s o ften u nrecorded a nd o ne c annot n ow t ell w hether t he p laquettes f rom o ld c ollections w hich h ave b een w ashed a nd h andled w ere o nce c oloured o r n ot. C ount B egouen r emarked, w hen w ashing p laquettes f rom E nlene, t hat t he w ater w as a r ich r ed. I n s ummary, u se o f c olour i s a c hronological a nd n ot a r egional c haracteristic, b ut t he u se o f m ultiple l ines i n W estern F rance i s a c haracteristic o f t hat r egion . I t i s p erhaps a s tylistic, r ather t han a t echnical t rait ( one i n k eeping w ith t he r ealism o f M agdalenian V I) b ut t hat d oes n ot a lter i ts s ingularity. T here a re a lso c ertain p roportional d ifferences i n t echnique b etween t he r egions s uch a s t he i mportance o f a ll f orms o f s hading i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a nd i ts r elative u nimportance i n W estern F rance, t he P yrenees a nd i n s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, o r t he i mportance o f m inimal a nd m oderate s hading i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd S panish r egion i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V. L ow r elief i s o f a c ertain i mportance i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain w hile d eep c ut e ngraving i s i mportant a t a d ifferent p eriod i n t he P yrenees t han i t i s e lsewhere. T he m aterials e mployed m ay i mmediately a ccount f or t hese l ast t wo v ariations b ut d eliberate c hoice i s e xerted i n s electing a s upport. I t i s i nteresting t hat t his T able r ecords s o l ittle l ow r elief c arving o n p laquettes i n W estern F rance. T his i s t he r egion w here l ow r elief i s u sed i n r ock s helters a nd i t i s h ere a lso t hat p laquettes a re l arge, g rading t owards f ree s tanding b locks w ith l ow r elief d ecoration ( see T able 3 ). C ontext m ust b e a s i mportant a s s ize, h owever, i n t he r espect o f l ow r elief c arving, f or p laquettes, e ven w hen l arge, a re d ecorated w ith e ngraving a nd l ow r elief i s r eserved f or b locks i n a m ural c ontext. 7 4

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S PATIAL D ISTRIBUTION O F D ECORATION O N I NDIVIDUAL S URFACES A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O D ATE. ( TABLE 1 4)

T he f irst t hree c ategories i n t his t able a re c oncerned w ith t he s ize o f t he f igure d epicted i n r elation t o t he a vailable s urface s pace a nd c an o nly b e a ssessed f or s urfaces t hat h ave d istinguishable f igures, s o t hat t he p ercentages e xpressed a s a p roportion o f t he s urface t otal a vailable a re n umerically l ow , a lthough v alid i n r elation t o e ach o ther. T he c ategories a ssessing w hether t he g round o f t he s upport i s w ell, o r i ncompletely f illed a pply t o a ll f orms o f d ecoration a nd t his p art o f t he t able i s t herefore m ore c omplete.

F IG. 1 2.

L abastide; s andstone p laque, 1 4.0 x 8 .5 c m , s howing t he

f igure o f ab ison t hat c ompletely f ills t he s pace a vailable f or d ecoration.

P rivate c ollection.

W ith r egard t o t he f irst g roup, i f t he f igure i s d rawn a s l arge a s c an b e, f illing t he g round, i t i s d escribed a s " large i n r elation t o s upport". ( Fig. 1 2, P ls. 1 , b , 3 , b , 5 , ba nd 7 , b ) M oderate f igures a re t hose w hich c ould h ave b een d rawn t wice t he s ize w ithin t he s urface a rea a vailable ( Fig. 2 7) a nd s mall f igures a re t hose t hat u se a n i nconsiderable p art o f t he g round. A s s tated a bove t he u se o f t he s urface a vailable i s a d escription n ot c onfined t o n aturalistic f igures. I f t he s urface a rea i s c overed, i t i s i ndexed a s w ell u tilized b ut i f l arge a reas o f t he s urface a re u ndecorated a nd i f t he b lank a reas h ave n o r elevance t o t he d esign, t he s urface i s i ndexed a s i ncompletely f illed. H owever, i f t he b lank a reas o n a s urface c ontribute t o t he e ffect o f a f igure d epicted, s uch s urfaces a re i ndexed a s b eing w ell u tilized, e ven t hough t hey a re n ot c ompletely f illed.

7 6

W estern F rance i s w ell d ocumented f or a ll p eriods o f t he U pper P alaeolithic; i n o ther r egions e vidence f or o ne p eriod o r a nother i s m issing o r p oor, b ut h ere o ne h as a r elatively c omplete r ecord. W ith r egard t o t he s patial d istribution o f d ecoration o n a s urface i n t his r egion ( Western F rance) t he i mportance o f l arge f igures r ises t o a p eak i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian a nd i n M agdalenian I V a nd t hen d eclines a l ittle, b ut i n a ll p eriods l arge f igures a re m ore n umerous t han m oderate a nd s mall a re, a t a ll s tages, q uite u nimportant, ( that i s i n M agdalenian I V t hey a re n on-existent a nd i n M agdalenian V I t hey f orm 6 .8% o f t he w hole). T he u se o f t he g round f ollows a c omparable p attern t o t hat e stablished f or f igure s ize. M agdalenian V i s t he p eriod i n w hich t he g round i s m ost o ften c ompletely f illed a nd M agdalenian V I t hat i n w hich i t i s l east w ell f illed b ut w ell-filled s urfaces a lways p redominate a nd e ven i n M agdalenian V I 7 1% o f t he s urfaces a re w ell u tilized. I n t he P yrenees t here i s t oo l ittle m aterial f or a ssessment i n t he e arlier p eriods, s o t hat o ne c an o nly d iscuss t he l ate M agdalenian. I n t his r egion m uch o f t he m aterial i n t he G eneralized l ate M agdalenian c ategory i s o f M agdalenian I V d ate, b ut i t d oes n ot a ffect t he a nalysis t o i gnore t his c ategory a ltogether. M agdalenian I V i s a gain t he p eriod w ith t he h ighest p roportion o f l arge f igures ( 56.8% l arge, 3 5.1% m oderate); t his p roportion t hen d eclines s harply a nd i n M agdalenian V I i t i s r eversed, 4 4.1% o f t he f igures a re m oderate a nd o nly 1 7.6% a re l arge. A s t he l arge f igures f all i n i mportance, t he m oderate r ise, b ut s mall f igures h ave n o m ore i mportance i n M agdalenian V I t han i n M agdalenian I V a nd a re a t a ll s tages u nimportant. T he u se o f t he s urface a vailable s hows t he g reatest n umber o f c ompletely f illed s urfaces i n M agdalenian I V, w ith a m arginally l ower p roportion i n M agdalenian V I b ut i n a ll p eriods o ver 8 0% o f t he s urfaces a re w ell u tilized. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria t he p redominance o f l arge f igures i n M agdalenian I V i s v ery m arked ( 62.1% l arge, 1 5.7% m oderate); i n M agdalenian V , t he p roportions o f l arge t o m oderate a re a lmost e qual, a lthough l arge s till p redominate b ut i n M agdalenian V I, ( as i n t he P yrenees), t he p roportions a re r eversed; 4 8.8% o f t he f igures a re m oderate ( Fig. 1 8), 1 2.5% l arge a nd s mall f igures a re h ere o f s ome i mportance a t t his s tage ( 12.5%). I n t he e arlier s tages m oderate f igures a re o f m ost i mportance i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriod a nd b ecome l ess s o i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian s o t hat t he g eneral p attern s hows a r ise t o a p eak ( for l arge f igures) i n M agdalenian I V. Aw ell f illed g round i s m ost c ommon i n M agdalenian I V a nd i s m arked i n t he e arlier p eriods a lso b ut i n t he l atest s tages o f t he M agdalenian ( V a nd V I) a g reater p roportion o f s urfaces a re i ncompletely f illed t han i n W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees; ( in M agdalenian V o nly 5 1.4% o f t he s urfaces a re w ell u tilized). O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t here i s o nly e nough m aterial f or a ssessment i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriods, i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd i n M agdalenian V I. L arge f igures a re p roportionally m ost i mportant i n t he e arliest p eriod a nd t hen i n M agdalenian V I, w here, a s i n W estern F rance, t hey r emain p roportionally m ore i mportant t han m oderate f igures. ( There a re 4 3% l arge a nd 1 6% m oderate i n M agdalenian V I). I n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian t his p attern i s r eversed, h owever, a nd m oderate f igures a re m ore i mportant, 7 7

a f act w hich a ppears t o b e d irectly c ondradictory t o t he d ata f or M agdalenian V I. W ith t he e xception o f t he C olombiere s eries, w hich i s i ndexed u nder g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, b ut a ssumed t o b e M agdalenian I V, t hese p ieces a re o f l ate a nd f inal M agdalenian d ate a nd t he p roportion o f m oderate t o l arge f igures m ust r epresent t he t rend t owards m oderation i n s ize t hat o ccurs e lsewhere a t t his p eriod, a lthough i t i s n ot, i n f act, r epresented i n t he b etter d ated s eries f or M agdalenian V I i n t his r egion. C ompletely f illed s urfaces s how a v ery h igh p ercentage h ere a t a ll p eriods. T he t wo r egions t hat a re w ell d ocumented f or a ll p eriods, t hat i s W estern F rance a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric g roup s how a r ise i n f igure s ize t o M agdalenian I V a nd t hen a d ecline, b ut t he d egree o f d ecline i s v ery d ifferent. I n W estern F rance l arge f igures n ever b ecome l ess i mportant t han m oderate w hile i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain, a s i n t he P yrenees, m oderate f igures p redominate o ver l arge i n t he l atest M agdalenian. T he g roup o f s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i s p erhaps c omparable t o W estern F rance; t he e vidence h ere i s c ontradictory b ut t he w ell d ocumented s eries f rom M agdalenian V I s hows a s imilar r etention o f l arge f igures i n t he l ate M agdalenian. E xcept f or a h igher t han u sual p roportion o f i ncompletely f illed s urfaces i n t he L ate M agdalenian i n t he B asque a nd C antabric g roup t he r egions a re, i n r espect o f t he u se o f t he g round, s imilar. T he o verall r atio o f l arge t o m oderate f igures i s a lso f airly c onstant; t here i s a s lightly h igher p roportion o f l arge f igures i n W estern F rance a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric a rea, b ut i t i s n ot m arked. A n a ssociation b etween t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain i s a r ecurrent f eature i n t his r egional a nalysis, a s i s t he s econd a ssociation o f W estern F rance a nd t he o utlying r egions t o t he e ast a nd n orth. E xcept i n t his r espect, t he s patial d istribution o f d ecoration a nd t he u se o f s urfaces c annot b e s aid t o h ave a ny r egional f eatures, w ith r egard t o d ate. A n a nalysis o f t he s patial d istribution o f d ecoration o n s urfaces, a ccording t o m aterial, w as a lso r un o n t he c omputer, b ut t he r esults o f t his a dd l ittle t o t he a nalysis a ssessed a ccording t o d ate. I t i s c lear t hat d ate, n ot m aterial, i s s ignificant i n t he s patial d istribution o f d ecoration, h owever i t i s r elevant t o s ummarize t he r esults a ccording t o m aterial. I n W estern F rance l imestone s urfaces a re a l ittle l ess e fficiently f illed t han o ther f orms o f s upport a nd a ll m aterial c ategories h ave m ore l arge t han m oderate f igures e ngraved. I n t he P yrenees n early a ll t he m ud p laquettes h ave l arge f igures, w hile t he p ebble s urfaces h ave m ore m oderate t han l arge ( mud p laquettes a re c onfined t o M agdalenian I V a nd t he p ebbles, i n t his r egion, a re p rincipally o f M agdalenian V I d ate). I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria t here a re t hree m aterial c ategories w ith m ore m oderate t han l arge f igures, t hat i s s capulae, p ebbles a nd l imestone, n one o f w hich i s a n umerically l arge g roup. T he m ost i mportant g roup, s andstone, h as v ery h igh v alues f or l arge f igures a nd f or a w ell f illed g round a nd r epresents I sturitz w ith a l arge s eries o f p laquettes o f M agdalenian I V d ate. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t here a re m ore m oderate t han l arge f igures o n p ebbles, a s w as o bserved f or t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric g roup a nd t his a ssociation o f m oderate f igures w ith p ebbles i s t he o nly f eature d etermined b y m aterial t hat e merges f rom t his s urvey.

7 8

T he a pex o f i mportance o f l arge f igures a nd a w ell-filled g round t hat o ccurs i n M agdalenian I V a nd i s i llustrated i n t he p resent T able i s o f i nterest. M agdalenian I V i s a p eriod w ith a c learly r ecognizable s tyle a nd t he c ompression o f f igures i nto a s mall s pace i s a c haracteristic o f t his. T ypically, a s a t M ontastruc ,Bruniquel ( Pl. 6 , a ), t he f igures a re p acked i nto t he a vailable p laquette s urface, s ometimes w ithout r oom f or a h ead, u nless i t i s t urned b ack, s ometimes w ith l imbs c ontracted t o t he p oint o f d istortion ( Pl. 7 , b ). T his i s t he t echnique d escribed b y L eroi-Gourhan ( 1978) a s " Cadrage A c hamp t otal" a nd i t c onveys a f eeling o f t ension a nd e nergy, i n s pite o f t he f act t hat m ost f igures a re d epicted i n a s tatic p osition. T he s tyle i s f ound i n a ll r egions, t hough b est d eveloped o n p laquettes i n t he P yrenees, a nd i t i s m ore d efinitive o f p eriod t han p lace.

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C HAPTER 4

D ISPOSITION A ND F ORM O F N ATURALISTIC D ECORATION O N I NDIVIDUAL S URFACES A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION, A CCORDING T O D ATE. ( TABLE 1 5)

T he p ercentages i n t his t able a re c alculated o n t he n umber o f s urfaces e xhibiting n aturalistic d ecoration a nd t he o verall p ercentages f or e ach r egion a re o f i nterest. I n W estern F rance 7 3% o f t he d ecorated s urfaces s how d ecoration o f t his f orm , i n t he P yrenees 5 7%, i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion 7 1% a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria 6 9% ( see T able 1 5a). T he h igh p roportion o f n aturalistic d ecoration i n W estern F rance a nd t he l ow p roportion i n t he P yrenees a re a f eature t hat i s e ndorsed i n o ther t ables; f or e xample b y t he h igh i ncidence o f s chematic d ecoration i n t he P yrenees ( see T ables 1 1 a nd 2 1). I n t he p resent t able w here t he p ercentages a re c alculated o n t he r elevant ( naturalistic) s urface t otal f or e ach r egion, t he p roportional i mbalance b etween r egions i s n ot a pparent, b ut i t i s a f actor r elevant t o t he a nalysis o f t his a nd o ther n aturalistic d ecoration t ables. T he " identifiable f igure" c ategory d enotes t he e xistence o f a n aturali stic f igure o n t he p laquette s urface c oncerned. T his m ay b e a nimal, o r h uman, o r a r ecognizable p art o f e ither ( for e xample, a b ison 's h orn) a nd t here m ay b e m ore t han o ne s uch f igure. I t i s a g eneralized c ategory c oncerned w ith t he i dentification o f f igures a nd n ot w ith t heir n umber. T wo f urther c ategories d enote m ore t han o ne f igure; t he f irst o f t hese i s i ndexed f or s urfaces w ith m ore t han o ne f igure o f t he s ame a nimal s pecies a nd t he s econd f or f igures o f d ifferent s pecies. W ithin t he n umerical l imits o f a p unch c ard i t i s n ot p ossible t o r ecord h ow m any a ssociated f igures t here a re; t he a ctual n umber o f a nimals d epicted, i n r elation t o s urfaces, i s h owever, r ecorded i n t he i ndividual e ntries. W hen t he g eneralized " identifiable f igure" c ategory i s e ntered a lone t he d eduction m ay b e m ade t hat t here i s o nly o ne f igure o n t hat s urface. I n W estern F rance t he h ighest p ercentages o f r ecognizable f igures o ccur i n M agdalenian I V a nd V a nd t he l owest i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian a nd G ravettian p eriod. W ith r egard t o a ssociated f igures, t here a re a t a ll p eriods, e xcepting M agdalenian I V, m ore s urfaces w ith f igures o f t he s ame s pecies t han w ith d ifferent s pecies. T his p reference i s r eversed i n M agdalenian I V, b ut o nly b y a s mall m argin, ( 19.4% t he s ame, 2 1.0% d ifferent). A ssociated f igures i n g eneral a re q uite n umerous; t he p ercentage o f s urfaces w ith n aturalistic d ecoration s howing a ssociated f igures r anges f rom 2 5% t o 5 0%. T he p eriod w ith m ost a ssociations i s t he e arliest, f ollowed b y M agdalenian I V , a nd t he f ewest a re f ound i n M agdalenian V I a nd t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, w hich i n t his r egion i s p robably m ostly o f M agdalenian V I d ate. I n t he P yrenees t here i s n ot e nough d ata f or a ssessment i n p eriods b efore M agdalenian I V. R ecognizable f igures a re r elatively m ost c ommon i n M agdalenian V I a nd t hen i n I V. A ssociated a nimals o f t he s ame s pecies a re p redominant i n M agdalenian V a nd V I w hile t hose o f d ifferent s pecies p redominate i n M agdalenian I V a nd i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian. ( Here t his l ast c ategory i s r epresentative o f a ll t hree l ate M agdalenian s tages b ut m ost o f t he m aterial i s o f

8 2

M agdalenian I V d ate). T he p redominance o f a ssociated f igures o f d ifferent s pecies i s v ery m arked i n M agdalenian I V a lthough t he t otal o f a ssociations a t t his s tage i s n ot v ery h igh. A ssociations a re a t a ll p eriods l ess c ommon h ere ( Pyrenees) t han i n W estern F rance; t he h ighest p ercentage ( 30%) o ccurs i n M agdalenian V I. T he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain s how t he h ighest p roportion o f r ecognizable f igures i n M agdalenian V a nd t hen i n M agdalenian I V; b oth t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian a nd M agdalenian V I h ave a r elatively l ow p ercentage. I n t he e arly p eriods, ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian; S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian) a nd i n M agdalenian I V t here a re m ore a ssociations o f d ifferent a nimals t han o f t he s ame, i n M agdalenian V I t here a re a n e qual n umber o f e ach w hile i n M agdalenian V a ll t he a ssociations a re o f t he s ame a nimal. A ssociations a re l east c ommon i n t he e arliest p eriod a nd m ost c ommon i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian b ut, w ith t he e xception o f t his l ast s tage, t he v alues a re n ot, a t a ny t ime, h igh. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria o nly t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriod, t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd M agdalenian V I h ave a n a ppreciable n umber o f p laquettes. R ecognizable a nimals a re p roportionally m ost c ommon i n M agdalenian V I, a ssociated a nimals o f d ifferent s pecies p redominate i n V I a nd i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd . a re o f e qual i mportance t o a ssociations o f t he s ame a nimal i n t he e arliest s tages. A ssociations a re r elatively c ommon i n t his r egion i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriod a nd i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, b ut f ar l ess s o i n M agdalenian V I. B earing i n m ind t he r elative s carcity o f M agdalenian I V o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric r egion c ertain o bservations m ay b e m ade o n t hese c ategory e ntries. M agdalenian I V i s c haracterized b y a h igh p roportion o f r ecognizable f igures ( in W estern F rance t his s tage c laims t he h ighe st p ercentage, i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion, t he s econd h ighest) a nd a lso b y t he m ost m arked d egrees o f p redominance o f d ifferent a nimal a ssociations. H ere i t i s r elevant t o p oint o ut t hat t he s eries o f p laquettes f rom L a C olombiere ( outside A quitaine a nd C antabria) w hich a re i ndexed a s g eneralized l ate M agdalenian m ay b e d ated, s tylistically, t o M agdalenian I V. T his g roup o f p ebbles e xhibits n ot o nly a h igh p roportion o f r ecognizable a nimal f igures b ut a lso a n e xceptional n umber o f d ifferent a nimal a ssociations. M agdalenian I V c onsistently s hows a ssociations o f d ifferent a nimals b ut o ther p eriods s how n o s uch u niformity. F or e xample, i n M agdalenian V I, w hile a ssociations o f t he s ame a nimal p redominate i n W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees t he r atio b etween s ame a nd d ifferent a nimal a ssociations i s e qual i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria a nd d ifferent a nimal a ssociations p redominate o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. T he p redominance o f d ifferent a nimal a ssociations i n M agdalenian I V h as n othing t o d o w ith t he t otal n umber o f a ssociations, f or i n b oth t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd S panish r egion, t he t otals f or t his s tage a re q uite s mall. I n W estern F rance a nd t he B asque/Spanish r egion, t he e arly p eriods s how t he m ost a ssociations ( in W estern F rance, i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian g roup a nd i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S pain, t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian); i n t he P yrenees m ost a ssociations a re f ound i n M agdalenian V I ( this r egion i s d eficient i n e arly m aterial h owever) w hile o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t his s ame p eriod i s n otably d evoid o f a ssociations. T he g eneral i ncidence o f a ssociated f igures i s h igher i n W estern F rance a nd o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric r egion t han i t i s i n t he P yrenees o r t he B asque 8 3

p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain. T hree f urther c ategories a re c oncerned w ith t he c ompleteness o f f igures. I f c omplete f igures a nd c omplete w ith i ncomplete f igures a re a ssessed t ogether, i n W estern F rance t he p roportion o f c omplete f igures i s g reatest i n M agdalenian I V ( 41.9%) f ollowed b y M agdalenian V a nd l owest i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian p eriod. I ncomplete o r i ndeterminable f igures a re r elatively i mportant i n M agdalenian V I a nd i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian. I n t he P yrenees t he p roportion o f c omplete f igures i s g reatest i n M agdalenian V I a nd t hen i n M agdalenian I V; i t i s p articularly l ow i n M agdalenian V ( 8.7%). T o c omplement t his p attern i ncomplete f igures a re m ost i mportant i n M agdalenian V a nd l east i mportant i n M agdalenian V I. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain c omplete f igures a re m arginally m ost i mportant i n M agdalenian V I, f ollowed b y I V a nd t hen V b ut t he d ifferences b etween p eriods a re n ot g reat a nd c omplete f igures a re a t a ll p eriods r are i n t his r egion. M agdalenian V I s hows 1 8%, t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian p eriod, w ith l east c omplete f igures, 2 %. T he p ercentages f or i ncomplete f igures a re r elatively h igh f or M agdalenian V a nd V I ( 46% a nd 4 5%) a nd o therwise a ccount f or a bout 2 0% o f t he n aturalistic t otal. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t he p ercentages o f c omplete f igures f or t he M agdalenian a re i n l ine w ith W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees a nd a re l ow i n t he e arliest p eriod ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian). I ncomplete f igures a re c omparatively u ncommon a t a ll p eriods, t he h ighest p ercentage b eing 1 5.4% i n M agdalenian V I. I n s ummary c omplete f igures a re o f m ost c ommon o ccurrence i n M agdalenian I V i n W estern F rance a nd i n M agdalenian V I i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion, ( a p roportional d istribution w hich i s p erhaps r elated t o t he m aterial o f s upport u sed i n t hese r egions a nd p eriods). I t i s i nteresting t hat M agdalenian V s hows a r elatively s mall n umber o f c omplete f igures i n t he P yrenees b ecause t his s mall n umerical c ount s upports t he d efinition o f a f ourth s tylistic g roup i n t his r egion i n t he l ate M agdalenian. T his f ourth P yrenean g roup w hich i s r epresented a t G ourdan, L orthet a nd o ther s ites ( see t he r egional a nalysis f or t he P yrenees, i n P art I I) i s c haracterized b y a l ack o f c omplete f igures ( confirmed b y t he p resent t able), b y a d istinctive m anner o f c omplex e ngraving ( Pl. 8 , a , ba nd c ) a nd, a s t he p resent t able s hows, b y t he i ncidence o f s uperpositioning i n M agdalenian V i n t he P yrenees a nd b y t he i mportance o f s chematic m otifs i n d ecoration. ( Fig. 8 , a , ba nd c . F ig. 9 , aa nd b , a nd P l. 9 , b ) T he n ext t wo c ategories a ssessed i n t his p ositioning o f a ssociated f igures. T he t he s ame p lane, ( Pl. 3 , a ), s uperimposed i n d ifferent p lanes, w hich n eed n ot b e

t able a re c oncerned w ith t he f irst d enotes f igures d rawn i n a nd t he s econd, f igures d rawn s uperimposed, t hough t hey m ost

P LATE 7 a .

L a M adeleine; l imestone b lock 7 5.0 x 4 1,0 c m , s howing a r eindeer a nd h er c alf, w hich

i s d rawn a s as mall f igure b etween h er h ind a nd f ront l egs.

C apitan C ollection , M usse

d es A ntiquites N ationales, p hoto, M .A.N. b .

L augerie B asse ; a ntler p almate 2 4.0 x 1 8.0 c m .

T he b ison e ngraved h ere h as i ts h ead

t hrown u p a nd a f eathered a rrow a imed i nto i ts t hroat. p robably c orrectly a s " dying".

I t i s u sually d escribed , a nd

C ollection, B ritish M useum , C at. N o. 2 00 , p hoto J ack

S keel.

8 4

P LATE 7

8 5

u sually a re ( Fig. 1 3 a nd P l. 3 , b ). I n W estern F rance s uperimposed f igures a re m ost c ommon i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriod f ollowed i n f requency i n M agdalenian I V, t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd M agdalenian V I. T hey a re l east c ommon i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian. I nversions a re m ost c ommon i n M agdalenian I V, t hen V a nd, l ike s uperimpositions, o ccur l east o ften i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian. I n t he P yrenees t he h ighest p ercentage o f s uperimposed f igures i s f ound i n M agdalenian V ; i nversions a re l ess c ommon t han s uperimpositions a t a ll p eriods, w ith a s lightly h igher f requency i n M agdalenian V I, b ut b oth c ategories a re l ess w ell r epresented h ere ( in t he P yrenees) t han i n W estern F rance. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria s uperimpositions a nd i nversions a re b oth f requent i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian ( a w eighting d etermined b y t he E arly M agdalenian c ollections f rom C astillo) a nd t hen i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriod. S uperimpositions a re a bsent i n M agdalenian V I ( although i nversions e xist a t t his d ate) w hile i nversions a re l east f requent i n M agdalenian V . O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria s uperimpositions a nd i nversions a re o f m ost i mportance i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd L a C olombiere ( of p robable M agdalenian I V d ate b ut h ere i ndexed a s g eneralized l ate)

F IG. 1 3 .

A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; l imestone p ebble, 1 3.7 x 1 3.0

c m , s howing , i n t he f irst p lane, a r ed d eer s tag, f acing r ight ( with t he r ump o f ah orse e ngraved a bove i ts s houlder) a nd , a t r ight a ngles t o t he s tag , t wo, o r m ore, h inds, f acing l eft. C ollection , B ritish M useum .

C at. N o. 6 87 .

8 6

a ccounts f or m ost o f t hese. T he e arly p eriods, ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian, S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian) a re w ell r epresented i n W estern F rance a nd i n t he B asque a nd C antabric g roup a nd i n b oth r egions s uperimpositioning a ppears m ost f requent a t a n e arly s tage; i n W estern F rance i n t he P erigordian t o G ravettian p eriod a nd i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain i n t he S olutrean, e arly M agdalenian s tage. T his i s c onsistent w ith t he o bservations m ade f or a ssociated f igures w hich a re m ost f requent i n t he e arliest p eriod i n W estern F rance, a nd i n t he S olutrean, e arly M agdalenian p eriod i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria. I n t his l ast r egion t he p eriod o f m ost i nversions i s t hat o f m ost s uperimpositions a nd t he h ighest f requencies c oincide o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a lso, b ut t his i s n ot a p redictable p attern a nd i s n ot r espected i n W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees. I n W estern F rance, ( see a bove), a ll f orms o f a ssociation a re i mportant i n M agdalenian I V a nd s uperimpositions a nd i nversions a re f requent h ere a t t his s tage b ut i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque, C antabric r egion w here t he t otal o f a ssociations i n M agdalenian I V i s r elatively l ow, t he i mportance o f s uperimpositions a nd i nversions i s c orrespondingly s light. T he p reference f or d rawing r ecognizable a nd c omplete f igures t hat i s a c haracteristic o f t hese r egions i n M agdalenian I V i s p redisposed a gainst c omplex m ethods o f l ayout. I f a ll f orms o f a ssociation a ppear i mportant i n W estern F rance i n M agdalenian I V i t i s p erhaps r elevant t hat h ere t he t otal n umber o f p laquettes a nd s ites a t t his s tage i s l ess t han i n t he P yrenees o r t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria. T he s implicity o f p resentation t hat i s p referred i n M agdalenian I V ( Pl. 4 , a a nd 5 , a ) i s e ndorsed b y a n a nalysis o f t he c ategories r egistering n arrative s cenes a nd a nimals w ith y oung. I n W estern F rance n arrative s cenes o ccur i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian ( La M arche i s r esponsible f or t he m ajority o f t hese) a nd i n M agdalenian V I; a nimals w ith y oung a re o nly f ound i n t his l ast p eriod ( pl. 7 , a ). I n t he P yrenees t here i s o nly o ne e xample o f a n a nimal w ith y oung ( indexed u nder g eneralized l ate M agdalenian) a nd t he f ew e xamples o f n arrative s cenes a re o f v arious l ate M agdalenian d ate ( Pl. 1 4, b ). W hile t he d ating i s s imilar t o W estern F rance, t he n umber o f o ccurrences i s n ot; t here a re e ight e xamples o f a nimals w ith y oung i n W estern F rance ( one i n t he P yrenees) a nd 3 1 e xamples o f n arrative s cenes ( five i n t he P yrenees). I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain t here i s o ne e xample o f a n arrative s cene i n M agdalenian V I, b ut n o a nimals w ith y oung a nd o utside A guitaine a nd C antabria n either c ategory i s r epresented a t a ll. T he c ategory o f u nusual p ostures o r a ttributes i s n ot s ufficiently e xplicit. T hese t wo d efinitions o ught t o h ave b een i ndexed s eperately b ecause u nusual a ttributes, s uch a s a p rotruding t ongue ( Fig. 7 ) o r a n a nimal's s exual o rgans a re d epicted i n M agdalenian I V w hile u nusual p ostures a re c haracteristic o f M agdalenian V o r V I, a nd p rincipally o f V I. ( Figs. 1 4 a nd 1 5) T here a re e xceptions t o b oth t hese r ules b ut t he h igh p ercentages f or t his c ategory i n M agdalenian I V a nd V I i n W estern F rance d o n ot d enote t he s ame c haracteristics f or e ach s tage. B oth a spects a re l east c ommonly f ound i n t he e arly ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) p eriod. I n t he P yrenees, t he c hronological p revalence o f t hese c haracteristics i s t he s ame a s i n W estern F rance, b ut t hey o ccur l ess f requently. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish 8 7

F IG . 1 4.

L imeuil; l imestone b lock, 2 0.0 x 1 2.0 c m , s howing a h orse,

w ith i ts t ail u p a nd s pringing f orwards. A ntiquites N ationales, 5 675 1.9.

F IG. 1 5.

C ollection , M us e d es

D rawing a fter B ouyssonie, 1 924.

L imeuil; l imestone b lock, 1 6.0 x 1 2.9 c m , s howing a b ovid,

d epicted i n p rofile w ith i ts h ead t urned f ull f ace . C ollection, M us e d es A ntiquite s N ationales, 5 7636.111. B ouyssonie, 1 924.

8 8

D rawing a fter

C antabria u nusual p ostures, o r a ttributes ) h ave a lmost t he s ame i mportance i n M agdalenian I V a s t hey h ave i n t he P yrenees, b ut d o n ot o ccur h ere i n M agdalenian V I , a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a f ew e xamples o ccur i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian. C omposite a nimals a re v ery r are; t wo e xamples o ccur i n t he P yrenees ( indexed u nder g eneralized l ate M agdalenian) a nd t wo o ccur i n M agdalenian V I i n W estern F rance. U nusual a ttributes a nd p ostures, o f w hatever d ate, a re m ore n umerous i n W estern F rance t han i n a ny o ther r egion a nd n arrative s cenes a nd a nimals w ith y oung a re o nly i mportant i n t his r egion. A ll a re w ays o f b reaking a s tereotype, t hat o f t he s ingle, s tatic f igure, i n p rofile, a nd o ne m ay a ccept t his d iversification a s a r egional c haracteristic o f W estern F rance. I n g eneral, a ssociations o f a ny f orm a re m ore c ommon i n W estern F rance t han i n o ther r egions ( in f act a f ondness f or d iversity i s e xtended f rom f igure t o l ayout) a nd i n t his r espect t he g roup o f s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i s a ligned w ith W estern F rance. H owever, a lthough f igure a ssociations a re c ommon i n t hese t wo r egions t hey a re, i n b oth i nstances, l east c ommon i n M agdalenian V I, w hile i n t he P yrenees t hey a re m ost c ommon a t t his s tage. S uch r egional d ifferences i n p roportion a nd d ating a re q uite c ommon, a s o ther t ables a lso s how. T he e xample c ited h ere i ndicates a g enuine d ifference b ut a n umber o f t he m inor v ariations i n d ate o r p roportion t hat e merge f rom t he p resent t able p robably h ave n o r egional, o r i ndeed c hronological s ignificance. A ll p eriods a re n ot e qually r epresented i n t he f our r egions u nder e xamination a nd, o n o ccasion, t his p roduces a n u neven p attern i n t he c omputer r esults. I n g eneral, h owever, t he t rends t hat e merge h ere s erve e ither t o e mphasize t he s tylistic c haracteristics o f M agdalenian I V a nd V I o r t o i ndicate c ertain r egional i ndividualities i n W estern F rance.

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A ND C ANTABRIA N aturalistic f igures ( or p arts o f t hese) a s a p ercentage o f t he s urface t otal

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9 1

A ND C ANTABRIA

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f or e ach r egion, a ccording t o d ate.

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A NIMAL I DENTIFICATIONS, O N I NDIVIDUAL S URFACES, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O D ATE. ( TABLE 1 6)

T he a nimal i dentification g roups u sed h ere a re c omprehensive r ather t han s pecific. A d ivision i nto b ovid, c ervid, c aprid i s n ot s trictly f ollowed b ecause t he d istinction b etween b ison a nd o xen i s i mportant i n P alaeolithic a rt a nd t he s pecies a re e asy t o d ifferentiate, s o t hat t he g eneral t erm b ovid w ould b e c onfusing i n t his i nstance, a lthough c ervid i s q uite s atisfactory. I t i s o ften d ifficult t o d istinguish r eindeer f rom r ed d eer a nd t he g eneralized c ategory " cervid" e vades t he p ossibility o f m aking a n i ncorrect i dentification. H owever, i n t he i ndividual e ntries a n e xact i dentification i s m ade w henever p ossible. T he i ncidence o f r ecognizable a nimals o r h umans o n i ndividual s urfaces i n e ach r egion i s o f i nterest. I n W estern F rance t here a re 6 56 n aturalistic f igures o n 5 45 s urfaces, t he t otal o f d ecorated s urfaces f or t his r egion b eing 8 09 ( the n umber o f n aturalistically d ecorated s urfaces i s l ess t han t he n umber o f a nimals b ecause a s ingle s urface m ay h ave t wo o r m ore f igures). I n t he P yrenees t here a re 3 11 f igures o n 2 64 s urfaces, o ut o f a t otal o f 5 61. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria t here a re 2 17 f igures o n 1 89 s urfaces o ut o f a t otal o f 3 02 a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t here a re 9 8 i dentifiable f igures o n 6 9 s urfaces o ut o f a t otal o f 1 02 d ecorated s urfaces. T he p roportion o f n aturalistically d ecorated s urfaces ( with b oth i dentifiable a nd u nidentifiable f igures) i s l owest i n t he P yrenees, w here 5 7% o f s urfaces s how i dentifiable n aturalistic d ecoration a nd h ighest i n W estern F rance, w here 7 3% a re s o d ecorated. I n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion 7 1% o f t he s urface t otal s hows n aturalistic d ecoration a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria 6 9% ( see T able 1 5a): t hese r egional d ifferences a re t o a c ertain e xtent e xplained b y T able 3 ( Dimensions o f o bjects). W estern F rance h as a h igh p roportion o f m oderate a nd l arge s ized s upports, w hile m any c ollections i n t he P yrenees c onsist o f s mall f ragmented p ieces, t he o riginal c haracter o f w hich i t i s d ifficult t o d etermine. H owever, m ore i mportant t han t he s ize f actor i s t he i mportance o f s chematic d ecoration i n t he P yrenees ( see T able 2 1). N aturalistic d ecoration i s p referred i n W estern F rance a t a ll p eriods, w hile, i n t he P yrenees i n t he l ate M agdalenian, n aturalistic d ecoration d eclines a nd s chematic d ecoration r ises i n i mportance. T he p resence, o r a bsence, o f d ifferent s pecies c an g ive a n i ndication o f t he e nvironment b ut, i n a ssessing d rawings, i t i s i mportant t o r emember t hat t he a nimals d epicted a re a d eliberate s election. T he a bsence o f f ish, b irds a nd l ions, f or e xample, i n W estern F rance i n t he e arliest p eriods, d oes n ot h ave a ny c limatic s ignificance, a lthough t he n umber o f r hinoceros o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i n p eriods b oth e arly a nd l ate p erhaps h as a n e nvironmental e xplanation. F rom t ime t o t ime, a c limatic i nfluence i s a pparent i n t hese r egional b estiaries b ut i t i s n o m ore i mportant a nd p robably n ot a s i mportant a s t he c ultural t raditions t hat d etermine t he s election a nd j uxtaposition o f a nimals i n b oth c ave a nd m iniature a rt. A s s tated a bove, a ll s pecies a re n ot s eparately l isted. A s ingle c ategory c overs r eindeer a nd r ed d eer, a nother, i bex, c hamois a nd s aiga a ntelope. T he l ast c ategory ( rarities) c ontains f ox, w olf ( Fig 1 6), g lutton b ut v ery l ittle e lse; v egetation a nd m ore u nusual a nimals a re

9 2

a

F IG . 1 6.

A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; l imestone p laque, 1 0.4 x 7 .0

c m . a . s hows t he c omplete d ecoration o f t he s tone w ith, i n t he f irst p lane a h orse, f acing r ight, s uperimposed o n aw olf e ngraved i n t he o pposite p lane a nd f acing l eft.

b . s hows t he w olf, w hose h ead i s

m issing , i solated f rom t he f igure o f t he h orse.

C ollection,

B ritish M useum , C at. N o. 6 63 .

v irtually n on-existent. H umans a re o f v arying i mportance; h orse, b ison, c ervids yo xen a nd c aprids a re t he m ost i mportant s pecies d rawn a nd t he r emainder l isted a re, w ith o ccasional e xceptions, n umerically u nimportant. I n W estern F rance, a s i s s tated m ore f ully b elow, t he t able f igures a re d istorted b y t he i nclusion o f s ome, b ut n ot a ll o f t he m aterial f rom L a M arche, w hich h as t he l argest c ollection k nown i n W estern E urope. T he f elines, b ears a nd h umans f rom t his s ite a re i ncluded i n t he p resent s urvey ( the r emainder o f t he s pecies w ere n ot i ndexed a t t he t ime t he c omputer p rogramme w as r un o r n ot y et

9 3

p ublished) a nd i t i s i mportant t o r emember t his i mbalance i n a ssessing t he r elative s pecies t otals. I t i s i nteresting, t hough, t hat t he o rder o f p recedence a mong s pecies t hat P ales ( Pales, T assin d e S t: P ereuse, 1 969) n otes f or L a M arche i n i ts e ntirety i s c onsistent w ith t he f indings o f t he p resent t able, i e h orse i s o f f irst i mportance, f ollowed b y c ervids. I n W estern F rance, t he g reatest v ariety o f s pecies a re d epicted i n t he p eriods w ith m ost p laquettes, a nd t here i s p robably n o o ther s ignificance i n t his v ariety. T he 9 2 h uman f igures i ndexed f or t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian a re a ccounted f or b y L a M arche ,as a re t he l ions a nd b ears a t t his p eriod / b ut t he a ppreciable i ndices f or t hese t hree s pecies i n M agdalenian V I o we n othing t o t his s ite. I n t he e arliest s tage ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) h orse i s t he m ost f requently d epicted a nimal, f ollowed b y f emale h umans, a nd t hen b y m ammoth a nd b ison i n e qual f requencies. I n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian L a M arche d etermines t hat h umans, f emale a nd i ndistinguisha ble a s t o s ex, a re o f f irst i mportance, f ollowed b y c ervids a nd h orse. I n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian g roup h orse i s f ollowed i n i mportance b y c ervids, b ison a nd c aprids. T he s ame o rder o f i mportance m aintains i n M agdalenian I V a nd i n M agdalenian V , e xcept t hat i n t his l ast p eriod b ison, c aprids a nd h uman f emales s hare t hird p lace. I n M agdalenian V I c ervids a re t he m ost i mportant s pecies, f ollowed b y h orse, w ith a ll o ther s pecies o f l ittle i mportance. W ith r egard t o t he s eparate a nimal s pecies, h orse s hows i ts h ighest p ercentage i n M agdalenian I V, b ison a nd c aprids i n M agdalenian V , o xen i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd c ervids i n M agdalenian V I. C ervids a re t he m ost o ften d epicted s pecies i n t his r egion w ith 1 82 r epresenta tions, h orse i s n ext w ith 1 49, f ollowed b y i ndeterminable h umans w ith 6 1, c aprids w ith 4 6 a nd b ison w ith 4 5 e xamples. T he g reatest n umber o f a nimal d epictions h ere ( Western F rance) o ccurs i n M agdalenian V I. I n t he P yrenees, t he r ange o f s pecies i llustrated i n M agdalenian V I i s l imited, a r eflection o f t he f act t hat t here a re n ot v ery m any p laquettes i ndexed f or t his s tage a nd t hat s chematic d ecoration h as h ere b ecome v ery i mportant a t t his l ate d ate. T here i s t oo l ittle m aterial f or a ssessment i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriod, o r i n t he S olutrean a nd E arly M agdalenian s o t hat a n a nalysis i n t he P yrenees i s r estricted t o t he l ate M agdalenian. I n t he g enerali zed l ate M agdalenian h orse i s t he m ost f requently d epicted a nimal, f ollowed b y c ervids a nd t hen b ison. H owever, i n M agdalenian I V b ison h olds s econd p lace ( the o rder b eing h orse, b ison, c ervids); w hile i n M agdalenian V b ison f alls i n i mportance a nd t he o rder o f f requency b ecomes h orse, c ervids a nd c aprids. I n M agdalenian V I c aprids a re o f f irst i mportance, f ollowed b y h orse a nd c ervids. W ith r egard t o t he i ndividual a nimals, h orse s hows i ts h ighest p ercentage i n M agdalenian I V a s d oes b ison. O xen a re m ore o ften d rawn i n M agdalenian V t han i n a ny o ther p eriod, b ut b y a v ery s mall m argin o nly a nd c ervids a nd c aprids b oth s how t heir h ighest p ercentages i n M agdalenian V I. T he i mportance o f c aprids a t t his s tage i s v ery m arked. I n t he P yrenees h orse i s t he m ost o ften d epicted a nimal w ith 8 4 r epresentations, f ollowed b y c ervids w ith 4 6, b ison w ith 4 1, c aprids w ith 3 2 a nd o xen w ith 1 8. I n t his r egion t he g reatest n umber o f a nimal d epictions o ccur i n M agdalenian I V ( actually i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, b ut t his i s a w idely c omprehensive c ategory a nd t he h igh n umbers o f M agdalenian I V a re m ore s ignificant).

9 4

T he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain s how l ess v ariety i n t he d epiction o f s pecies t han d o W estern F rance o r t he P yrenees ( there a re n o r hinoceros, o nly o ne b ear a nd m ammoth , a nd f ew f ish, b irds, f elines o r h uman f emales). H ere, a s i n t he P yrenees, a nimals a re m ost c ommonly d epicted i n M agdalenian I V. I n t he e arly p eriod ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) h orse i s t he m ost f requently d epicted a nimal, f ollowed e qually b y c ervids a nd h uman f igures, m ale o r i ndeterminable; o ther s pecies a re r epresented b y a s ingle e xample o nly. I n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian c ervids a re e mphatically t he m ost i mportant s pecies, f ollowed b y h orse a nd t hen b y c aprids. ( The g eneralized l ate M agdalenian c ategory i s n umerically u nimportant i n t his r egion). I n M agdalenian I V h orse r eturns t o f irst p lace, f ollowed b y c ervids a nd b ison ( this i s t he o nly s tage i n w hich b ison h as a ny i mportance a nd o ne o f o nly t wo s tages, t he o ther b eing t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian, i n w hich i t i s r epresented i n t his r egion a t a ll). I n M agdalenian V c ervids r eturn t o f irst p lace, h orse t o s econd a nd i n M agdalenian V I h orse i s o f f irst i mportance, f ollowed e qually b y o xen a nd c aprids, a nd t hen b y c ervids. A c onsideration o f t he a nimal s pecies s hows t he h ighest p ercentages o f h orse a nd b ison i n M agdalenian I V, o f o xen a nd c aprids i n M agdalenian V I a nd o f c ervids i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian. A ltogether 7 7 h orses a re d rawn, 6 2 c ervids, 2 1 b ison, 1 4 c aprids a nd 9 o xen. T his r egion, a lthough i t i s a n a rbitrary c ombination o f t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria, d oes s how c ertain c limatic d ifferences. B ison i s u nimportant, o r n on-existent e xcept i n M agdalenian I V a nd h ere i ts i mportance i s a ccounted f or b y I sturitz, a s ite w hich h as a ffinities t o t he P yrenees a s m uch a s t o C antabria. O xen a re m ore i mportant i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion i n M agdalenian V I t han i n a ny o ther r egion a nd t he c ervids h ere a re ( with t he e xception o f a s eries a t I sturitz) r ed d eer a nd n ot r eindeer. C aprids, a s o ne w ould e xpect i n t he C antabrian t opography, a re o f a c ertain i mportance. T his i s i n c ontrast ( as s tated a bove) t o t he P yrenees w here o xen a re o f l ittle i mportance, c ervids w hen d rawn, a re o ften r eindeer, c aprids a re o utstandingly i mportant i n M agdalenian V I ( a s ite s uch a s L es E glises, i n A riege, w ith o ver 9 0% i bex b one i n t he h abitation f auna u nderlines t his b ias) a nd b ison a re o f m ore i mportance i n M agdalenian I V t han i n a ny o ther r egion, o r a ny o ther p eriod. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian g roup s hows a w ide v ariety o f s pecies, w hile t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriod a nd M agdalenian V I ( which a re t he o nly o ther c ategories o f n umerical i mportance) h ave f ewer. I n t he e arliest s tage r hinoceros e merges a s p roportionally t he m ost i mportant s pecies, f ollowed b y b ison ( however t he t otal n umber o f n aturalistically d ecorated s urfaces i s o nly 8 ); i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian h orse i s m ost i mportant, f ollowed b y c ervids a nd o xen a nd i n M agdalenian V I h orse i s a gain o f f irst i mportance, f ollowed b y h umans o f i ndeterminable s ex. H orse, o xen a nd c ervids a ll s how t heir h ighest p ercentage i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, b ison i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriod a nd c aprids e qually i n t hese t wo s ame p eriods. H orse i s t he m ost o ften d epicted a nimal, w ith 2 3 r epresentations, c ervids f ollow w ith 1 8, o xen w ith 9 , c aprids w ith 7 a nd r hinoceros w ith 6 . T he n umber o f r hinoceros i s n ot v ery g reat, b ut t he i dentifications h ere a re m ore r eliable t han m any i n o ther r egions. T hree o f t hese a re e arly i n d ate a nd t he t hree e xamples i ndexed a s g eneralized l ate M agdalenian o ccur o n t he L a C olombiere p ebbles a nd a re o f p resumed M agdalenian I V d ate ( Fig. 1 7). T he g eneralized l ate

9 5

M agdalenian i s h ere t he s tage w ith m ost a nimal d epictions.

F IG . 1 7.

L a C olombiere; p ebble, 8 .3 x 7 .2 c m, e ngraved w ith a w ooly

r hinoceros, f acing l eft, w ith t hree f eathered d arts i n i ts b elly a nd , i n t he o pposite p lane t o t his f igure , ac aprid, f acing r ight, w hose h ead h as b een o bliterated b y t he r epeated r ecutting o f t hat o f t he r hinoceros.

M ayet a nd P issot c ollection , F aculte d es

S ciences d e l a T erre.

U niversity o f L yon 1 .

L eroi-Gourhan h as p ointed o ut t hat h orse i s t he m ost i mportant s pecies i n p alaeolithic a rt a nd s econd t o h orse, i n t he n umber o f m ural d epictions, c ome b ovids. H owever, a s h e n otes i n " Prehistoire d e l 'Art O ccidental" a nd a s t he p resent t able c onfirms, t his a nalysis i s n ot a pplicable i n r espect o f p laquettes. B ison a nd o xen a re s eparately i ndexed i n t he p resent s urvey, b ut e ven i f o ne a dds t he p ercentages f or o xen t o t hose f or b ison, i t d oes n ot a lter t he p icture r adically; h orse a nd c ervids c ontinue t o o ccupy f irst a nd s econd p lace i n W estern F rance, t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, a lthough i n t he P yrenees c ervids a re r elegated t o t hird p lace a nd b ovids a chieve s econd. E qually, t he p osition o f e ach s pecies i n e ach r egion a t e ach c hronological s tage i s n ot m uch a ltered b y a dding o xen t o b ison. I n t he P yrenees, i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, b ovids t ake s econd p lace t o h orse ( displacing c ervids) a nd i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria, i n M agdalenian I V, t he s ame o ccurs ( bovids d isplace c ervids i n s econd p lace) w hile o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria b ovids r ise t o e qual f irst i mportance w ith r hinoceros i n t he e arliest p eriod. H orse o r c ervids e verywhere r emain t he a nimals o f f irst i mportance, b ovids a chieve s econdary i mportance i n t hree r egional s tages i nstead o f o ne a nd r ise t o j oint f irst p lace, i nstead o f s econd, i n o ne o ther. A ssessing b ovids a s a s ingle g roup, h orse i s o f f irst i mportance i n t welve r egional s tages; c ervids a re o f f irst i mportance i n t hree, h umans, c aprids, b ovids a nd r hinoceros i n o ne e ach. I n s even r egional s tages d eer i s o f s econdary i mportance, i n f our, h orse i s o f s econdary i mportance, b ovids h ave s econdary i mportance i n t hree, h umans i n t wo a nd c aprids a nd o xen i n o ne e ach.

9 6

A s i n c ave a rt, t he p revalence, o r a bsence o f a ny a nimal s pecies m ay h ave a s imple e xplanation. I n t he p resent t able, f or e xample, i bex a re s hown t o b e d rawn i n t he P yrenees a t a p eriod ( Magdalenian V I) w hen t hey a re k nown t o p redominate i n t he f auna, w hile r ed d eer a t C astillo ( Cantabric S pain) i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian, o r r eindeer i n W estern F rance i n M agdalenian V I a lso r eflect t he c ontemporary e nvironment. H orse i s c limatically a daptable a nd i ts s upremacy i n c ave a nd p laquette d ecoration m ay s imply r eflect i ts u biquity i n t he f auna. O xen a re d rawn ( on p laquettes) i n t he A urignacian, G ravettian s tage a nd r eappear i n t he l ate M agdalenian ; t he f aunal r ecord ( Delpech 1 976) s hows r emains o f B os P rimigenius a t t he e nd o f W urm I V ( at D uruthy, L andes) a nd t he p laquette r ecord f or t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion w here o xen a re o f s econdary i mportance t o h orse i n M agdalenian V I c onfirms t his. B ison, w hich a s a s pecies, s how t he m ost i nteresting p atterning i n t his t able a re n ot ' , h owever, s o e asily e xplained. I n W estern F rance b ison o ccur o n p laquettes t hroughout t he p eriods i ndexed, a lthough t hey a re n ever m ore t han t hird i n i mportance a mongst t he s pecies d rawn. I n t he P yrenees t hey e xist i n a ll L ate M agdalenian s tages ( the e arlier s tages a re p oorly r epresented h ere) a nd a re i mportant i n M agdalenian I V. I n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion t hey a re a gain i mportant i n M agdalenian I V, b ut a bsent a fter t his p eriod a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t hey a chieve a r ather s purious i mportance i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian p eriod. B ison a re n umerically o f g reater i mportance i n t he P yrenees t han i n a ny o ther r egion ; a s a s pecies t hey a re k nown t o h ave f lourished o n t he p lains o f A quitaine i n W urm I V a nd t o e xhibit a c ontinuous r egression a t t he e nd o f t his p eriod, a r egression t hat w as m ore m arked o n t he P yrenean b orders t han i n t he G ironde ( Delpech, o p c it). T he i ncidence o f b ison o n p laquettes f its n eatly w ith t his c hronological p attern. I n t he l atest s tages o f t he M agdalenian t hey d isappear f rom t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion, b ecome m uch l ess c ommon i n t he P yrenees a nd d ecline, t hough l ess a bruptly, i n W estern F rance, b ut w hile A quitaine i s t he o ptimum e nvironment f or t he s pecies, i t i s i n t he P yrenees t hat t hey a re m ost r epresented o n p laquettes. I n t his r espect t heir i mportance i s p erhaps e xplained b y t he i mportance o f M agdalenian I V i n t his r egion, r ather t han b y t he p revalence o f t he s pecies i n t he e nvironment. T he d epiction o f b ison i s f undamental t o M agdalenian I V a rt, w hether i n c aves ( for e xample i n N iaux, P ortel, o r t he V olp c averns) o n p laquettes ( as a t E nlene, I sturitz, o r t he M agdalenian I V s eries a t B runiquel) o r i n t hree d imensional f orms ( as a t L a M adeleine o r I sturitz). R eindeer p rovide f ood a nd a ntler, b ut a s i s w ell k nown, i t i s a s pecies t hat i s r elatively l ittle d epicted i n c lassic M agdalenian a rt. B ison a nd h orse a re t he s tereotype o f M agdalenian I V a nd t he d efinitive e lement i n t his c ombination i s n ot h orse, b ut b ison. T he r egional c haracteristics o f t he p resent t able a re e vident i n t he c hronological i ncidence o f a nimal r epresentations a nd i n t he p roportional i mportance o f d ifferent s pecies i n d ifferent r egions. A nimal r epresentations a re i mportant i n t he c lassical M agdalenian ( IV) i n t he P yrenees a nd i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria; o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric a rea ( where M agdalenian I V i s n ot w ell i ndexed) t hey a re i mportant i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd t hey d ecline i n n umber i n t hese t hree r egions t owards t he e nd o f t he M agdalenian. T he s ituation i s q uite d ifferent i n W estern F rance w here m ost r ecognizable a nimal r epresentations o ccur i n M agdalenian V I. S ince t he n umber o f r epresentations h as a n i mportance r elative t o t he t otal o f d ecorated s urfaces i n e ach r egion, a nd p eriod, t he n umber o f

9 7

a ll n aturalistic r epresentations a s a p ercentage o f t he t otal s urfaces h as b een i ncluded i n t his s urvey ( see T able 1 5, a ). T hese p ercentages r einforce t he o bservations m ade a bove; i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque C antabric r egion M agdalenian I V s hows t he h ighest p ercentage o f a nimal r epresentations ( outside A quitaine a nd C antabria, t he h ighest p ercentage i s f ound i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian); i n W estern F rance a nimals a re i n f act p roportionally m ost i mportant i n M agdalenian V ( out o f a s mall t otal) a nd a re o therwise o f a lmost e qual i mportance i n M agdalenian I V a nd V I. W estern F rance i s t he o nly r egion i n w hich a nimal r epresentations d o n ot l ose i mportance i n t his l ast p eriod. I n o ther r egions' t hey d ecline i n p ercentage a nd i n t he P yrenees t his i s p articularly a pparent. W estern F rance t hus e merges a s t he o ne r egion i n w hich t he n aturalistic t radition d oes n ot d ecline, b ut c ontinues t o f lourish i n t he l ast s tages o f t he M agdalenian. W ith r egard t o t he p roportional i mportance o f d ifferent s pecies, i n t he P yrenees b ison a re m ore i mportant t han e lsewhere, a nd i n W estern F rance, c ervids. H ere c ervids a re o f f irst i mportance i n M agdalenian V I a nd o f o verall n umerical i mportance. I n a ll o ther r egions h orse i s n umerically m ost f requent. A p reference f or e ngraving o ne a nimal r ather t han a nother m ay b e d etermined b y c ultural t radition, o r b y c limate b ut t o o ffer a n e xplanation d oes n ot a lter t he f act t hat t he i nventory i n o ne r egion i s d ifferent f rom t hat i n a nother; f or e xample, t he i mportance o f c aprids i n t he P yrenees i n t he s tage o f M agdalenian V I, e ven i f d etermined b y a ltitude a nd c limate, r emains u nique t o t his r egion. T here a re m inor v ariations, s uch a s t he p revalence o f b irds a nd f ish i n t he P yrenees a nd t he n umber o f r hinoceros o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, b ut t oo m any e xplanatory f actors p roduce c onfusion a nd w hen c onsidering a s elected i nventory i t i s p robably o nly t he r elative i ndices o f i mportant s pecies t hat h ave s ignificance. A t able o f a nimal i dentifications f or e ach r egion, a ccording t o t he m aterial o f s upport w as a lso r un i n t he c omputer p rogramme b ut t he r esults o nly c onfirm t hat d ate o r c ultural p reference a re m ore i mportant i n t he c hoice o f a nimals d epicted. F or e xample, i n W estern F rance, a lthough h orse i s t he p referred s pecies o n s capulae a nd p ebbles, c ervids a re o f g reatest i mportance o n l imestone a nd, s ince l imestone i s t he s upport m ost o ften u sed i n t his r egion ( particularly i n M agdalenian V I), t he o verall p redominance o f c ervids i s u pheld. I n t he P yrenees h orse, w hich i s h ere t he m ost o ften d epicted a mimal i s p redictably o f f irst i mportance o n m ost f orms o f s upport; c ervids a re c ommon o n s capulae i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria, ( a f requency e xplained b y d ate a nd a ccounted f or b y t he C astillo c ollections) w hile o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria p ebbles, w hich a re t he m ost c ommonly u sed s upport p rincipally s how h orse a nd c ervids, w hich a re t he m ost f requently d rawn a nimals, e tc. B ison a lone s how a n a ssociation w ith a p articular f orm o f s upport; i n W estern F rance t hey m ost c ommonly o ccur o n a ntler, i n t he P yrenees o n m ud a nd s andstone, a nd i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion o n s andstone. H owever, t hese a re t he m aterials p referred i n t hese r espective r egions i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V a nd, a s h as b een d emonstrated a bove, b ison h as a p articular i mportance a t t his s tage. B ison d o n ot o ccur o n p ebbles i n t he P yrenees o r t he B asque/Cantabric r egion, b ut p ebbles a re n ot c hosen a s a s upport u ntil a l ate d ate i n t hese a reas, w hen b ison a re n o l onger d rawn. O ne m ust c onclude t hat t he c hoice o f s upport a nd d ecoration a re b oth d etermined b y d ate a nd t hat, w ith r egard t o a nimal i dentification, t he m aterial o f s upport h as n o m ore i mportance t han T able 2 h as a lready s hown. 9 8

4, a O

c a 0,

F ish , o r e el

e , 1

B ird

. 0 4 ., O

B ison

6

Ce rvid

1 . 4 M

w

c. ,

1

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1

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1 49

6

4

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2

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1 1 5

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H uman, m ale

R arities ( fox, w olf, g lutton)

g l

1

3 0

2

5 .

a 0

H uman, f emale

H uman, u nidentifiable

1 4-, C ) w c ae 1 -

c a

-

-

R hinoceros

- -

0 0 0 a

1

G oat, o r a ntelope

L ion

' ' "› :

1

1 —

B ear

o m

I

- 1

2

A

o O i . M

0 g e

I I

1 2

O xen, g eneral i dentification

0

O o N M

M ammoth H orse

0

w

9

F ish, o r e el

0 ri A c d I . 4

R arities ( fox , w olf, g lutton)

a o — 1 4 . 0 C , . 1 4 1

1 1

1

2

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1

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1

1

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-

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—

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-

7

S OUTH W EST F RANCE

T ABLE 1 7

C orrelation o f a nimal s pecies d epicted, a ssessed f or e ach d ecorated s urface.

9 9

F ish, o r e el

_

M ammoth

—

H orse B ison

3 1

1 1 1

G oat, o r a ntelope

1

^

8 4

4

1

6

4

4 1

1

2

1 8

1

_

4 6

6

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2 3 3

1

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1

3

1

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1

1

8

I

I

I

1

5

1

4

1

5

1

I

2 1

-

—

H uman, m ale

R arities ( fox, w olf, g lutton)

— 1 —

1

1

1 .

2

1

—

1

2

I

1 1 I

9

2 •—

H uman, f emale

H uman, u nidentifiable

w olf, g lutton )

1

1 —

L ion

H uman , u nidentifiable

1

R hinoceros B ear

G oat, o r a ntelope

• ,4 P I

0 0

1

O xen, g eneral i dentification C ervid

• 0 1 ' 3

C O 0 f 1

— ! Rarities ( fox

1 0

%

O xen , g eneral i dentification

F ish , o r e el B ird

, C 1 43 0

—

1

1

—

—

1

— 4 —

1 6 2 2

P YRENEES

T ABLE 1 7

C orrelation o f a nimal s pecies d epicted, a ssessed f oreach d ecorated s urface.

1 00

F ish, o r e el

R arities ( fox, w olf, g lutton)

" > -

e . A m

1

I

2

1

1

1

1

I

I1

1

7

2

2

1 0

2

I1

1

I 3 2

2

2 1

1

2

t

1

1

1

1

6 2

4

1

1

1 4

1

M ammoth H orse B ison O xen, g eneral i dentification

I

0 0

—1 Goat, or a ntelope

3

m o t a

O xen, g eneral i dentification

F ish, o r e el B ird

O O

4 . 1 0 0

1

1 0

1 1

1

2

—

2

I

I

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

II

9

2

G oat, o r a ntelope

1

4

I

I

1 1 I

1

L ion H uman,

2

f emale

2

H uman, m ale H uman, u nidentifiable

3

^

2

1

—

R arities ( fox, w olf, g lutton)

1 1

1

I 1

R hinoceros B ear

I

I

I

1

1 .

1

I

I

I

1

1

1

1

1

7

1

1

8

1 8

B ASQUE P ROVINCES A ND C ANTABRIC S PAIN

T ABLE 1 7

C orrelation o f a nimal s pecies d epicted, a ssessed f or e ach d ecorated s urface.

1 01

R arities ( fox, w olf , g lutton )

i dentification 2

F ish, o r e el

II 2

M ammoth H orse

n oceros

F ish , o r e el B ird

1

I 1

B ear

1

1

31

1

R hinoceros

II

1

I

2 3

G oat, o r a ntelope

I

1

1

3

I

I

1

1

I

1

1

O xen , g eneral i dentification

L ion

I

5

B ison

Cer . :vid

0

a

5

1

5

1

4

1 1

1 ,1

I 1 1 1

I i

I 1

I

1

1 1

1

1

31

1

1 1

1

1

1

1

1

I

I

9

3

2 1

1

5 1

3 1 8

3

1

1

4

1

4

1

2

3 7

1

1

1

!I

1

-

1

1

1

6

1

i

1

1

1

1

1

4

1

1

3 1

I 1

1

5

1

1

H uman , m ale

1

1

1

1

R arities ( fox , w olf, g lutton)

1

I 1

11 1

4

H uman, f emale

H uman, u nidentifiable

1

1

1

3 —

1

1

1

5 3

1

O UTSIDE A QUITAINE A ND C ANTABRIA

T ABLE 1 7

C orrelation o f a nimal s pecies d epicted, a ssessed f or e ach d ecorated s urface.

1 02

C ORRELATION O F A NIMAL S PECIES D EPICTED , A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION, B OTH O N A S INGLE S URFACE A ND O N O BVERSE A ND R EVERSE S URFACES O F A S INGLE O BJECT. ( TABLE 1 7)

T he t otal n umber o f a nimals r ecorded f or e ach r egion i s g reater t han t he n umber o f n aturalistically d ecorated s urfaces i ndexed b ecause a s ingle s urface o ften h as t wo o r m ore f igures e ngraved. I t i s t hese s urfaces w ith m ore t han o ne a nimal t hat p rovide t he c orrelations b etween s pecies w hile t he s urfaces w ith a s ingle a nimal d epicted c ontribute t o t he t otal n umber r ecorded f or e ach s pecies. A s s tated a bove, i n T able 1 6, t he a nimal i dentification c ategories u sed h ere a re c omprehensive r ather t han s pecific. B ison a re l isted s eparately f rom o ther b ovids ( oxen a nd g eneral i dentifications) b ecause t hey a re e asy t o i dentify, w hile t he c ategory o f c ervid i s u sed i n p reference t o r ed d eer a nd r eindeer b ecause i t i s o ften n ot e asy t o d istinguish t hese s pecies o n p laquettes. T he l ast c ategory ( rarities) c ontains l ittle e lse t han g lutton, f ox a nd w olf. T he b oxed d iagonal o n e ach r egional t able s hows t he n umber o f s urfaces o n w hich e ach s pecies o ccurs. ( It d oes n ot i ndicate t he n umber o f d epictions). S trictly, t hese t otals a re n ot r elevant t o t he p resent t ables w hich a re d esigned t o s how h ow o ften i ndividuals o f o ne s pecies a re a ssociated w ith t hose o f a nother. I n W estern F rance t here a re 6 56 i dentifiable f igures, o r p arts o f f igures, o f a nimals o r h umans. T he l ow f requencies f or s eldom d epicted s pecies ( in t his r egion b irds, f ish a nd r hinoceros) h ave l ittle s ignificance b ut a ll t he o ther i ndexed s pecies o ccur i n a ppreciable n umbers a nd t he a ssociations a mongst t hem a re o f i nterest. ( Here, a s i n T able 1 6 i t i s i mportant t o r emember t hat t he f igures f or W estern F rance a re t o a c ertain e xtent d istorted b y t he i nclusion o f s ome, b ut n ot a ll, o f t he e ngravings f rom L a M arche. T he i nventory f or t his s ite i s v ery l arge a nd o nly t he h umans, f elines a nd b ears h ave b een i ndexed t o d ate. T he r emaining s pecies w ere n ot a vailable i n t ime f or t his c omputer s urvey). C ervids, w hich a re t he s pecies d rawn m ost o ften o n p laquettes i n t his r egion, ( Western F rance) a re a ssociated i n 3 1 i nstances w ith h orse, i n 6 w ith h uman f emales, i n 5 w ith a c aprid a nd i n 4 i nstances e ach w ith b ear, o xen a nd l ion. H orse ( here t he s econd m ost f requently d rawn s pecies), a fter i ts 3 1 a ssociations w ith c ervids o ccurs o n 6 s urfaces w ith b ison a nd o n f our e ach w ith o xen a nd l ions. H umans o f u nidentifiable s ex a re f ound i n 7 i nstances w ith i dentifiable f emales a nd i n 3 i nstances w ith b ears. H uman f emales, a fter t heir a ssociations w ith u nidentifiable f igures o ccur m ost o ften w ith c ervids, a nd m ales w ith f emales ( the n umber a nd a ssociations o f h uman f igures a re m uch i nfluenced b y L a M arche). C aprids o ccur 5 t imes w ith c ervids, 3 t imes w ith b ison; b ison 6 t imes w ith h orse a nd, a s s tated, 3 t imes w ith c aprids. O xen o ccur e qually w ith h orse a nd c ervids: l ions a re f ound p rincipally w ith c ervids a nd h orses, b ears w ith c ervids. O bviously, t he a ssociations a re, t o a c ertain e xtent, d etermined d irectly b y t he i ncidence o f s pecies, f or e xample c ervids w hich a re t he m ost c ommonly r epresented a nimal a re t he m ost f requent a ssociate o f h orse, o f c aprids, o f o xen, l ions a nd b ears, b ut t he p attern o f s imple n umerical p rogression d oes n ot a pply w ithout e xception. D isregarding t he h umans, l ions a nd b ears w hose n umbers a re a ugmented b y L a M arche, t he n umerical o rder o f a nimals d epicted i n W estern F rance i s c ervid, h orse, c aprid, b ison a nd o xen. O ne i rregular e lement i s t he b ison w hich s how a s ingle 1 03

a ssociation w ith a c ervid b ut 6 w ith h orse a nd 3 w ith c aprids, w hile h orse s hows o nly 2 a ssociations w ith c aprids. T he h orse/bovid a ssociation w hich L eroi-Gourhan s uggests i s f undamental t o c ave a rt a lthough o f m inor n umerical i mportance o n p laquettes h as a c onsiderable a ssociational i mportance. H owever, t he m ost c ommon s pecies a ssociation i n W estern F rance i s b etween h orse a nd c ervid a nd t he s econdary ( and h ere e xceptional) a ssociation o f b ison a nd h orse i s p rincipally a ccounted f or b y p ieces o f M agdalenian I V d ate f or, w hile h orse i s u biquitous ) i t i s p rincipally i n t he c lassical M agdalenian s tages t hat b ison i s o f i mportance. I n t he P yrenees, t here a re f ewer i dentifiable a nimals ( 311 i n a ll). H ere h orse i s m ost o ften d epicted, f ollowed b y c ervids, b ison a nd c aprids. M ammoth, r hinoceros a nd h uman m ales a nd f emales o ccur i n v ery s mall n umbers a nd a lthough t he r arity c ategory h as 2 2 e ntries t hey a re n ot c onsidered h ere b ecause a v ariety o f s pecies a re g rouped u nder t his h eading. B irds a nd f ish, h owever, a re m ore n umerous i n t he P yrenees t han i n a ny o ther r egion. T he p rimary a ssociation o f h orse a nd c ervid c ontinues, a lthough t he n umerical i mportance o f t he s pecies i s h ere r eversed. T his a ssociation o ccurs 6 t imes, t hat o f h orse w ith b ison 4 t imes a nd h orse w ith b ird, 3t imes. C ervids a re a ssociated, a fter h orse, w ith c aprids ( 3 t imes). B ison, a s s tated, a re a ssociated i n 4 i nstances w ith h orse a nd t hen i n e qual f requency w ith c ervids, c aprids a nd b ears ( twice e ach). C aprids a re m ost o ften a ssociated w ith c ervids, t hen e qually w ith h orse a nd b ison. B ison a re o f g reater p roportional i mportance i n t he P yrenees t han i n a ny o ther r egion a nd t heir a ssociation w ith h orse o ccurs q uite o ften b ut a lthough t here a re a lmost a s m any b ison d epicted a s c ervids ( 41 a nd 4 6 r espectively) t he h orse/cervid a ssociation r emains o f f irst i mportance. T he o rder o f i mportance o f s pecies i s t he s ame i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a s i n t he P yrenees a nd t he a ssociation o f h orse a nd c ervid i s e ven m ore s trongly m arked. T his o ccurs 1 0 t imes a nd h orse i s a ssociated w ith h uman f igures i n 3 i nstances b ut o therwise n ot m ore t han t wice w ith a ny o ther s pecies. C ervids, a fter t he a ssociations t o h orse, o ccur w ith c aprids i n 4 i nstances; c aprids o ccur w ith c ervids a nd t hen w ith h orse, w hile o xen s how o ne a ssociation o nly, w ith h orse. N o p articular a ssociation b etween b ison a nd h orse i s a pparent i n t his r egion; h ere t his c ombination o ccurs t wice o nly a s d oes t hat o f b ison w ith c ervid. T here a re 2 17 i dentifiable f igures i n t his r egion ( Basque p rovinces a nd C antabria) a nd a ll s pecies o ther t han t hose d escribed a bove o ccur i n s mall n umbers. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t he o rder o f s pecies i s s lightly c hanged; h orse i s f ollowed b y c ervids b ut t hen b y o xen, c aprids a nd r hinoceros. T here a re o nly 9 8 i dentifiable f igures i n t his r egion a nd a lthough t he r ange o f s pecies i s w ide, m ost o ccur i n s mall n umbers o nly. C ervids p ersist a s t he a ssociation o f p rimary i mportance w ith h orse ( this o ccurs 5 t imes) a nd c aprids a nd l ion f ollow c ervids i n f requency. W ith r egard t o t he c ervids, a fter h orse, l ions a re f ound i n a ssociation 4 t imes a nd m ammoth, o xen a nd c aprids 3 t imes e ach. O xen a re a ssociated ( after c ervids) t o c aprids a nd c aprids p rimarily t o h orse a nd t hen t o c ervids. R hinoceros i s r epresented i n t his r egion b y 6 i dentifications a nd i s f ound i n a ssociation w ith h orse, c ervids, o xen, c aprids a nd l ion ( one o f t he p ebbles f rom L a C olombiere h as r hinoceros, h orse, c ervid a nd l ion t ogether o n a s ingle s urface). B ison i s o f l ittle n umerical i mportance o utside A quitaine a nd

1 04

C antabria, b ut t he 5 e xamples t hat e xist i n t his r egion s how a o f a ssociations, w ith h orse, c ervids, c aprids a nd b ear.

v ariety

T he p rincipal i nterest o f t his t able i s t he a ssociation s hown b etween h orse a nd c ervids. T able 1 6 s hows t he n umerical p riority t hat t hese t wo s pecies h ave a nd t he p resent t able d emonstrates t heir i nterd ependence. I f t he r elationship i s i mplicit i n t he n umerical i ncidence o f t hese t wo s pecies i n W estern F rance, t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a nd a reas o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, i t i s n ot s o i n t he P yrenees w here t he n umber o f b ison i s n early a s g reat a s t hat o f c ervids, b ut t he n umber o f a ssociations r emains a ppreciably l ess. T his h orse/cervid a ssociation i s t he m ore i nteresting s ince b ison a nd h orse f orm o ne o f t he m ost p ersistent c ombinations i n c ave a rt a nd a re i mportant i n a rt o f a ll f orms i n . t he c lassic M agdalenian s tages ( notably I V). I n a ll r egions, e xcepting o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria,caprids a re m ost u sually a ssociated w ith c ervids, i n t he l ast g roup t hey a re a ssociated w ith h orse o nce m ore o ften t han w ith d eer, b ut t he c ervid a ssociation r emains i mportant. T he p rincipal a ssociation t hat e merges, h owever, i s o f h orse a nd c ervid, w ith t hat o f b ison a nd h orse o f i mportance i n c ertain r egions a t c ertain d ates. T he f irst o f t hese g roupings s hows n o r egional d istribution, t he s econd a l ittle, i n t hat i t r eflects t he i mportance o f b ison i n t he P yrenees a nd W estern F rance a nd, t o a l esser d egree, i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria. T he p resent t able e ndorses t he r esults o f T able 1 6 i n t hat i t s uggests t hat t he c hoice a nd a ssociation o f a nimals d epicted i s a m atter o f d ate a nd c ultural p reference a nd t hat t he r egional p atterning t hat o ccurs i s d ependent o n t hese f actors.

T HE C ORRELATION O F A NIMAL S PECIES D EPICTED O N T HE O BVERSE A ND R EVERSE S URFACES O F A S INGLE P LAQUETTE.

T he a bove t able ( 17, C orrelation o f s pecies) i s c oncerned w ith t he a ssociations o f a nimals o n a s ingle s urface, b ut t he a nimals d epicted o n t he o bverse a nd r everse o f a p laquette t hat i s d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces m ay a lso b e c onsidered a s a ssociated. T hese c ombinations h ave n ot b een h andled b y t he c omputer b ut a lthough t he n umbers o f p laquettes w ith d ecoration o n t wo s urfaces i s c onsiderable ( 693) t hose s howing i dentifiable a nimals o n b oth s urfaces i s m uch l ess ( 105) a nd m ay b e a ssessed f rom t he i ndividual e ntries. W estern F rance h as 4 7 p laquettes w ith r ecognizable a nimal f igures o n t wo s urfaces ( 15.7%) o f t he t otal o f 2 99 t hat a re s o d ecorated): t he P yrenees h as o nly 1 7 p laquettes w ith a nimal d ecoration o n 2 s urfaces ( 8.6% o f a t otal o f 1 97 s o d ecorated). T he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria h as 2 6 p laquettes w ith r ecognizable a nimals o n o bverse a nd r everse ( 18% o f a t otal o f 1 43) a nd t he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria h ave 1 5 s uch, f orming 2 7% o f t he t otal o f 5 4 p ieces d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces. T hese f igures a re c onsistent w ith t he i ncidence o f d ecoration o n t wo s urfaces ( Table 1 2) w hich s hows t he h ighest p ercentage o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a nd t he l owest i n t he P yrenees. S ome o f t he s urfaces w ith a ssociated f igures t hat a re t he d ata b ase f or c orrelations i n T able 1 7 r eappear h ere i f t heir o pposite s urface c ontains o ne o r m ore i dentifiable a nimals, o therwise t he e ntries t hat p rovide t he m aterial f or t he o bverse, r everse a nalysis a re d ifferent. Ap laquette w ith a s ingle a nimal o n o bverse a nd r everse s urface i s 1 05

r elevant h ere, b ut w ill n ot a ppear i n T able 1 7 e xcept t o c ontribute t o t he t otal n umber o f s urfaces o n w hich e ach s pecies i s d epicted. T his b eing s o i t i s i nteresting t o e xamine t he r esults o f t he p resent a nalysis i n r elation t o T able 1 7. I n W estern F rance h orse a nd c ervid a re e leven t imes a ssociated o n t he o bverse a nd r everse o f a s ingle p laquette; h orse a nd b ovid f ive t imes, c ervid a nd c aprid a nd c ervid a nd b ovid t hree t imes e ach; n o o ther c ombination o f d ifferent s pecies o ccurs m ore t han o nce a lthough f emales o ccur w ith o ther f emales i n s ix i nstances a nd u nidentifiable h uman f igures w ith o thers s imilar, s ix t imes a lso. I n t he P yrenees t he c ombination o f h orse a nd b ovid o ccurs i n f our i nstances ( strictly h orse a nd b ison i n t hree i nstances a nd h orse a nd b ull i n o ne). H orse a nd c ervid a re a ssociated t hree t imes, n o o ther d ifferent s pecies a re a ssociated m ore t han o nce b ut h orse o ccurs w ith h orse i n t wo i nstances. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S pain, t he a ssociation o f s imilar a nimals i s m ore i mportant t han t hat o f d ifferent s pecies; i e c ervids a re a ssociated w ith c ervid a nd h orse w ith h orse f ive t imes e ach a nd b ison w ith b ison t hree t imes, w hile h orse a nd c ervid a re a ssociated i n t hree i nstances, h orse a nd b ison i n t wo a nd n o o ther d iffering c ombination o ccurs m ore t han o nce. O utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t he h orse a nd c ervid a ssociation o n o bverse a nd r everse s urfaces i s a gain i mportant; i t o ccurs s ix t imes; h orse w ith b ovid, m ammoth a nd h uman a ppear t wice e ach, n o o ther d iffering c ombination o ccurs m ore t han o nce b ut h orse o ccurs w ith h orse t wice a lso. T he i mportance o f a ssociations o f t he s ame a nimal s pecies o n t he o bverse a nd r everse o f a s ingle p laquette t hat o ccurs i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria i s n ot r epeated i n t he a ssociations o n a s ingle s urface i n t his r egion. I n t he P yrenees a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a ssociations o f d ifferent s pecies o n a s ingle s urface a re t wice a s i mportant a s a ssociations o f t he s ame s pecies w hile i n t he B asque a nd S panish g roup t hey a re o f a lmost e qual i mportance a nd i n W estern F rance a ssociations o f t he s ame s pecies p redominate. T he o rder o f i mportance o f a ssociations o n t he o bverse a nd r everse s urfaces o f a s ingle p iece a ccords w ell w ith t hat r ecorded f or s ingle s urfaces i n W estern F rance; t hat i s t he h orse/cervid a ssociation i s o f p rimary i mportance a nd t hat o f h orse a nd b ovid, s econdary. T he r esults a gree a lso f or s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria w here t he h orse/ c ervid a ssociation i s a gain o f p rimary i mportance i n b oth g roups b ut t he v ery h igh i ncidence o f t his a ssociation o n s ingle s urfaces i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain i s n ot h ere r epeated i n t he a ssociation o n o bverse a nd r everse s urfaces. I n t his r egion, a lthough t he h orse/cervid a ssociation i s t he m ost i mportant o f t he d ifferent s pecies a ssociations i t i s n either p roportionally s o i mportant a s o n s ingle s urfaces, n or s o i mportant i n o bverse/reverse c ombinations a s i s t he a ssociation o f s ame a nimal f igure. I n t he P yrenees a t rend t hat i s m arked i n t he s ingle s urface a ssociations i s f urther e mphasized i n t he o bverse/reverse a ssociations. T his i s t he h orse/bovid c ombination, w hich, a lthough i mportant, i s n ot d ominant o n s ingle s urfaces b ut w hich i s o f p rimary i mportance i n t he o bverse/reverse a ssociations. T hree o f t he f our e xamples r ecorded a re o f h orse a nd b ison a nd a re o f M agdalenian I V d ate, a f act t hat e ndorses b oth t he i mportance o f b ison i n M agdalenian I V a rt a nd t he i mportance o f M agdalenian I V a s a c ultural s tage i n t he P yrenees. I n a n a rticle i n C aesaraugusta ( 1979) d escribing a p ebble e ngraved o n t wo s urfaces f rom E nlene, B egouen a nd C lottes c omment o n t he a ssociation o f a b ison o n t he o bverse s urface 1 06

a nd a h orse o n t he r everse a nd s uggest t hat L eroi-Gourhan's f undamental " pairing" i n c ave a rt ( horse/bovid) m ay b e o bserved o n p laquettes. I nterestingly, t hey h ave t aken a n e xample f rom t he o nly r egion a nd p eriod w here s uch a c laim c an b e u pheld, f or a s b oth t he a nalysis o f r elated s urfaces a nd t he c orrelation o f s pecies o n a s ingle s urface ( Table 1 7) s how, i t i s t he a ssociation o f h orse a nd c ervid, n ot h orse a nd b ovid t hat i s o f p rimary i mportance o n p laquettes ji n a ll r egions a nd p eriods jw ith t he s ingle e xception o f t he P yrenees i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V.

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S ince m ore t han o ne a nimal m ay b e d rawn o n a s ingle s urface, t he n umber o f e ntries m ade i n e ach g roup o f c ategories i n t his t able c an e xceed t he n umber o f r elevant i ndexed s urfaces, w ith t he r esult t hat t he p ercentages a re, o n o ccasion, t oo h igh. T he c ategories o f " absent" f or e yes a nd f eet a re i ndexed f or t hose f igures w here t hese f eatures c ould e xist, b ut d o n ot; t hat i s f or a h ead d rawn w ith n o e ye a nd l egs w ith s pace f or f eet b ut n o f eet. I f l egs o r h ead t hemselves a re o mitted, o r l ost, t he c ategory o f a bsent i s n ot e ntered. T here i s n o s pecies d istinction i n t hese c ategories, t hey a re a f unction o f s tyle a nd t echnical c omplexity o nly. F ive c ategories r ecord t he d epiction o f e yes. R ound e yes a re l ess c ommon a t a ll p eriods a nd i n a ll r egions t han e lipsoidal o r t riangular s hapes, e xcept i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian s tage o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria w here r ound e yes p redominate. B oth W estern F rance a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria s how a h igher r elative p roportion o f r ound t o e lipsoidal e yes a t a n e arly s tage, w hile i n t he P yrenees t here i s n ot e nough i ndexed m aterial f or t he e arly p eriods t o m ake a ny a ssessment. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria n o r ound e yes a re d rawn i n M agdalenian V I, i n W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees t hey s how t heir l owest p ercentage i n t his s ame p eriod w hile t he h igh p ercentage f or t his s hape i n M agdalenian I V i n t he P yrenees r eflects t he h igh i ncidence o f e yes d rawn a t t his p eriod r ather t han t he i mportance o f t he r ound s hape. A r inged e ye, t hat i s o ne d rawn w ith a s econd e ncircling l ine, i s a r are f orm , i t d oes n ot o ccur a nywhere i n t he e arliest p eriod; i n W estern F rance i t i s i mportant i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian a nd e xists a t a ll l ater s tages, i n t he P yrenees i t i s u nimportant a nd o ccurs o nly i n M agdalenian I V a nd V ( Fig. 1 9), i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion i t i s c onfined t o t hese s ame p eriods a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i t i s a gain f ound o nly i n l ate M agdalenian c ontexts. A n e ye w ith a l ine c ontinued f rom t he l ower c orner o ccurs a t a ll s tages, ( excepting M agdalenian V ), i n W estern F rance b ut e lsewhere i s a l ate M agdalenian f eature; i n t he P yrenees i t i s r elatively m ost i mportant i n M agdalenian V , i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria i n M agdalenian I V. I t i s a f eature t hat i s m ore i mportant i n t he d epiction o f s ome s pecies ( cervids) ( Pl. 1 4, b , F ig. 4 0) t han o thers b ut o ne c annot i llustrate t his f rom t he p resent t able. I n W estern F rance t he a bsence o f e yes i s m ost m arked i n t he e arliest p eriod a nd i s o f a c ertain f requency i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian, i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd i n M agdalenian V I. I n a ll o ther r egions e yes a re m ost f requently o mitted o n f igures o f M agdalenian V I d ate. T he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria a nd t he r egions o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, w ith c ollections o f a n e arly d ate, s how a l ess m arked d egree o f a bsence t han o ccurs a t t his s tage i n W estern F rance w hile i n t he t hree r egions ( Western F rance, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric g roup) t hat h ave s ubstantial c ollections o f M agdalenian I V d ate t his s tage h as, w ithout e xception, t he l owest p ercentages o f e yes a bsent. W ith r egard t o s hape, t he s imple r ound e ye i s c ommon o n p laquettes o f e arly d ate a nd a lthough i t i s u sed a longside e lipsoidal a nd t riangular f orms i n m ost p eriods i t e ither b ecomes r are, o r i s a bandoned b y M agdalenian V I. T he t wo e laborate f orms, r inged ) a nd w ith a c orner l ine ,are c haracteristic o f 1 10

l ate M agdalenian e ngraving , e xcept i n W estern F rance w here b oth o ccur i n s ome q uantity i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian. H ere t heir e arly a ppearance i s a ccounted f or b y L a M arche, a s ite t hat i s d ated t o M agdalenian II b ut s hows c onsiderable s ophistication f or t his p eriod. I ( Fig. 2 1) F our f urther c ategories d escribe t he d epiction o f f eet. S ingle f eet i n p rofile o ccur m ost f requently i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V i n W este rn F rance ( Fig. 1 6 , F ig. 1 7 , a nd P ls. 6 , aa nd 7 , b ) a nd t he P yrenees a nd o ccur o nly a t t his s tage i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria. M agdalenian I V i s n ot r epresented o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, e xcept u nder t he g uise o f t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, w hich h ere i s t he p eriod w ith m ost s ingle f eet. F eet d rawn c orrectly i n p airs s how a s imilar f requency: i n W es ern F rance a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion t hey a re i mportant i n M agdalenian I V, i n t he P yrenees i n M agdalenian I V a nd t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian. B lob f eet w hich a re c onsidered a n e arly f eature i n c ave a rt a re v ery r are o n p laquettes. T he t wo i solated e xamples f rom W estern F rance i n t he e arliest p eriods s upport t heir s tatus i n c aves b ut e lsewhere t he v ery f ew e xamples a re a ll o f l ate d ate. I n t he P yrenees t here a re t wo e xamples i n M agdalenian V , i n t he B asque/Cantabric g roup o ne e xample i n M agdalenian I V a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria o ne e xample i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian. F eet a re m ore o ften d epicted t han o mitted i n M agdalenian I V i n W estern F rance a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria, a lthough, u nexpectedly, t his b alance i s n ot r epeated i n t he P yrenees. H ere f eet a re m ost o ften d epicted i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian V a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian. H owever, t hese o bservations a re c omparable t o t hose m ade f or e yes, i n t hat b oth e yes a nd f eet a re p roportionally m ore o ften i ncluded o n f igures o f M agdalenian I V d ate, t han o n t hose o f a ny o ther p eriod. T his i s c onsistent w ith t he f requency o f c omplete a nd r ecognizable f igures d rawn a t t his s tage ( see T able 1 5). D etailed, u ncluttered a nd i dentifiable f igures a re p referred i n M agdalenian I V a nd t he f ormula t hat i s f ound o n p laquettes i s r epeated i n c aves. T he a bsence o f f eet i s l ess m arked i n t he e arly s tages o f W estern F rance t han i s t he a bsence o f e yes, m ore m arked i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria a nd o f e qual i mportance i n t he P yrenees a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. S imple f igures a re u sually c onsidered c haracteristic o f e arly U pper P aleolithic a rt b ut a lthough t he f igures o n p laquettes a re r elatively u ndetailed i n t he e arly p eriods, i t i s i n t he l atest p eriod ( Magdalenian V I) t hat a nimals m ost c onsistently l ack f eet a nd e yes. T his i s l ess t rue o f W estern F rance ( see F ig. 1 4) t han o f t he o ther g eographical r egions a nd m ay b e r elated t o t he p ersistence h ere o f t he n aturalistic t radition i nto t he l ast s tages o f t he M agdalenian ( see T able 1 5). A s implification o f f igures p erhaps g oes w ith t he t rend t owards s chematization i n d ecoration ( Table 2 1) a nd t his d evelopment w hich i s v ery m arked i n t he P yrenees i s c omparatively u nimportant i n W estern F rance. T he f our c ategories w hich d escribe t he d epiction o f m anes, w hether o n h orse o r b ison, a nd t he o ne c ategory w hich r ecords s chematized b eards, e ndorse c ertain o f t he o bservations m ade a bove. S chematization w hether o f b eard o r m ane d oes n ot o ccur a t a ll o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, t he f ew e xamples o f s chematized b eards t hat o ccur i n W estern F rance b elong t o M agdalenian I V a nd t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, s chematization o f b oth b eard a nd m ane e xists o nly i n M agdalenian I V i n 11 1

t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria a nd i n t he P yrenees t hey o ccur i n t his p eriod, o r i n M agdalenian V a nd t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian. E xtreme s tylization o f m anes a nd b eards i s f ound o n b onework o f M agdalenian I V d ate, f or e xample a t I sturitz o r L a M adeleine, b ut i t s eems t o b e a f eature t hat i s n ot t ranslated t o p laquettes. T he f ew e xamples t hat e xist o ccur a t t he e xpected d ate, b ut t hey a re v ery f ew i n n umber. E xcept t hat m anes d rawn w ith u pright s trokes ( P1, 1 , ba nd F ig. 1 ) m ost c ommonly o ccur i n M agdalenian I V , t here i s n othing d efinitive i n t he d epiction o f m anes; u nderlining o ccurs e arly i n W estern F rance, l ate i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a nd i n M agdalenian I V i n t he P yrenees, w hile t he r egional p atterning f or b oxed m anes t hat a ppears t o e xist i n c ave a rt i s n ot r epeated o n p laquettes. I n c aves t his d evice i s u sed a g reat d eal i n C antabria a nd a n umber o f e xamples e xist i n t he P yrenees b ut o n p laquettes i t o nly o ccurs i n a n a ppreciable q uantity i n W estern F rance. T here a re 9 e xamples i n t his r egion, ( Fig. 1 4), o ne e ach i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque/Cantabric g roup a nd f our o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, o f a d ifferent d ate. B reuil c onsidered t hat " perspectif t ordue" t hat i s h orns o r a ntlers d rawn f ull f ace o n a p rofile f igure, w as a n e arly f eature i n c ave a rt. T his i s o pen t o q uestion a nd i t d oes n ot a pply w ithout q ualification t o p laquettes. T here a re t wo f ull f ace d epictions i n t he P erigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian s tage o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, t hree e arly ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian a nd S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian) b ut t hree l ate ( Magdalenian I V a nd V I) i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria, o ne e arly ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) a nd t wo l ate ( generalized l ate M agdalenian a nd M agdalenian V I) i n t he P yrenees a nd t wo e arly ( Solutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian) a nd s even l ate ( generalized l ate M agdalenian, M agdalenian I V a nd V I) i n W estern F rance. S ome o f t he e arly e xamples c onform t o B reuil's d efinition w ith t wisted h orns o n a p rofile h ead b ut t he l ate e xamples, w hich a re t he m ore n umerous, a re u sually o f h orns s hown f ull f ace o n a h ead f ull f ace ( Fig. 1 5) a nd r eflect t he f lexibility o f p osture t hat a ppears i n l ate M agdalenian a rt. T hese l ate, f ull f ace d epictions a re n ot a r eversion t o a n e arly f orm b ut r ather a n a dvance i n r epresenta tional i ngenuity, a nd t hey o ccur m ost c ommonly i n t he r egion ( Western F rance) a nd p eriod ( Magdalenian V I) w here s uch r epresentational f reedom i s b est e xpressed ( see T able 1 5). I n g eneral, s uch d iversity a s o ccurs i n t he d epiction o f d etail i s b etter a ccounted f or b y d ate, b y c ultural a ssociation, o r b y s tyle t han b y a ny r egional d istribution. R egional p atterning i s i mplicit i n t he d istribution o f c ultural s tages b ut t his i s n ot a d etermination t hat i s i ntrinsic t o t he p resent t able. V arious p references i n t he d epiction o f e yes, f eet, e tc h ave a c hronological i mportance a nd c ertain f orms o f d etailing, a s m uch a s t he i ncidence o r a bsence o f a ll d etail a dd t o t he d efinition o f a rt s tyles i n M agdalenian I V a nd V I. T he o bservations t hat e merge f rom t his t able e ndorse m any o f t hose m ade f or T able 1 5.

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A SSOCIATIONS O F A NIMAL F IGURES A ND O THER M OTIFS O N A S INGLE S URFACE , A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O D ATE . ( TABLE 1 9)

T he f irst c ategory i s i ndexed f or a ny n aturalistic f igure, w hether a nimal o r h uman , a ssociated w ith w hat i s a pparently a w eapon, s uch a s a n a rrow , h arpoon , d art o r s pear. ( Pl. 6 , a , P l. 7 , b , F ig. 1 , a nd F ig. 1 7) M odern i nterpreters o f P alaeolithic a rt a re o ften a nxious t o s ee t hese a ssociations a nd t hey t end t o b e i dentified m ore o ften t han t hey c an b e s ubstantiated. I h ave r ejected t he l east c onvincing e xamples, b ut h ave i ncluded s ome b orderline c ases b ecause i t i s n ot a lways l egitimate t o r eplace s omeone e lse's s ubjective j udgement w ith m y o wn ( perhaps e qually s ubjective) o pinion. T he s econd c ategory i s i ndexed f or a ny n aturalistic f igure a ssociated w ith a n a pparently g eometric m otif, f or e xample a b unch o f r adiating l ines, a c riss-cross, a d iamond d esign, e tc. ( Fig. 1 8, P l. 5 , a , a nd F ig. 2 3).

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B arandiaran, 1 973.

A nimal f igures a ssociated w ith s pears o r h arpoons a re, i n W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees, m ost c ommon i n M agdalenian I V. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria s uch a ssociations o nly o ccur a t t his s tage, o r i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria ) w here a s eries o f p resumed M agdalenian I V p ieces f rom L a C olombiere i s i ndexed u nder t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, t his i s a gain t he o nly p eriod i n w hich a rrows o ccur a ssociated w ith a nimals. N aturalistic f igures a ssociated w ith s chematic s igns, h owever, h ave a d ifferent c hronological p atterning. I n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria t hey a re m ost c ommon i n M agdalenian V I; o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t hey m ost c ommonly o ccur i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian, w hile i n W estern F rance t hey a re m ost c ommon i n t he e arliest p eriod ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian). I n b oth t he B asque/Cantabric r egion a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t his e arly p eriod i s t he s econd m ost i mportant f or s uch a ssociations ( there i s n ot e nough m aterial r ecorded i n t he e arly s tages t o m ake a ny a ssessment f or 1 14

t he P yrenees). I n W estern F rance t he a ssociation o f a nimals w ith s chematic s igns i s o f l ess t han u sual i mportance i n a ll t he l ate M agdalenian s tages b ut, a s T able 2 1 d emonstrates, s chematic m otifs w hich i n o ther r egions a cquire i mportance a t a l ate d ate a re r elatively u nimportant h ere. I n f act t he a ssociation o f a nimals a nd s igns, w hich i s f undamental t o c ave a rt a nd i mportant i n t he d ecoration o f t ools, a ntler a nd b one i n t he l ate s tages o f t he M agdalenian, i s o f v ery l ittle i mportance o n p laquettes. T here a re o nly 5 9 s urfaces i n at otal o f 1 777, s howing s uch c ombinations a nd, s ince t here a re o nly 6 e xamples o f s igns w ithout a nimals ( see T able 2 1) o ne m ust c onclude t hat, i n t his r espect, t he d ecoration o f p laquettes i s d ifferent f rom m ural a nd o ther f orms o f m iniature a rt. M any p laquette s urfaces d ecorated . w ith n aturalistic f igures h ave a dditional o dd l ines; t hese m ay b e v ery n umerous, p roducing a c onfused i nterlace ( as a t L a M arche P l. 2 , ba nd 6 , b ) o r v ery f ew , j ust a n e xtra l ine o r t wo, t hat h ave n o i dentifiable p urpose ( Fig. 1 2). W hether n umerous o r f ew , a dditional o dd l ines a re a c ommon f eature a nd t he p ercentages r ecorded r ange f rom 4 0% t o 8 0% . I n t he t wo g eographi cal r egions w ith s ubstantial c ollections o f M agdalenian I V d ate, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain , s uch e xtra l ines a re l east e vident a t t his s tage. A s T ables 1 5 a nd 1 8 d emonstrate, t his i s ap eriod i n w hich c omplete, r ecognizable a nd u ncluttered f igures a re p referred a nd a l ack o f a dditional o dd l ines o n t he s upport s urface i s c onsistent w ith t hese p references. I f a dditional l ines a re r elatively u ncommon o n M agdalenian I V p ieces, t hey a re f requent o n p laquettes o f M agdalenian V I d ate. I n W estern F rance, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion , t his p eriod s hows t he h ighest p ercentage a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t he s econd h ighest. T he t wo r egions, W estern F rance a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric g roup , w ith s ubstantial e arly c ollections s how h igh p ercentages f or o dd l ines i n a ll s tages f rom t he P erigordian t o t he e arly M agdalenian a s w ell a s i n t he l ate M agdalenian ( VI); t his i s n ot a f ashion t hat d evelops w ith t ime, b ut o ne t hat i s p opular a t a n e arly s tage, i s t o a c ertain d egree d iscarded i n t he C lassic M agdalenian a nd i s r eadopted i n t he l atest s tages o f t his c ulture. T he p ercentages f or a dditional o dd l ines a re r ather h igher i n W estern F rance t han i n o ther r egions, b ut i t i s p robably a m istake t o s ee m uch s ignificance i n t his b ecause i t i s a d ifficult f eature t o r ecord; m any i llustrators o mit t he e xtra l ines t hat o bscure t he f igures a nd i t i s p robable t hat a dditional o dd l ines a re a f eature t hat i s u nder-represented e verywhere i n t his s urvey. S uch r egional f eatures a s e merge i n t his t able, f or e xample t he i mportance o f a ssociations b etween s igns a nd f igures i n t he e arliest p eriod i n W estern F rance a nd t he u nimportance o f t his c ombination i n t he l ate M agdalenian i n t his s ame r egion s upport t he c onclusions d emonstrated i n T ables 1 5 a nd 1 6 , s howing W estern F rance a s ar egion i n w hich t he n aturalistic t radition e xpands a nd f lourishes a t a l ate d ate. T he a ssociation o f a nimals a nd a rrows i s d iagnostic o f M agdalenian I V . T his i s s hown, f or e xample, i n t he s eries o f p laquettes f rom B runiquel ( Fig. 1 , P l. 3 , aa nd P l. 6 , a ) a nd L eroi-Gourhan h as p ointed o ut t hat a rrows i n c ave p ainting a re c haracteristic o f t he P yrenees. T his c an b e q ualified b y d ate a lso, f or i t i s t he M agdalenian I V s anctuaries i n t he P yrenees t hat s how t his f eature. O n p laquettes, a s i n c aves, a nimals s truck, o r a ccompanied b y, a rrows a re m ost c ommon i n t he P yrenees, a nd t his f act i s a s m uch a s tylistic d efinitive o f M agdalenian I V a s i t i s a r egional c haracteristic. 15 1

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S URFACES W ITH L ESS L EGIBLE D ECORATION, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION, A CCORDING T O D ATE . ( TABLE 2 0)

L ess l egible d ecoration i s u sed a s a d escription o f a ny s urface e ngraved w ith l ines a mongst w hich i t i s n ot p ossible t o d etect a ny r ecognizable n aturalistic o r s chematic f orm . T he f irst t wo c ategories a re i ndexed f or t hose s urfaces w here t he d ecoration i s m ore p robably n aturalistic t han n ot ( Pl. 8 , a , ba nd c ), t he l ast t wo f or t hose s urfaces t hat a re q uite i ndistinguishable. T he d egree o f c ompleteness o f t he d ata i n t his t able i s v ariable. M any p ublications i llustrate t he b etter p ieces f rom a s ite a nd o mit t he u nintelligible f ragments s o t hat w here t he p unch c ard d ata d epends o n p ublications a lone, t he c ategories o f l ess l egible d ecoration a re a lmost c ertainly a lways u nder-represented. W here I h ave s een t he m aterial, t here i s s till n o g uarantee o f a c omplete r ecord f or m any e arly e xcavators o nly k ept t he b etter p ieces. A dded t o t his i s t he d ifficulty o f c hoosing w hether t o e nter a f ragment i n a p ossible/ p robable n aturalistic c lassification, o r n ot. I ndecipherability i s p artly a m atter o f s ize; i f a f ragment w ere l arger s ome n aturalistic m otif ( such a s a p air o f l egs) m ight a ppear. A s i t i s t he c lassi fication o f u nintelligible p ieces i s a q uestion o f p robability a nd c an b e s ubjective. G iven t he u nequal q uality o f t he e vidence i t i s i nteresting t hat t his t able p roduces a ny c oherent r esults a t a ll; t hat i t d oes s o s uggests t hat t he t rends o bserved i n o ther t ables ( towards f ragmentation, f or e xample o r a p articular m anner o f d epiction) a re v ery c onsistent. T he n umber o f p laquettes w ith i ndecipherable d ecoration i n e ach r egion i s o f i nterest. I n W estern F rance t he t otal o f d ecorated s urfaces i s 8 09; 1 62 o f t hese s how i llegible d ecoration, w hich i s 2 0% o f t he w hole. I n t he P yrenees, 1 81 s urfaces s how s uch d ecoration, w hich i s 3 2.2% o f t he r egional t otal o f 5 61. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria 7 p laquette s urfaces h ave i llegible d ecoration ( 25.4% o f t he t otal o f 7 3 02 s urfaces) a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria 1 7 s urfaces h ave i llegible d ecoration, 1 6.6% o f a t otal o f 1 02. I llegible d ecoration i s m ore c ommon, n umerically a nd p roportionally, i n t he P yrenees, t han a nywhere e lse; a f act w hich r elates b oth t o t he p revalence h ere o f c ollections o f s mall s ized o r f ragmentary p ieces a nd t o t he l esser i mportance o f n aturalistic d ecoration i n t his r egion. I n W estern F rance 7 3% o f a ll d ecorated s urfaces h ave n aturalistic d ecoration, i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria 7% s how n aturalistic 7 d ecoration, t he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria s how 6 9 .5% n aturalistic d ecoration b ut i n t he P yrenees o nly 5 7% o f s urfaces a re d ecorated i n t his m anner. C onversely, i t i s h ere ( in t he P yrenees), t hat s chematic d ecoration i s o f m ost i mportance ( see T ables 1 1 a nd 2 1). T he d ata i n t he p resent t able i s t oo v ariable t o a llow c omparisons o f p robable/possible n aturalistic a nd i ndeterminable/geometric d ecoration a nd t he o nly r esult o btained f rom c alculating t he l ess l egible d ecorated s urfaces a s a p ercentage o f t he s urface t otal f or e ach r egion a nd p eriod i s t hat M agdalenian I V e merges a s a p eriod t hat h as a l ow f requency o f i llegibly d ecorated p laquettes. T his i s c onsistent w ith t he r esults o btained f rom o ther t ables, b ut a dds l ittle t o a r egional s urvey.

17 1

b

P LATE 8 E xamples o f l ess l egible d ecoration f rom G ourdan; a , s andstone, 7 .6 x 6 .2 c ,; b , s chist, 8 .3 x 4 .6 c m ; c , s andstone, 8 .2 x 7 .5 c m.

C ollection, M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales,

4 8448, 4 8 140 a nd 4 8447, p hotos, M .A.N.

1 18

T he i mportance o f l ess l egibly d ecorated p laquettes i n t he P yrenees s upports c ertain f eatures o f r egional i dentity h ere, a s d oes t he r elative u nimportance o f t his c ategory i n W estern F rance. T he e xtremely l ow p ercentage f or s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, h owever, r eflects s elective r ecording i n t his r egion ( see t he a nalysis f or S aut du-Perron a nd t he r egional a nalysis f or t his a rea p .20 1 4 ). T he p resent t able ( 20) d oes n ot c ontribute m uch t o t he s tudy o f r egional d istribution b ut i s i ncluded f or t he s ake o f c ompleteness a nd b ecause i t v erifies o bservations m ade e lsewhere.

19 1

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S CHEMATIC D ECORATION O N I NDIVIDUAL S URFACES, A SSESSED F OR E ACH R EGION A CCORDING T O D ATE. ( TABLE 2 1)

S igns w ithout a nimal f igures i s a c ategory u sed t o a ccommodate a r ecognizable m otif, w hich m ay b e o f n aturalistic o rigin, s uch a s a n o culi d esign , o r a f an, w hen i t o ccurs i n i solation. T he s igns a re n ot d ifferent i n i dentity f rom t hose a ssessed i n T able 1 9, b ut a re d ifferentiated b ecause o f t heir c ontext. T he c ategories a nalysed i n T able 1 9 d enote a rrows, h arpoons e tc o r s chematic s igns f ound i n a ssociation w ith a nimal f igures ( pl. 5 , aa nd F ig. 1 8), w hile t he s igns a ssessed h ere o ccur i n i solation. T hey a re i ncluded i n t his t able w ith s chematic d ecoration b ecause, e ven i f t he m otifs h ave a n aturalistic o rigin t hey h ave, a s s igns, a chieved a s chematized s tatus. T his i s, h owever, a v ery l ittle u sed c ategory. W estern F rance h as o ne e ntry o nly, t he P yrenees h as t wo; t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria a gain h ave t wo e xamples a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t here i s o ne. I n W estern F rance a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria t hey o ccur i n a n e arly c ontext, i n t he P yrenees a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t hey o ccur i n t he L ate M agdalenian. H aving b een p ut o n r ecord, t hey d o n ot c ontribute a ny f urther t o t his t able. T he s econd c ategory a ssessed h ere c ontains n on-naturalistic m otifs s uch a s c riss-cross d esigns, z igzags, d iamonds, a nd l adder p atterning ( Pl. 9 , a , a nd b , P l. 2 , a , F igs. 8 a nd 9 ). I n W estern F rance 1 0% o f t he t otal o f d ecorated s urfaces s how g eometric o r s chematic m otifs, i n t he P yrenees 1 6.7% o f t he s urface t otal i s s chematically d ecorated, i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria 8 .9% a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria 1 6.6%. N umerically, s uch d ecoration o ccurs m ost o ften i n M agdalenian V I i n W estern F rance a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian i n t he P yrenees a nd i n M agdalenian I V i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria b ut e xpressed a s a p ercentage o f t he t otal n umber o f s urfaces i n e ach r egion a t e ach d ate, s chematic d ecoration a cquires am ore s ignificant p atterning. I n t he t hree r egions ( Western F rance, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain) w ith w ell d efined M agdalenian I V c ollections, s chematic d ecoration h as l ess i mportance a t t his s tage t han a t o thers. I n W estern F rance a nd t he B asque/Cantabric r egion w here s chematic d ecoration i s o f n umerical i mportance i n M agdalenian V I, i t r etains i ts p roportional i mportance i n t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion, b ut l oses i t i n W estern F rance ( Magdalenian V I i n W estern F rance h as a g reat m any p laquettes) w hile i n t he P yrenees s chematic d ecoration a chieves a p roportionally g reater i mportance i n M agdalenian V I t han i n a ny o ther p eriod, o r a ny r egion. 5 4% o f t he t otal o f d ecorated s urfaces h ere s how s chematic d ecoration a t t his s tage w hile s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria s how 3 7%, t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria 1 0% a nd W estern F rance 9 .9%. T he P yrenees a nd t he r egions o utside A quitaine a nd C antabric e merge a s t he l ocalities i n w hich s chematic d ecoration i s p roportionally i mportant, i n r elation t o n aturalistic, a nd t he P yrenees i s t he a rea i n w hich s chematic d ecoration i s o f p articular i mportance i n t he l atest s tage o f t he M agdalenian. I t i s e xceptional f or t he P yrenees t o s how a l arger a rray o f d ecorated s urfaces t han W estern F rance ( which h as t he g reatest n umber o f p laquettes) a nd t he s ituation o nly o ccurs i n r espect o f t his t able a nd i n T able 2 0 ( less l egible d ecoration). T he p roportional i mportance o f s chematic d ecoration i n t he P yrenees 1 21

i s

P LATE 9 E xamples o f s chematic d ecoration, a , G ouy, l imestone 9 .5 x 6 .75 c m, b , B e deilhac, s andstone 8 .0 x 6 .5 c m . 7 6966.

a , p rivate c ollection , b , M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales,

P hotos, a , Y ves M artin , b , M .A.N.

1 22

'

r eflected i n o ther t ables; T able 1 6 d emonstrates t hat t he p roportion o f n aturalistically d ecorated s urfaces i s l ess h ere t han i n a ny o ther r egion a nd T able 2 0 s hows t he P yrenees t o h ave t he h ighest r egional p ercentage f or l ess l egible d ecoration. T his l ast g roup, c omprised o f i ndecipherable e ngravings, m ay b e n aturalistic o r s chematic i n o rigin, b ut i ts i mportance i n t he P yrenees s uggests t hat i ts r elationship t o t he n on-naturalistic t radition i s s tronger t han t o t he r epresenta tional. T he i ncreasing i mportance o f s chematic d ecoration i n t he P yrenees, t he l ater t he d ate, i s s upported b y t he r elated d ecline i n t he n umber o f a nimal d epictions. H ere, i n M agdalenian V I o nly 4 0% o f t he t otal d ecorated s urfaces h ave a nimal f igures, w hile i n W estern F rance a t t his p eriod 7 0% o f s urfaces h ave n aturalistic d ecoration ( Table 1 6). S chematic d ecoration t hus e merges, w ithout q ualification, a s a r egional c haracteristic o f t he P yrenees. N B W hen t he p ercentages f or n aturalistic f igures, s chematic, a nd l ess l egible d ecoration d o n ot a dd u p t o 1 00%, i t i s b ecause t he n aturali stic c ategory i s h ere r epresented b y i dentifiable f igures. Ac omplete p icture s hould i nclude t he m aterial f rom t he c ategory o f i ncomplete o r u nidentifiable f igures, o r p arts o f f igures. T his c ategory i s n ot, i n f act, i mportant; i n W estern F rance i t c omprises a bout 3 % o f t he t otal, i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria 5 % a nd o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric r egion, 1 %, b ut i t p rovides t he m issing n umerical f actor.

1 23

C HAPTER 5

S UMMARY O F T ABLES 1 -21 A ND C ONCLUSIONS D RAWN F ROM T HESE

I n a nalysing t he f orm a nd d ecoration o f P alaeolithic e ngraved p laquettes, d ate e merges a s am ore i lluminating f actor t han m aterial, a nd, c orrespondingly, f ifteen o f t he t wenty-one t ables p rinted h ere a re a ssessed a s a f unction o f d ate. H owever, e ight t ables a ssessed a s a f unction o f m aterial w ere r un o n t he c omputer, o f w hich t hree a re o mitted f rom t he p resent l ist b ecause t hey h ave l ittle o r n o v alue. T he f ive r emaining t ables ( 7, 8 , 9 , . 1 0 a nd 1 1) c ontribute l ittle d irect e vidence o f r egional p atterning b ut, o n o ccasion, t hey o ffer c ontributory e vidence a nd a n umber o f c onclusions, o ther t han r egional, m ay b e d rawn f rom t hem . I n i tself, m aterial i s a n i mportant f actor i n c ertain a spects o f t he s tudy o f s upports a nd t heir u se a nd a c ontributory f actor i n c ertain a spects o f d ecoration a nd t echnique. W ith r egard t o s upports, m aterial i s r esponsible f or f ragmentation a nd c ompleteness ( see T able 8 ). S capulae a re, w ithout e xception, f ragmented, w hile p ebbles, f ollowed b y l imestone, s how t he h ighest i ncidence o f c ompleteness. T he r esults o f T able 1 0 ( the d isposition a nd f orm o f n aturalistic d ecoration) a re c ontingent o n t he f indings o f T able 8 , i n t hat t his t able ( 10) s hows c omplete f igures t o o ccur m ost o ften o n p ebbles, o r, w hen n ot o n p ebbles, t o b e r elated t o t he f requency o f o ther c omplete s upports, w hile i ncomplete f igures h ave a h igh i ncidence o n m ore f ragile s upports. T he m aterial u sed i s a lso i mportant i n d etermining t he t echnique o f d ecoration, ( Table 9 ); f or e xample l ow r elief w ork a nd d eep c utting o ccur p rincipally o n m ud a nd s andstone ( in S outh-Western F rance o n a ntler a lso) w hile t he h arder s tone s urfaces, s uch a s l imes tone a nd p ebbles s how s hallow c utting a nd p lain l ine d rawing, a nd s capulae, w hich a re e asily c ut, e xhibit a ll o ver s hading. U se i s a lso a llied t o m aterial. P ebbles h ave t he p roperties r equired f or a c ompressor; i n t his c ase t he s ize a nd s hape o f t he p ebbles a nd t he s trength o f t he b asic s tone a re t he r elevant q ualities. A nother p roperty o f p ebbles, t hat t hey o ffer t wo s mooth s urfaces f or e ngraving, i s r esponsible f or t heir b eing t he m ost f requently c hosen s upport f or d ecoration o n t wo s urfaces ( Table 7 ). N one o f t hese o bservations h as a ny r egional a pplication, e xcept w here t hey r eflect t he p resence, o r a bsence, o f c ertain f orms o f s upport i n a ny r egion. T his l ast ( Table 2 ) w hich i s a r ecord o f t he m aterial u sed i n e ach r egion a t e ach c hronological s tage, s hows r egional d iversity. O ne m ay a ssume t hat s capulae, l imestone a nd p ebbles w ere a vailable a nywhere, b ut s capulae, w hich a re m uch u sed i n S outh-Western F rance a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria, a re m uch l ess f requent i n t he P yrenees a nd i n s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. L imestone i s t he m ost u sed s tone s upport i n S outh-Western F rance a nd i n s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, b ut s andstone a nd s chist a re p referred t o l imestone i n t he P yrenees a nd i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria p ebbles a re t he m ost c ommon f orm o f s tone s upport, a s t hey a re a t a l ater s tage i n t he P yrenees. T he i ncidence o f s capulae c ould b e d ue t o c hance, t o f avourable c onditions o f p reservation i n o ne s ite 1 24

a nd a dverse c onditions i n a nother, a nd t he u se o f s andstone r eflects a vailability ( at I sturitz a nd B edeilhac, f or e xample) b ut a p reference f or l imestone, o r p ebbles, m ust b e am atter o f c hoice. C hoice i s a lso r esponsible f or t he o ccurrence o f s chematic d ecoration o n p ebbles ( Table 1 1). T he r esults o f t his l ast t able a re i nteresting. I t s hows p ebbles a s t he m ost f requent s upport f or s chematic d ecoration i n S outh-West F rance, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion, w hile l imestone i s m ost u sed o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. I n t he t hree l ast r egions, t his p ractice i s a d irect r eflection o f d ate; s chematic d ecoration i s a l ate f eature a nd t he s upports u sed a t a l ate d ate i n t hese t hree r egions a re, r espectively, p ebbles, i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria a nd l imestone o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric r egion. H owever, i n S outh-West F rance l imestone i s t he m ost u sed s upport a t a l ate d ate w hile p ebbles a re r elatively r are, ( limestone a ccounts f or 6 7% o f t he t otal a nd p ebbles f or 1 0%), b ut i t i s t he p ebbles t hat s how s chematic d ecoration. P ebbles a re a lso t he o nly s upport m ore c ommonly d ecorated w ith m oderate s ized f igures t han w ith l arge ( Table 1 4). T his t rait i s a s tylistic c hoice, a s i s t he s election o f p ebbles f or s chematic d ecoration, b ut t he u nequal i ncidence o f d ifferent s upport m aterials i n d ifferent r egions s hows a r egional d istribution. I f t his d iversity i s d etermined b y h uman c hoice, t his d oes n ot p rejudice i ts e xistence. W ear, ( Table 8 ) i s a f eature t hat o ne w ould e xpect t o b e d etermined b y m aterial a nd, i n g eneral, t his i s s o; f or e xample, s capulae s how a h igh d egree o f w ear, w hile p ebbles s how v ery l ittle. T here i s n o r egional i mportance i n t his, b ut t his t able ( 8) h as t wo a nomalies; t he f irst i s t hat i n t he P yrenees t he c ollections o f s andstone a nd s chist, w hich a re m aterials v ulnerable t o w ear, a re n otably u nworn a nd s econdly, i n S outh-West F rance, l imestone w hich i s r esistant t o w ear, h ere s hows a h igh d egree. T he e xplanation o f t his s eems t o b e am atter o f i ndividual l ocation. M any c ollections i n t he P yrenees a re i n p rotected s ituations i n d eep c aves o r g alleries w here t hey h ave n either b een t rodden o n, n or s ubjected t o c limactic p rocesses, w hile p laquette c ollections i n S outh-West F rance a re i n u nprotected r ock s helters, v ulnerable b oth t o t he t raffic o f f eet a nd t o t emperature c hange. H aving s ummarized t he t ables a ssessed a s a f unction o f m aterial, w hich e xhibit o nly a l ittle r egional p atterning, i t r emains t o e xamine t he t ables a ssessed b y d ate. T hese m ay b e g rouped, ( as w as m aterial), a ccording t o t he s tudy o f t he s upport, t he t echniques e mployed i n d ecoration, a nd t he c ontent o f t his d ecoration. T ables 1 , 3 , 4 , 5a nd 6a re c oncerned w ith t he i ncidence, s tate a nd u se o f s upports. T he o ccurrence o f p laquettes o f a n e arly d ate i s a d irect r eflection o f t he i ndustrial r ecord ( there a re f or e xample o nly t wo e arly p laquette s ites i n t he P yrenees) a nd, g iven t his u nequal r epresentation, o ne c annot a ttempt a ny r egional a ssessment o f t he e arly c ollections. H owever, m ost p laquettes a re o f l ate M agdalenian d ate ( Magdalenian I V , Va nd V I). T hey a re m ore c ommon i n S outh-West F rance t han i n a ny o ther a rea a nd h ere t hey a re m ost n umerous i n t he s tage o f M agdalenian V I ( 75% o f p laquettes i n t his r egion b elong t o t his s tage). T his i s a c hronologi cal p attern t hat i s r epeated o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria w here 7 5% o f t he o bjects a re o f l ate M agdalenian ( VI) d ate, b ut i t i s i n c ontrast t o t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria, w here t he i mportant p eriod f or e ngraved p laquettes i s M agdalenian I V. 7% o f 7 p laquettes i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria b elong t o t his s tage a nd 5 1% i n t he P yrenees; t his l ast f igure, h owever, ( due t o t he 1 25

l ack o f a ccurate r ecording r egarded a s a n u nder e stimate.

i n

t his

r egion;

s ee T able 1 ) m ay b e

W ith r egard t o d imensions, l arge s ized p laquettes a re c haracteristic o f S outh-West F rance: p resumably t heir l arge s ize i s r elated t o t he u se i n t his r egion o f b locks f or m ural d ecoration w hich a re, w ith c ertain e xceptions, a n e arly f eature. L arge p laquettes a re c ommon h ere i n t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian a nd i n t he l ate M agdalenian ( VI). T he c ontinued u se t ill a l ate d ate, o f l arge s ized s upports, w hich i s a c haracteristic o f S outh-West F rance i s n ot r epeated i n a ny o ther r egion: i n t he P yrenees, t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria, p laquettes b ecome s maller w ith t ime, t hough, i n t hese r egions w here t here a re v ery f ew l arge p ieces, t he s ize d eclines f rom m oderate t o s mall. F ragmentation i s g enerally d etermined b y m aterial ( see T able 8 , a bove) b ut a n a ssessment b y d ate d iscloses o ne a nomalous g roup. I n t he P yrenees, i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V a h igh p roportion o f c omplete s upports o f m oderate s ize o ccur w hich c annot, i n t his i nstance, b e e xplained b y t he c hoice o f p ebbles ( Table 4 ). W ear, ( Table 5 ) l ike f ragmentation , i s n ot d etermined b y d ate o r r egion b ut u se h as b oth a c hronological a nd a r egional d istribution, t hough t his i s p erhaps i ncidental s ince i t a ppears t o b e r elated t o t he p reference s hown f or p ebbles i n t he P yrenees i n t he l ast s tages o f t he M agdalenian ( VI). U se i s v irtually u nrecorded f or t he M agdalenian o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a nd h as n o c hronological s ignificance i n S outh-West F rance, b ut t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion s hows, l ike t he P yrenees, a h igh i ncidence o f u se o n p ebbles i n M agdalenian V I ( Table 6 ). T ables 1 2, 1 3 a nd 1 4 a re a nalyses o f t echnique. W hether a p laquette i s d ecorated o n o ne o r t wo s urfaces i s d etermined b y t he m aterial o f t he s upport ( see T able 7 , a bove) b ut d ecoration t hat r uns o ver f rom o ne s urface t o a n a djoining s ide i s a r egional c haracteristic, a t l east i n t he f requency o f i ts o ccurrence. S outh-West F rance h as 4 5 e xamples o f t his s tylistic t rick , o ther r egions h ave f ar f ewer, a nd i t i s f ound e verywhere i n t he s tage o f M agdalenian I V a lthough i n S outh-West F rance i t o ccurs a t e arlier a nd l ater s tages a s w ell ( Table 1 2). A u se o f m ultiple o utlines i s a gain c haracteristic o f S outh-West F rance, b ut i s h ere c onfined t o t he l ater s tages o f t he M agdalenian. S hading, o f a ll f orms, i s m ore u sed i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain t han a nywhere e lse w hile l ines a re c ut t o a n e ver i ncreasing d epth i n a ll r egions b ut t he P yrenees, w here s hallow c utting p ersists i nto t he l ate M agdalenian. C olouring, h owever, h as a s trictly c hronological d istribution. I t o ccurs i n a ll r egions i n M agdalenian I V , a s d o m inimal a nd m oderate s hading ( Table 1 3). T he s ize o f f igures e ngraved a lso a ppears t o b e d etermined b y d ate. I n S outh-West F rance, t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain l arge f igures i n aw ell u tilized g round a re t ypical o f M agdalenian I V. I n S outh-West F rance a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion t he g round i s l ess w ell f illed i n M agdalenian V I, i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion t he s ize o f t he f igures d eclines i n M agdalenian V I, b ut i n S outh-West F rance a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t hey r etain t heir s ize a nd i n t his l ast r egion, t heir c ompositional c ompactness t oo ( Table 1 4). T ables 1 5, 1 6, 1 7, 1 8, 1 9, 2 0 a nd 2 1 a re c oncerned w ith d ecoration w hether n aturalistic, s chematic o r i ndecipherable, a lthough T able 1 5 ( an a nalysis o f t he d isposition a nd f orm o f n aturalistic d ecoration) i s 1 26

c oncerned w ith t echnique, i n t he f orm o f l ayout, a s m uch a s w ith c ontent. C hronological p atterning i s d iscernible i n t he h igh i ncidence o f r ecognizable f igures i n M agdalenian I V ; a p eriod a lso c haracterized b y ah igh f requency o f c omplete f igures, b y a ssociations o f d ifferent a nimal f igures a nd b y t he o ccurrence o f f igures w ith u nusual a ttributes ( in t his c ase a ttributes, r ather t han p ostures). I n c ontrast, i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian V I f igures a re o ften i ncomplete, t hey m ay b e s hown i n u nusual p ostures a nd a re u sually a ssociated w ith m embers o f t heir o wn s pecies. A ssociations a nd s uperimpositions a re c ommon i n e arly p eriods a nd t hey a re n oticeably l ess f requent i n M agdalenian I V. N arrative s cenes a nd a nimals w ith y oung a re n ot o nly c onfined t o M agdalenian V I b ut a lso, i n f requency, t o S outh-West F rance ( Table 1 5). A nimal f igures f orm o ver 6 0% o f t he d ecoration o n s urfaces i n S outhW est F rance, i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. T hey a re f ewer i n t he P yrenees ( 47%) a f act w hich, a s w ill a ppear l ater, i s r elated t o t he u se o f s chematic d ecoration i n t his r egion. I n t he P yrenees, t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria h orse i s t he m ost o ften r epresented s pecies, f ollowed b y c ervids; i n S outh W est F rance c ervids a re t he m ost f requently d epicted a nimal, a lthough i t i s o nly i n t he l ate M agdalenian ( VI) t hat t hey a ppear a s n umerically d ominant o ver h orse ( however, i n t his r egion t his i s t he p eriod w ith m ost p laquettes). I n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion t he g reatest n umber o f a nimal d epictions o ccur i n M agdalenian I V, o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria i n t he g eneralized l ate M agdalenian b ut i n S outh-West F rance m ost b elong t o M agdalenian V I. T able 1 6 s hows t he n umerical d ominance o f h orse a nd c ervids; t he h orse/bovid p airing t hat i s f undamental t o t he d ecoration o f c aves i s n ot s o i mportant o n p laquettes. O n p laquette s urfaces b ison i n f act s how a g reater c oncentration i n M agdalenian I V t han a t o ther p eriods, a nd a g reater i mportance i n t he P yrenees t han i n a ny o ther r egion b ut, a s T able 1 7 c onfirms, h orse a nd c ervids a re n ot o nly n umerically d ominant, t hey a re a lso m ost o ften a ssociated. C ervids a re n umerically i n t he a scendant i n W estern F rance b ut t he a ssociation o f c ervid/horse, o r h orse/cervid i s d ominant i n a ll r egions. H orse i s a ssociated m ore o ften w ith b ison i n W estern F rance t han e lsewhere a nd i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V t his a ssociation h as a c ertain i mportance b ut i t i s n ot, a s i n c aves, t he d ominant g rouping. T he c orrelation o f a nimal s pecies d oes n ot s how p ronounced r egional o r c hronological g rouping; a nimal i dentifications, h owever, e xhibit s ome r egional p atterning, f or e xample, i n t he i mportance o f c aprids i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion i n t he l ate M agdalenian o r o f r hinoceros, o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. L atitude, a ltitude o r t errain c an e xplain m ost o f t hese u nusual g roups b ut n ot, p erhaps, w hy b irds a nd f ish s hould b e m ore c ommon i n d ecoration i n t he P yrenees t han e lsewhere. A s tudy o f t he d etails o f d epiction u sed o n a nimal f igures, ( Table 1 8), r einforces t he o bservations m ade f or T able 1 5, i n t hat s uch c onclusions a s m ay b e d rawn a re c hronological, o r s tylistic. R ound e yes, f or e xample a re a n e arly t rait, a lthough a lso o ne t hat p ersists, w hile a ll f orms o f r epresentational d etail, s uch a s t he d epiction o f f eet, w hether s ingly o r i n p airs, t he i nclusion o f e yes, t he d etailing o f m ane o r b eard a re a ll c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V. S implified f igures, w hich o ne m ight e xpect t o b e t ypical o f e arly p eriods, a re f ound i n p re-Solutrean p eriods b ut a lso o ccur i n t he l ate s tage o f M agdalenian V I. T his l ate t rend t owards s implification i s m ore m arked 1 27

i n t he P yrenees, t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria a nd o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t han i n S outh-West F rance a nd i t i s r elevant t hat S outh-West F rance i s t he r egion i n w hich t he n aturalistic t radition s urvives l ongest a nd w ith l east c hange. T he a ssociation o f a nimal f igures w ith a rrows, w ith s chematic s igns o r w ith a dditional o dd l ines a ll s how c hronological d eterminations. A rrows a nd h arpoons w hich a re s tuck i nto, o r a imed a t a f igure a re a f eature o f M agdalenian I V ; s chematic s igns w ith a nimal f igures a re f ound a t a l ater d ate ( Magdalenian V I), a lthough, a s o ne m ight e xpect, t he s chematic e lement i s o f l ess i mportance i n S outh-West F rance t han e lsewhere: h ere i n f act s chematic s igns w ith a nimals a re m ost c ommon i n t he e arliest ( Perigordian, A urignacian, G ravettian) s tage. A dditional o dd l ines w hich a re a p ersistent f eature o n p laquettes a re e verywhere l east c ommon i n M agdalenian I V ( this i s a s tage i n w hich c larity i s p referred t o o bscurity) b ut a re m uch u sed o therwise, a t b oth a n e arly a nd a l ate d ate ( Table 1 9). A s s tated a bove, n aturalistic d ecoration h as l ess i mportance i n t he P yrenees t han i n o ther r egions ( only 4 7% o f t he s urfaces h ere s how a nimal f igures). T he c orollary t o t his i s f ound i n t he i mportance o f s chematic d ecoration, b y w hich i s m eant t he u se o f a bstract, a pparently g eometric m otifs, s uch a s l atticing, z igzags o r v arious c onjunctions o f p arallel l ines. I n S outh-West F rance, w here t he n aturalistic t radition i s s trong, o nly 1 0% o f d ecorated s urfaces s how s uch m otifs w hile t he h ighest p ercentage r ecorded i s f or t he P yrenees ( 16.7%). T he o verall p ercentages, h owever, a re n ot s o s ignificant a s t hose f or e ach c hronological s tage. I n M agdalenian V I 9 .9% o f s urfaces i n S outh-West F rance a re s o d ecorated b ut i n t he P yrenees a t t his s tage 5 4% o f t he s urfaces s how s chematic m otifs. T he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria s how 3 0% o f s chematic d ecoration a t t his p eriod, t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion o nly 1 0%. S chematic d ecoration e merges a s a c haracteristic o f t he l ate M agdalenian b ut m ost p articularly o f t he l ate M agdalenian i n t he P yrenees ( Table 2 1). T he i ncidence o f l ess l egible d ecoration s upports t his p atterning ( Table 2 0). S ome e xamples o f l ess l egible d ecoration m ay b e n aturalistic i n o rigin, b ut m ost o f i t i s n on-figurative. T he P yrenees s hows a h igh p ercentage ( 32%) a nd S outh-West F rance, n ot s urprisingly, a l ow f igure ( 20%). I n a ddition t o a b ias t owards s chematic d ecoration t he P yrenees h as m any f ragmentary c ollections a nd t his f eature i s p robably p artly r esponsible f or t he h igh i ncidence o f l ess l egible p ieces i n t his r egion. L ess l egible d ecoration r elates t o f ragmentary c ollections a nd t o af ondness f or s chematic m otifs. S chematic m otifs, i n t heir t urn, a re a ssociated w ith p ebbles a s a s upport, a nd w ith u se. M any o f t he c ompressors o f l ate M agdalenian d ate i n t he P yrenees a re s chematically d ecorated a nd t he i nterdependence o f p ebbles a nd s chematic d ecoration i s i nteresting. A l ist, s uch a s h as b een m ade a bove, o f t he r esults o f f ifteen s eparate t ables m ust a ppear c onfusing a nd i ncoherent, b ut t he c onclusions f all i nto o ne o f t wo c ategories a nd c an b e a ssessed f rom t hese d ifferent v iewpoints. T he r esults o f t he t ables r eviewed a s a f unction o f d ate h ave i n s ome i nstances o nly a c hronological s ignificance, i n s ome i nstances t heir s ignificance i s r egional a nd i n a n umber o f i nstances b oth r egional a d c hronological p atterning i s a pparent. T he c hronologi cal d efinitions t hat e merge a re o f M agdalenian I V a nd V I, r especti vely, a nd a re b ased o n s tylistic c riteria. P laquettes o f M agdalenian I V d ate m ay b e d istinguished i n a ny o f t he r egions d efined i n t his 1 28

g eographical s urvey b y a g roup o f a llied t raits. S upports a re u sually m oderate i n s ize, f igures a re d rawn l arge, o ften a s l arge a s p ossible ( Fig. 1 2), a nd s ometimes t oo l arge s o t hat t hey s pill o ver t he e dge o f t he d ecorated s urface ( Pl. 6 , a , a nd F ig. 4 ), o r a re c ontorted i nto t he s pace a vailable ( P. 7 , b ) a nd, a s a c orollary t o t his, t he g round f or d ecoration i s a lmost w ithout e xception, w ell f illed. T he a nimals a re r ecognizable, o ften c omplete; t he f igures a re c arefully d etailed a nd s haded w ith f eet, e yes a nd m ane i ncluded, s ometimes w ith t he a nimal's s ex d rawn o r w ith a t ongue p rotruding, b ut t he u nusual a ttributes s hown d o n ot c onstitute m ovement. Ac haracteristic f igure i s i n p rofile, s tatic, w ith a c ompact b ody a nd n eat h ead a nd f eet. T he s hape o f t he f igures a nd t he w ay t hey a re p acked i nto t he s urface a vailable g ives t hem a s ense o f t ension w hich i s n ot c onveyed i n m ovement, b ut i s s imply a t rick o f s tyle. S uperimposition i s n ot m uch u sed a t t his s tage, n or i s i nversion a nd a dditional o dd l ines a re f ew , o r n on e xistent: h aving d rawn a c omplete, r ecognizable f igure t he e ngraver h as n ot s ought t o h ide o r c onfuse i t. A s f or s ubject m atter, a fter h orse a nd c ervids, b ison a re m ore o ften d rawn i n t his s tage t han a t a ny o ther a nd t hey a re d rawn i n a c haracteristic m anner ( see t he r egional a nalysis f or t he P yrenees). I f a nimals a re a ssociated t hey a re m ore o ften o f d ifferent, t han t he s ame, s pecies a nd t he m ost i nteresting o f t hese a ssociations i s t hat o f b ison a nd h orse ( although i t i s n ot t he m ost c ommon). M agdalenian I V s tyle f ollows a r ecognizable f ormula a nd o ne m ay d istinguish i t a nywhere: i t o ccurs i n c aves a s w ell a s o n p laquettes t hough, o bviously, s ome o f t he t raits o bserved f or p laquettes a re l ost o n t he u nconfined s pace o f a g allery w all. T he p erimeter o f t he s urface i s, i n M agdalenian I V, i mportant i n t he d ecoration o f p laquettes a nd t his f eature c annot e asily b e d uplicated i n a c ave, a lthough t he l ocation o f s ome p aintings a nd e ngravings i n t he P yrenean s anctuaries ( for e xample, a t B edeilhac) s uggests t hat t he a rtists d id t ry t o a chieve j ust t his. T he a rt o f M agdalenian V I i s l ess u niform t han t hat o f M agdalenian I V. O n p laquettes i t i s b est r epresented i n t he c ollections o f S outh-West F rance a nd t he f act t hat o ne m ust c hoose a n a rea t o r epresent t he s tyle i s a n i ndication o f i ts l ack o f s tandardization. I n t his r egion ( South-West F rance) t he g round s urface o f p laquettes i s o ften l ess w ell f illed b ut l arge f igures a re r etained, i n c ontrast t o t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egion w here a l ess w ell f illed g round i s a ccompanied b y s maller f igures a t t his s tage. G enerally t he f igures a re s implified o r i ncomplete, a lthough i n S outh-West F rance t he f eet a nd e yes a re m ore o ften i ncluded t han t hey a re e lsewhere. F igures a re d ifferent i n t heir b ody p roportions; i n S outh-West F rance a t ypical a nimal w ill h ave a l arge h ead a nd f eet a nd a s mall b ody. T hey a re o ften d rawn i n m ovement, g razing, w alking, t rotting, w ith t heir h eads u p, d own o r t urned b ackwards a nd t he e ffect i s n atural a nd r elaxed ( Pl. 1 1, b , a nd F igs. 1 4 a nd 2 0). O n o ccasion t he a ntlers o r h orns a re d rawn i n f ull f ace, o n ah ead f ull f ace ( Fig. 1 5) a nd a nimals a re d rawn i n g roups o r r elated p airs, a s m ale a nd f emale, o r a dult a nd y oung ( Pl. 7 , a , a nd P l. 1 2). A ll t hese i nnovations a chieve a b reakaway f rom t he s tatic a nd t aut f igures o f M agdalenian I V: t he e ffect c an b e t rue t o l ife b ut i t i s a lso l ess s tylish a nd o ne r esult o f a bandoning a f ormula i s t hat i ndividual f igures m ay b e b adly d rawn. A f ormula l earnt a nd r epeated ( for e xample, t he b ison o f M agdalenian I V i n t he P yrenees) i s m ore l ikely t o p roduce r eliable r esults. L imeuil i s a n 1 29

e xample o f t he i nequality o f w ork i n M agdalenian V I; a f ew f igures h ere a re e legantly d rawn, s ome a re l ively, i f m ediocre i n e xecution, a nd m any a re p oor, w hile i n M agdalenian I V ( at E nlene f or e xample o r I sturitz) p oor d rawing i s v ery r are. I f o ne c onsiders t he r esults o f t he c omputer p rogramme a s a r egional s tudy t wo a reas o f i mportance f or p laquettes e merge, S outh-West F rance a nd t he P yrenees. I n s ome r espects t he d ifferences b etween t hem a re s imply c hronological; t he c ollections i n S outh-West F rance a re p rincipally o f M agdalenian V I d ate a nd e xhibit t he c haracteristics o f t his s tyle, w hile m ost c ollections i n t he P yrenees a re o f M agdalenian I V d ate a nd m ay b e i dentified b y t he t raits o f t his p eriod. T hat t he c ollections a re o f a d ifferent d ate i s, i n i tself, a r egional d ifference, b ut t his i s t he s implest o f t he v ariations f ound. S outhW est F rance h as t he l argest s eries o f p laquettes, f rom t he g reatest n umber o f s ites; t he P yrenees h as f ar f ewer s ites, b ut t he c ollections f rom i ndividual s ites c omprise a s m any, o r m ore, p ieces. ( The i ncidence o f p laquettes p er s ite i s a d ifference t hat d oes n ot e merge f rom t he c omputer p rogramme b ut i s s hown i n t he r egional s urvey, P art T wo). P laquettes a re i ndividually l arger i n d imension i n S outh-West F rance: t his i s n ot o nly e xpressed i n t he e xistence o f l arge p ieces b ut a lso i n t he p roportional b alance o f s mall t o m oderate. I n t he P yrenees t he s upports a re m ostly s mall a nd o ften f ragmentary a nd t his a ppears t o b e am atter o f s election r ather t han d ue t o d amage, s ince t he f ragmentary c ollections s how v ery l ittle w ear. T o a c ertain e xtent, t he t raits t ypical o f M agdalenian V I a re t ypical o f S outh-West F rance, f or o utside t his r egion m any o f t he f eatures t ypical o f M agdalenian V I a re u nimportant o r m issing. F or e xample, a nimals w ith y oung, n arrative s cenes a nd a u se o f m ultiple o utlines a ll o ccur f requently i n S outh-West F rance a nd a re b ut l ittle u sed i n o ther r egions ( one c annot s ay t his o f M agdalenian I V s tyle w hich i s b oth u niform a nd u biquitous). T he n aturalistic t radition t hat e xisted i n S outh-West F rance t hroughout t he U pper P alaeolithic h ere h ad a s udden f loruit i n p laquette d ecoration i n t he l ast s tages o f t he M agdalenian. T he n aturalistic t radition i s i n d ecline i n o ther r egions a t t he t ime w hen i t r eaches i ts p eak i n S outh-West F rance a nd i t i s a p eak i n d iversity o f e xpression a s w ell a s i n t he n umber o f p ieces. I t w ould a ppear t hat t he i mportance o f t he n aturalistic t radition h ere s erved t o s eparate t his r egion f rom t he s tylistic c hanges t aking p lace e lsewhere. G enerally, t here i s a t rend t owards s chematization i n t he l ate M agdalenian, b ut i t i s l ess m arked i n S outh-West F rance t han a nywhere e lse; g enerally t here i s a t rend t owards s mall f igures a nd s mall s ized s upports, b ut n either o f t hese a ffects S outh-West F rance a nd g enerally t here a re f ewer p ieces i n t he l ate M agdalenian i n a ll r egions e xcept S outh-West F rance w here t here a re m ore a t t his s tage t han a t a ny o ther. A t a c ertain c hronological s tage, w hat i s t ypical o f M agdalenian I V i s t ypical o f t he P yrenees, b ut t his i s b ut o ne s tage i n t he d evelopment o f t his r egion. I n M agdalenian I V a nimal d epictions a re i mportant i n t he P yrenees b ut i n t he s ucceeding s tage, b efore t he a scendancy o f s chematic d ecoration, a n umber o f t he c ollections a re a lready c hanging i n c haracter ( this f ourth s tylistic g roup i s d efined i n t he r egional a nalysis o f t he P yrenees, P art T wo). C omplete f igures b ecome v ery r are, e ngraving i s c omplex a nd o verlaid, p laquettes a re o ften s mall o r f ragmentary a nd d ifficult t o d ecipher ( Pl. 8 , a , b a nd c ). T here i s am ove a way f rom r ealism a nd t he p opularity o f s chematic d ecoration 1 30

i n t he l ast s tages o f t he M agdalenian, t hough n ot n ecessarily a d evelopment o f t his d ecline i n r ealism , p erhaps h ere f ell u pon f ertile g round. W hatever i ts o rigin, s chematic d ecoration i s p roportionally o f f ar g reater i mportance i n t he P yrenees t han a nywhere e lse a nd w ith s chematic d ecoration g o a c omplex o f o ther c haracteristics; t he p reference f or p ebbles, f or e xample, t he d egree o f u se o n t hese p ebbles a nd a d iminution i n t he s ize o f p laquettes. W ith a h igh i ncidence o f s chematic d ecoration g oes a h igh i ncidence o f l ess l egible d ecoration ( both a re m ore c ommon h ere t han e lsewhere) a nd a d ecline i n n aturali stic f orms. T here a re a n umber o f m inor r egional d ifferences, s uch a s t he a bsence o f d eep c utting i n t he P yrenees a t a l ate d ate a nd t he i mportance h ere o f b ison i n t he a nimal i nventories o f M agdalenian I V, b ut t hese d ivergences a re c ontingent o n a c hoice o f m aterial, o r t he i mportance o f a c ultural s tage. T he i ntrinsic d ifferences b etween S outh-West F rance a nd t he P yrenees a re i n t he c hronological i ncidence o f p laquette c ollections a nd i n t he d ifferent t raditions o f d ecoration e mployed. T he c hronological d ifferences a re t wo-fold; f irstly, a s t he t ables a ssessed b y d ate m ake c lear, t he p eriod i n w hich p laquettes r each a p roduction p eak i s d ifferent i n t he t wo r egions ( Magdalenian V I i n S outh-West F rance, M agdalenian I V i n t he P yrenees) b ut t he c hronologi cal d istribution i s a lso d ifferent i n t hat i n S outh-West F rance t he r ecord o f p roduction i s l onger a nd i s b etter d ocumented t han a nywhere e lse. H ere a ll p eriods h ave s ubstantial c ollections ( the s mall n umbers r ecorded f or t he A zilian a nd E pi-Palaeolithic a re d ue t o i ncomplete d ocumentation, n ot t o i nadequate m aterial) b ut i n t he P yrenees, t he r ecord i s v ery s hort; h ere p laquettes o nly h ave i mportance i n t he l ater s tages o f t he M agdalenian. I n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria M agdalenian V a nd V I a re p oorly r epresented ( probably u nderr epresented) w hile o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t he S olutrean a nd e arly M agdalenian, M agdalenian I V a nd V a ll s how, f or w hatever r eason, a m inimal r ecord. W ith r egard t o t he d ecoration u sed i n S outh-West F rance a nd t he P yrenees, t he d ifferences a re n ot t otal, e ven a t a l ate d ate. S chematic d ecoration e xists o n p ebbles i n M agdalenian V I i n S outh-West F rance a nd v ery e legant n aturalistic f igures a re s till f ound a t a l ate d ate i n t he P yrenees ( for e xample, a t L a V ache) b ut t he p roportional i ncidence i s v ery d ifferent. Ad ifference i n s tyle e xists a lso b ut t his i s a c onclusion d rawn f rom t he s tudy o f i ndividual s ites w hich d oes n ot r egister i n t he c omputer p rogramme. T he B asque/Cantabric r egion a nd t he a rea o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a re a rtificially s tructured g roups i n c omparison t o S outhW est F rance a nd t he P yrenees. T o c ombine t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria i s t o t hrow t wo d isparate r egions t ogether, e ach w ith o ne l arge c ollection o nly. E ven s o, t his g roup i s o ften c onsistent a nd i s u sually i n a lignment w ith t he P yrenees. I sturitz i s a b order l ine s ite w ith a c lose a llegiance t o t he P yrenees a nd i t e xhibits, i n a s ingle s equence, m any o f t he s tylistic d evelopments r ecorded f or t he w hole P yrenean r egion. T he a rea o utside t he A quitanico-Cantabric z one c omprises a s catter o f s ites b eyond t he b oundaries o f W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees. I n m ost r espects i t m ay b e a ligned w ith S outh-West F rance ( in t he c hoice o f s upports u sed, t he i ncidence o f p laquettes, t he c onnections b etween S aut du-Perron, L a C olombiere a nd t he ' s ites i n t he B runiquel r egion) b ut o n o ccasion i t e xhibits a c onnection t o t he P yrenees, a s i n t he i mportance o f s chematic d ecoration i n t he l ate M agdalenian a nd t he s ize o f s upport c hosen. O nly t wo l arge 1 31

c ollections, o ne o f w hich i s i ncompletely p ublished, a re i ndexed i n t he c omputer p rogramme. T he e ngraved p laquettes f rom R oc d e l a T our a t C harleville-Mezieres h ad n ot b een f ound w hen t his s urvey w as m ade, a nd a re s till i ncompletely p ublished, b ut t hey s uggest t hat t his i s a r elatively u nstudied a rea w hich w ill p erhaps r eveal m ore i ndividual r egional c haracteristics t han a re, a t p resent, a pparent. M any o f t he r esults o f t hese c omputer t ables a re e ndorsed b y a n a nalysis b y r egion, b ased o n a s tudy o f i ndividual s ites. An umber o f t he c omputer p rogramme r esults a re n ot v isible i n t he r egional s urveys b ut, e qually b ecause s ites l ose t heir i dentity i n s uch a p rogramme, t here a re c ertain o bservations t hat a re o nly a pparent i n a s tudy o f t he i ndividual s ites. A f inal r egional s ummary i s t herefore m ade a t t he e nd o f P art T wo.

1 32

P ART T WO

R EGIONAL A NALYSIS O F P LAQUETTE C OLLECTIONS F ROM I NDIVIDUAL S ITES

I NTRODUCTION

T o c omplement t he c omputer s tudy o f U pper P alaeolithic e ngraved p laquettes, a n i ndividual a nalysis h as b een m ade f or e very s ite t hat h as t wenty o r m ore d ecorated p laquette s urfaces, f or w hich t here a re, c orrespondingly, t wenty o r m ore c atalogue e ntries. T he p unch c ard d ata u sed i n t he c omputer p rogramme ( see A ppendix, p . 2 16), w as u sed i n t he a nalysis o f e ach s ite w ith, i n a ddition,the d etailed c omment e ntered i n t he c entre o f e ach p unch c ard a nd t he p ublications a nd n otes a nd d rawings o n w hich e ach c ard w as b ased. I n t hese a nalyses e ach s ite c ollection o r, i n l arge c ollections, e ach m aterial c ategory i n a c ollection i s c onsidered f irst b y o bject, f or d imensions, f ragmenta tion, e tc a nd t hen b y s urface f or d ecoration, c ontent a nd t echnique. T hese a ssessments a re l engthy a nd a re n ot i ncluded i n t he p resent p aper. H ere a s ummary i s m ade f or e ach r egion w ith p articular r eference t o s ites f or w hich a n i ndividual a nalysis w as m ade. I n a ll t wenty-one s ites w ere s usceptible t o s uch a n a nalysis, t en o f w hich h ad m ore t han f ifty d ecorated s urfaces a nd e leven m ore t han t wenty. A f ew s ites t hat q ualified n umerically h ave b een o mitted, f or v arious r easons. M urat ( South-West F rance) h as t wenty t wo e ntries i n t his s urvey a nd c ould h ave b een i ncluded; h owever, t his n umber o f c ards r epresents n o m ore t han h alf t he c ollection a nd a t t he t ime o f c ompletion o f t he c omputer p rogramme I h ad o nly s een t he m aterial i n p ublication. L abastide, i n t he P yrenees, h as t hirty-seven e ntries, b ut t wenty-three o f t hese a re b ased o n b rief n otes m ade o n a s ingle e xamination; t he p ieces a re n ot p ublished a nd t he p unch c ards ( and c atalogue e ntries) a re a t p resent i ncomplete. S ince t he c omputer p rogramme w as c ompleted, I h ave s een a nd d rawn a s econd c ollection f rom L abastide, w hich i s a v ery i mportant s ite, b ut b ecause t he w hole s eries i s n ot y et c atalogued a n a nalysis o f t his c ollection i s n ot i ncluded h ere. T he m aterial f rom L abastide, a s i t s tands a t p resent, i s, l ike M urat, s o i ncomplete a s t o b e m isleading. L astly t he c ollection f rom t he V olp C aves, ( Enlene, L es T rois-Freres a nd L e T uc d 'Audoubert), a lso i n t he P yrenees, w hich i s r epresented h ere b y s eventeen c ards o nly, i s, i n f act, f ar l arger. R ecent e xcavations t here h ave a dded a n umber o f p ieces a nd t here a re m any u npublished f rom e arlier e xcavations. B y c ourtesy o f t he B egouen f amily, I h ave s een m uch o f t his m aterial, b ut h ave n ot y et c atalogued i t s ince i t i s i n p rocess o f p ublication. I t i s n ecessary t o m ention t hese t hree g roups b ecause i t w ould b e i ncorrect t o p ut f orward t he l ist o f t wenty-one a s a c omplete r eview o f t he f ield. T o m y k nowledge, t hree i mportant s eries a re e xcluded f rom i t ( je M urat, L abastide a nd t he E nlene g roup) a nd t here i s a lways t he p ossibility t hat t here a re a dditional c ollections i n e xistence o f w hich t here i s n o p ublished r ecord. L astly L a M arche, w hich i s h ere r epresented b y n inety-nine c ards, i s i ncomplete. T he o nly w ay o f c ataloguing t his m aterial i s t o u se t he m onographs o n t he s ite, s ince t he o riginal p ieces a re i n m ost c ases u navailable, b ut t he p ublication i s u nfinished. T hree v olumes h ave n ow a ppeared b ut

1 33

o nly t wo w ere a vailable i n t ime f or t he c omputer p rogramme, s o t he t hird a nd, a s y et u npublished, f ourth v olumes a re n ot i ncluded h ere. T hey a re i ssued b y s pecies, w hich g ives L a M arche a v ery b iased a ppearance i n s ome o f t he c omputer t ables. I t m ight h ave b een a dvisable t o h ave l eft t his s ite o ut a ltogether b ut, a s i t i s t he l argest a nd m ost i mportant g roup i n S outh-West F rance, t his s eemed a n u nacceptable s olution . H owever, i t i s n ecessary t o m ake a llowances f or t he b ias p roduced b y t his i ncomplete i nventory. T here a re t en i mportant s ites i n S outh-West F rance, s even i n t he P yrenees, t wo i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a nd t wo o uts ide A quitaine a nd C antabria. Al ist o f a ll t he s ites i n e ach r egion a nd t he n umber o f p ieces i n e ach s ite i s i ncluded h ere a nd a d istribution m ap i s g iven f or e ach r egion.

1 34

S ITES W ITH E NGRAVED P LAQUETTES

T he s ites f or w hich a n i ndividual a nalysis h as b een m ade a re i talicised a nd t he n umber b eside e ach n ame r epresents t he n umber o f p ieces f ound i n t hat s ite, n ot t he n umber o f d ecorated s urfaces w ith c ard e ntries.

S OUTH-WEST A ND C ENTRAL F RANCE ( Vienne) ( Dordogne) ( Vienne) B ois R agot ( Lot . e t G aronne) B on e d el R ey B runiquel. M ontastruc ( Tarn e t G aronne) ( Tarn e t G aronne) B runiquel. P lantade ( Lot) C abrerets ( Lot) C avart ( Vienne) C haffaud ( Correze) C hanlat ( Lot) C onduche ( Dordogne) C orgnac ( Tarn) C ourbet ( Dordogne) C rabillat ( Dordogne) D omme onde) ( Dordogne) E yzies, L es ( Bout d e M ( Dordogne) E yzies ( Grotte d es) F onta Ms ( Tarn e t G aronne) ( Dordogne) F ourneau d u D iable G are d e C ouze ( Dordogne) G ravette, L a ( Dordogne) J eans B lancs ( Dordogne) J olivet ( Dordogne) L abattut ( Dordogne) L achaud ( Vienne) L araux L augerie B asse ( Dordogne) ( Dordogne) L augerie H aute L imeuil ( Dordogne) ( Lot) L ouradour M adeleine, L a ( Dordogne) ( Gironde) M arcamps L a M arche ( Vienne) ( Lot e t G aronne) M artinet ( Charente) M ontgaudier ( Vienne) M ontmorillon M orin ( Gironde) ( Lot) M urat ( Dordogne) P ataud ( Dordogne) P ech d e l a B oissiere P echialet ( Dordogne) ( Lot) P egourie P lacard ( Charente) ( Dordogne) P ont d 'Ambon P uy d e L acan ( Correze) R aymonden ( Dordogne) R ebieres ( Dordogne)

A ngles B adegoule

1 35

2 6 0 3 1 5 4 3 8

1 1 1 1 1 2+

1 1 1

2 2 3 7 2 1 3

1 1

2 1 5 1 4 3 7 1 37 1 4 4 1 8 5+ 6 7 1 2 0 2 2 4 3

1 1

3 2+ 6

1 1

R everdit R oc, L e R oche, L alinde, L a R ochebecude R ochereil R uth, L e S aint M arcel S oucy T ermo P ialat T eyjat V illepin

( Dordogne) ( Charente) ( Dordogne) ( Dordogne) ( Dordogne) ( Dordogne) ( Indre) ( Dordogne) ( Dordogne) ( Dordogne) ( Dordogne)

5 4 3 1 29 1 1 7 1 1 5

5 6 S ites 6 80Plaquettes ( The c omputer h as 3 8 a dditional e ntries f or s mall fragments l arge b locks t hat a re n ot i temized i n t his l ist.)

P YRENEES

A urensan B gdeilhac E nlene E spalungue G argas G azel G ourdan H areguy L abastide L abouiche L espugue L orthet L ourdes M alarode M arsoulas M as D 'Azil M assat P oeymau P ortel S aint M ichel T ourasse T rois-Freres T uc d 'Audoubert L a V ache

(Hautes P yrenees) ( Ariege) ( Ariege) ( Basses P yrenees) ( Hautes P yrenees) ( Aude) ( Haute G aronne) ( Basses P yrenees) ( Hautes P yrenees) ( Ariege) ( Haute G aronne) ( Hautes P yrenees) ( Hautes P yrenees) ( Basses P yrenees) ( Haute G aronne) ( Ariege) ( Ariege) ( Basses P yrenees) ( Ariege) ( Basses P yrenees) ( Haute G aronne) ( Ariege) ( Ariege) ( Ariege)

1 120 15 + 17 3 2 145 1 37 + 4 1 49 23 1 2+ 54 1 2 2 1 1 2 6 24

2 4 S ites 5 15Plaquettes

B ASQUE P ROVINCES A ND C ANTABRIC S PAIN

A itzbitarte

( Guipuzcoa) 1 36

1

a nd

A ltamira A txeta B almori B erroberria B olinkoba B rassempouy C asti lo D uruthy E kain E rmittia H ornos d e l a P ena I sturitz L umentaxa M orin ( Cueva) P aloma P endo, E l R ascano S antimamine T ito-Bustillo U rtiaga

( Santander) ( Vizcaya) ( Oviedo) ( Navarra) ( Vizcaya) ( Landes) ( Santander) ( Landes) ( Guipuzcoa) ( Guipuzcoa) ( Santander) ( Basses P yrenees) ( Vizcaya) ( Santander) ( Asturias) ( Santander) ( Santander) ( Vizcaya) ( Asturias) ( Guipuzcoa)

1 0 2 1 1 1 2 3 4 3 1 1 1 1 54 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 4 4

2 1 S ites 2 41 P laquettes

O UTSIDE A QUITAINE A ND C ANTABRIA

A rlay B aume B onne B lassac B lot B outigny C epoy C häleux C hinchy C olombi re, L a C roze, L a E nval F rontal G ay G eldrop G ouy G oyet P incevent R ocher d e l a C aille S alpetriere S aut d u P erron S olutre T rilobite

( Jura) ( Basses A lpes) ( Haute L oire) ( Haute L oire) ( Seine e t O ise) ( Loiret) ( Namur) ( Aisne) ( Ain) ( Ain) ( Puy-de-Döme) ( Namur) ( Ain) ( Nord B rabant) ( Normandy) ( Namur) ( Seine e t M arne) ( Loire) ( Gard) ( Loire) ( Saöne e t L oire) ( Yonne)

2 S ites 2 7 P laquettes 7

1 37

1 3 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 7 2 7+ 1 1 2 8 1 1 3 2 1 7 1 2

M AP 1 S ites w ith e ngraved p laquettes i n F rance a nd C antabric S pain S ites i n S outh W est F rance a re m arked w ith a d ot a nd a re l isted b elow, w ith t he e xception o f ag roup i n t he v icinity o f L es E yzies t hat a re l isted o n M ap 2 . S ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a re m arked w ith a t riangle a nd a re a lso l isted b elow. S ites i n t he P yrenees a nd i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain a re l isted r espectively o n M ap 3 a nd M ap 4 .

1 38

K EY T O S ITES I N S OUTH W EST F RANCE 1

A ngles-sur-l'Anglin

2 4

M orin

2

S aint M arcel

2 5

G are-de-Couze

3

B ois R agot

2 6

L alinde

4 L a M arche

2 7

S oucy

5 L araux

2 8

T ermo P ialat

6

M ontmorillon

2 9

J ean B lancs

7

C haffaud

3 0

L a G ravette

8

P lacard

3 1

R ochebecude

9

L e R oc

3 2

L imeuil

1 0

M ontgaudier

3 3

D omme

1

T eyjat

3 4

P ech-de-la-Boissiere

1 2

F ourneau-du-Diable

3 5

P echialet

1 3

R ebieres

3 6

M urat

1 4

P ont d 'Ambon

3 7

M artinet

1 5

R ochereil

3 8

B on e d el R ey

1 6

R aymonden

3 9

C avart

1 7

C orgnac

4 0

C abrerets

1 8

B adegoule

4 1

C onduche

1 9

J olivet

4 2

L ouradour

2 0

P uy d e L acan

4 3

P egourie

2 1

C hanlat

4 4

B runiquel ( Montastruc a nd P lantade)

2 2

L achaud

4 5

C ourbet

2 3

M arcamps

4 6

F ontales

K EY T O S ITES O UTSIDE A QUITAINE A ND C ANTABRIA 1

G eldrop

1 2

S aut-du-Perron

2

G oyet

1 3

R ochen d e l a C ai lle

3

C häleux

1 4

S olutre

4

F rontal

1 5

C olombiere

5

C hinchy

1 6

G ay

6

G ouy

1 7

L a C roze

7

P incevent

1 8

E nval

8

B outigny

1 9

B lassac

9

C epoy

2 0

B lot

1 0

T rilobite

2 1

S alpetriere

1

A rlay

2 2

B aume B onne

1 39

M AP 2 S ites w ith e ngraved p laquettes i n t he i mmediate v icinity o f L es E yzies

K ey 1

L augerie B asse

2

L augerie H aute

3

A bri P ataud

4

E yzies, G rotte d es

5

L es E yzies, B out d u M onde

6

C rabillat

7

V illepin

8

L a M adeleine

9

L e R uth

1 0

R everdit

1

L abattut

1 40

C HAPTER 6

P LAQUETTE C OLLECTIONS I N S OUTH-WEST F RANCE ( 58 s ites, 6 80 p laquettes. L ist o f s ites p .135.Maps 1 & 2 p p.138 & 1 40)

T here a re t en c ollections w ithin t his r egion t hat q ualify f or i ndividual a nalysis; n one o f t he r emaining f orty-seven s ites h as m ore t han e ight p ieces a nd m any o f t hem ( 25) h ave o nly o ne p laquette a piece. T he g reatest c oncentration o f s ites i s i n D ordogne w here t here a re s ix m ajor c ollections a nd t hirty-two s mall o nes. T o t he n orth o f t his g roup t here a re t hree s mall c ollections i n C harente, o ne i mportant a nd f ive s mall c ollections i n V ienne a nd a s ingle p laquette f rom I ndre w hich i s s uspect: t o t he w est t here i s o ne i mportant a nd o ne s mall c ollection i n G ironde a nd t o t he e ast t wo s mall c ollections i n C orreze a nd o ne i mportant a nd f ive s mall c ollections i n L ot. T o t he s outh o f D ordogne t here a re t wo s mall c ollections i n L ot e t G aronne a nd t wo i mportant a nd t wo s mall g roups o n t he b orders o f T arn a nd T arn e t G aronne. D ordogne i tself, w ith t hirty-eight s ites w ith p laquettes s hows t he m ost c omprehensive c hronological s equence. S even s ites i n t his d epartment h ave e arly c ollections, t hat i s o f A urignacian, G ravettian a nd U pper P erigordian d ate. F ive, p erhaps s ix s ites h ave p laquette c ollections o f S olutrean d ate, e ight ( or n ine) o f e arly M agdalehian. C ollections o f c lassical M agdalenian d ate ( Magdalenian I V) a re r are, b ut t he t wo t hat e xist a re o f s ome s ize, b eing r epresented b y p art o f t he s eries a t b oth L augerie B asse a nd L a M adeleine. T he l ate M agdalenian i s r ich, f ifteen s ites h ave c ollections d ated t o M agdalenian V o r V I, o r b oth, a nd f our o f t hese a re n umerically i mportant. C harente a nd V ienne h ave, r espectively, a f ew S olutrean a nd o ne U pper P erigordian p laquette, b oth d istricts h ave M agdalenian I II c ollections, t wo o f w hich i n V ienne ( La M arche a nd A ngles) a re i mportant b oth i n s ize a nd c haracter. C harente h as o ne l ate M agdalenian c ollection ( Montgaudier, a gain o f c onsiderable i nterest) a nd V ienne t wo s mall g roups. B oth c ollections i n G ironde a re l ate ( Magdalenian V I). T o t he e ast o f D ordogne t here i s a s ingle U pper P erigordian p laquette i n C orreze a nd t hree S olutrean c ollections i n L ot, t wo o f w hich ( Cabrerets a nd L ouradour) h ave h uman f igures r eminiscent o f t hose i n t he c ave o f P ech Merle. T here a re, a pparently, n o p laquettes o f e arly o r c lassical M agdalenian d ate i n t his r egion b ut t here i s o ne s ite i n C orreze o f L ate M agdalenian d ate a nd t hree i n L ot, o ne o f w hich i s a l arge c ollection. S outh o f D ordogne e arly a nd l ate M agdalenian a re r epresented i n L ot e t G aronne, b ut t here i s n o e arly M agdalenian c ollection i n T arn e t G aronne. H ere, h owever, t here i s a n i mportant c ollection o f c lassical M agdalenian d ate ( Bruniquel) a nd o ne i mportant a nd o ne m inor g roup o f L ate M agdalenian. P laquette c ollections a re n ot e venly d istributed a mong h abitation s ites s o t hat t o u se t hem t o d efine c hronological d istributions c an b e m isleading, h owever, t he i ncidence o f c ollections i n D ordogne a nd s urrounding a reas i s g enerally c onsistent w ith t he d evelopment o f t he r elevant i ndustries. T hat i s, t he e arly c ollections a re m ost n umerous i n D ordogne i tself, t he S olutrean i s w ell r epresented h ere a nd i n L ot, t he e arly M agdalenian i s g enerally c onfined t o D ordogne, w hile

1 41

P LATE 1 0

a .

L a R oche, L alinde; l imestone b lock, 3 7.0 x 2 6.0 c m , s howing f our o r m ore s chematized

f emale f igures, o f w hich t he c entral f igure a lone h as b reasts? o r a rms? F ield M useum o f N atural H istory, C hicago.

b .

C ollection,

P hoto, F ield M useum .

P echialet; s chist b lock 1 8.5 x 1 0 .0 c m , e ngraved w ith a b ear s tanding b etween t wo

s chematized m en, a nd p erhaps a ttacking o ne o f t hem . N ationales, 7 3758, p hoto M .A .N.

1 42

C ollection, M usse d es A ntiquites

M agdalenian I II i s e xpectedly r ich i n C harente a nd V ienne. M agdalenian I V c ollections a re i mportant, b ut f ew ; t hey o ccur i n D ordogne i tself a nd i n T arn e t G aronne, a t B runiquel, i n a r egion t hat i s i ntermediate b etween P erigord a nd P yrenees. L ate M agdalenian c ollections o ccur e verywhere a nd a re a s n umerous a s t hose o f a ll o ther p eriods p ut t ogether. T his r egion ( South-West F rance) h as t he g reatest n umber o f s ites w ith p laquettes a nd t he b est s equential r ecord o f a ny. I t i s a lso a r egional e ntity, c entred, a s t he c oncentration o f s ites s hows, o n D ordogne. T he o nly g roup t hat i s a n e xception t o t his p attern a re t he s ites o n t he b orders o f T arn a nd T arn e t G aronne. T hese a re t he s helters o f M ontastruc a nd P lantade a t B runiquel i n T arn e t G aronne a nd F ontales a nd C ourbet i n T arn. • s ome r espects t hese s ites a re i ndividual, i n o ther r espects t heir a ffiliations t o t he P yrenees a re a s i mportant a s t heir c onnections w ith D ordogne. T hey c ould b e d istinguished a s a s eparate r egional g roup b ut m any s mall g roups a re o f l ess s tatistical v alue t han f ewer l arger o ne. T he s ites i n t he B runiquel r egion s how a r elationship t o t he R höne v alley a lso, C ourbet a nd F ontales ( Fig. 2 8) h ave s tylised f emale f igures, c omparable t o t hose f rom S aut du-Perron ( Loire) o r L a R oche L alinde ( Dordogne) ( Pl. 1 0, a ). T hese a re s implified p rofile f igures a nd t hey a re c haracteristic o f t he l ate M agdalenian. T wo o ther e xamples o n p laquettes e xist i n S outh-West F rance, o ne f rom M urat, L ot a nd t he o ther f rom t he G are d e C ouze, D ordogne, a nd t hey a re c ommon i n C entral E urope, t he m ost f amous c ollection b eing t hat f rom G onnersdorf, n ear C ologne. T his i s a f orm o f s tylization t hat d oes n ot o ccur i n t he P yrenean p laquette c ollections. T he f emale f igures f rom E nlene, B edeilhac o r L abastide a re m ore n aturalistic, o r i diosyncratic a nd d o n ot e xhibit t his p articular p rofile r eduction. T he c laviforms o f m ural a rt, w hich a re a r elated f orm h ave, h owever, a n a ltogether d ifferent d istribution. A s equence o f c ollections, a s e xists i n D ordogne, i nvites a n a nalysis o f s tylistic d evelopment b ut i t i s n ot a ltogether a ppropriate t o c onstruct au nilinear p attern b ecause s tyle i s s ometimes i nfluenced a s m uch b y s upport a s b y d ate. T he g eneral p attern f or P alaeolithic a rt d oes p revail, h owever. O utline f igures o f s ome f reedom , b ut w ith l ittle d etail, a re e ngraved i n t he e arly p eriods ( Pl. 1 0, b ); i n t he c lassical M agdalenian s uch f igures a re d epicted a s c ompact, d etailed a nd f ormalized ( Pl. 6 , a a nd P l. 7 , b ), a nd i n t he l ate M agdalenian t hey b ecome r elaxed a nd l ifelike, ( Pl. 1 1, b a nd F ig. 2 0), h ave m ore m ovement a nd a re s hown i n a v ariety o f i ndividual p oses, g razing, b ellowing, a nd s o f orth. A c ollection s uch a s L a M arche, h owever, i s h ard t o p lace, o r e xplain. I t i s, b y r eference t o t he o ccupational d eposits, a scribed t o M agdalenian I II b ut t he p laquettes, a s a g roup, a re e ither h ighly i ndividual o r p erhaps ( as i s s uggested f or A ngles, S aint-Mathurin, p ers. c omm .) h ave t endencies t owards M agdalenian I V. T he d etailing o f s ome o f t he a nimal f igures a nd t he m anner i n w hich t hey a re d rawn t o a f ormula ( Fig. 2 1) a re f eatures g enerally f ound e lsewhere i n t he c ontext o f M agdalenian I V . S chematic m otifs a ppear i n t he d ecoration o f p laquettes i n t his r egion i n t he L ate M agdalenian, u sually c ombined w ith n aturalistic d ecoration ( that i s c ombined i n a c ollection , r ather t han o n t he s ame o bject) b ut s chematization i s n ot s o i mportant h ere a s i t i s i n t he P yrenees. T ypically t he l ate M agdalenian c ollections i n S outh-West F rance r emain n aturalistic, a s a t L imeuil ( Pl. 1 1, b . F igs 1 4, 1 5 a nd 2 0) a nd L a M adeleine a nd a lthough 1 43

t he e ngraving i s s imple, r ather f reer a nd l ess a ssured t han i n e arlier p eriods, i t d oes n ot r eflect t he s tyle p revalent i n b one a nd a ntler w ork i n t his p eriod a nd r egion. T he d eep c ut, o ut o f p roportion a nimal f igures, s hown i n f ile, t hat a re c haracteristic o f l ate M agdalenian b onework i n D ordogne a re a r estricted p henomenon a nd i n t he r espect o f d ecorative s tyle s capulae m ust b e c lassified w ith s tone p laquettes r ather t han w ith o ther b one p ieces. T he " formula" s tyle o f e ngraving h orse a nd b ison t hat i s c haracteristic o f t he P yrenees i n M agdalenian I V i s n ot p resent i n S outh-West F rance. T here a re i ndividual p ieces t hat a re r eminiscent o f t his s tyle, f or e xample t he t hree b ison a nd a b ird o n a p laquette f rom P uy-de-Lacan ( Fig. 1 9) o r t he s ingle b ison f rom L e R oc a ttributed e rroneously ( Delporte a nd M ons. p ers. c omm .) t o . a S olutrean l evel, b ut m ost o f t he M agdalenian I V p ieces, a t L augerie B asse, f or e xample ( P1 5 , a , a nd P l. 7 , b ), o r L a M adeleine, w hile e xhibiting c haracteristics t hat a re

F IG. 1 9.

P uy d e L acan; s andstone p laquette , 2 1.0 x 1 5.5 c m , s howing

t he h ead a nd s houlders o f o ne b ison, t he r umps o f t wo o thers a nd a b ird, w hich i s p erhaps a b ustard. B rive.

C ollection, M usde E rnest R upin ,

D rawing a fter B ouyssonie , 1 936.

t ypical o f t he p eriod, a re n ot l ike t he P yrenean c ollections. F urtherm ore, t he l ate M agdalenian s tyle o f L imeuil, L e S oucy, C orgnac o r t he c ellar g roup a t L a M adeleine i s c onfined t o D ordogne. T he a nimals a re t ypically ( as s tated a bove) r elaxed a nd l ifelike ( Pl. 1 1, b ) a nd t hey d iffer i n p roportion a lso f rom t he f igures o f c lassic M agdalenian d ate. W hereas i n c lassic M agdalenian a rt t he b odies o f a nimals a re l arge a nd t heir e xtremities n eat a nd s mall, a dding t o t he e ffect o f c ompactness, i n t he l ate M agdalenian i n D ordogne t he f eet, h eads a nd a ntlers a re l arge a nd t he t autness o f t he f igures i s c onsequently l ost ( Fig. 2 0). T o s ay t hat a t rait i s l ost s uggests a d ecline i n q uality b ut t his i s n ot i mplicit. S ome o f t he e ngraving i s c areless b ut t he b etter f igures i nvoke t he i ndividuality o f a n a nimal, r ather t han i llustrating a s tereotype. 1 44

F IG. 2 0.

L imeuil; l imestone b lock, 2 9.0 x 1 5.0 c m, s howing a r eindeer

w alking, w ith i ts h ead l owered.

T he l arge e xtremities a nd n atural-

i stic d epiction a re t ypical o f l ate M agdalenian e ngraving i n S outhW est F rance.

C ollection, M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales , 5 675 1-57.

D rawing a fter B ouyssonie, 1 924.

A s s tated a bove, t here a re t en s ites i n S outh-West F rance t hat h ave b een a nalysed i ndividually a nd i t i s o f i nterest t o c onsider i n w hat r espects t hese s ites s upport t he g eneral p attern o f s tyle a nd d evelopment o bserved i n t his r egion a nd i n w hat r espects t hey a re i ndividual. A ll b ut t wo ( Badegoule a nd L a M arche) a re w holly, o r i n p art o f L ate M agdalenian d ate. B runiquel, L augerie B asse a nd L a M adeleine h ave p laquettes o f M agdalenian I V d ate, i n a ddition t o a s eries o f M agdalenian V a nd V I w hile t he p laquettes f rom F ontales a re M agdalenian V a nd V I i n d ate, f rom t he G rotte d es E yzies o f l ate M agdalenian d ate a nd t he c ollections f rom L imeuil, t he A bri M orin a nd R ochereil a re o f M agdalenian V I d ate. T he c ollections f rom t he A bri M orin a nd R ochereil a re, w ith s ingle e xceptions, o f s capulae; t he c ollections f rom L a M arche, B adegoule, L imeuil a nd F ontales a re, w ith t he e xception o f a f ew p ebbles, o f l imestone b locks a nd f ragments b ut t he c ollections f rom t he r emaining s ites a re l ess h omogenous. L a M adeleine, L augerie B asse a nd B runiquel c ontain s ignificant p roportions o f p ebbles i n a ddition t o l imestone,schist, e tc, w hile t he G rotte d es E yzies a nd L augerie B asse i nclude s capulae a nd L augerie B asse a ntler p almates a s w ell. I t i s r elevant t hat t he s ingle p eriod s ites e xhibit a s ingle f orm o f s upport w hile s ites w ith c ollections o f d ifferent d ates s how a v ariety o f m aterials. O ne m ay d escribe t hese s ites b riefly, i n c hronological o rder. T he c ollection f rom B adegoule ( Dordogne) i s o ne o f f ragments. I n t his a rea, ( South-West F rance) f ragmentary s tone c ollections a re e xceptional 1 45

a nd i n t his r espect B adegoule i s a typical o f b oth i ts r egion a nd d ate. T he a nimal i nventory i s a lso s lightly u nusual; c aprids ( ibex a nd c hamois) a re h ere m ore n umerous t han b ison o r c ervids a nd t ake s econd p lace t o h orse. C heynier, w ho e xcavated B adegoule, a scribed a P rotoS olutrean d ate t o t hese p laquettes; a d ate w hich i s d isputable ( see S onneville-Bordes 1 960) a nd s tylistically, t he c ollection h as M agdalenian a ffinities, p articularly t o L a M arche, i n t he u se o f i nterlaced e ngraving a nd t he m otif o f a h ole w ith r adiating l ines. L a M arche, a n e arly M agdalenian c ollection i n V ienne, i s i n p rocess o f p ublication a nd o ne c an o nly c omment o n t he d ata a vailable t o d ate i n a s eries o f e xemplary m onographs. M y i nventory f or t his s ite i s i ncomplete b ut D r P ales a nd M lle d e S aint-Pereuse h ave a ssessed t he c ollection a s aw hole. H owever, w ith s o g reat a q uantity o f p ieces, i t h as o nly b een p racticable t o p ublish t hose w ith i dentifiable f igures s o t hat, i n t his r espect a lso, a s election h as b een m ade f or L a M arche. T he s ize o f t he p ieces i n t his c ollection i s o f i nterest. 1 23 o f t he 1 268 d ecorated b locks a re o ver 3 0 c ms i n m aximum d imension a nd m ost o f t he r emainder a re m oderate r ather t han s mall i n s ize. I f t he p resence o f an umber o f l arge b locks i n a p laquette c ollection s eems a nomalous, i t i s n ot u nique i n t his r egion o f F rance, L imeuil, f or e xample, h as a c onsiderable n umber o f p ieces o ver 3 0 c ms a nd s o h as L augerie H aute.

F IG . 2 1.

L a M arche; l imestone f ragment, 1 4.0 x 1.5 c m , s howing a

l ion w ith i ts m outh o pen a nd i ts t hroat e xtended a s w hen r oaring. C ollection , M us e d e l 'Homme D .50 .7.300.

1 46

D rawing a fter P ales, 1 969 .

F IG. 2 2.

L a M arche; l imestone b lock, 5 5.0 x 2 9.0 c m, s howing t wo

m ale f igures, o ne i dentified b y h is p enis, t he o ther b y h is b eard, T he f irst f igure h as h is h ead t urned a nd h is a rms r aised, t he s econd i s s tooping b ut a ny e xplanation o f t he s cene i s c onjectural. P rivate c ollection, P. 2 20.

D rawing a fter P ales, 1 976.

1 47

A t L a M arche h orse i s t he s pecies m ost o ften d epicted, f ollowed b y r eindeer a nd o ther c ervids a nd t hen b y h umans: b ison a re e xtremely r are ( Pales 1 969). P ales o bserves t hat a ll t he h uman f igures i n t his c ollection f ollow a c onvention a nd a re d rawn t o a f ormula ( Pl. 6 , b F ig. 2 3) a s a re t he f elines w hich a re a ll d epicted w ith t he s ame a natomical e rror, i n t he p lacing o f t he l ower i ncisors ( Fig. 2 1). B ecause t he s eries i s s o u nusual, t he h uman f igures f rom L a M arche h ave c ommanded a g reat d eal o f a ttention , a lthough t hey a re g enerally m uch l ess w ell e ngraved t han t he a nimals ( Fig. 2 2). O n t he 8 6 s urfaces s o d ecorated, i n a ddition t o t he s eated ( mostly f eminine) f igures t here a re c learly m asculine f igures, h eads, g roups s uperimposed b ut p erhaps r elated, a nd a s eries o f e mbracing f igures. O bviously t hese f ace t o f ace e mbracing c ouples i nvite t he i nterpretation o f s exual i ntercourse ( one m ight n ote, i n am ore c onventional p osture t han i s c laimed f or E nlene, C ard 1) b ut P ales p refers t o d escribe t hem a s " double" 1 e mbracing f igures. T here a re n ine, o r p erhaps t en o f t hese s tanding, c onjoined p airs b ut n one a re p articularly w ell e ngraved a nd i t i s n ot p ossible t o b e d ecisive i n i nterpreting t hem . I n a ll t here a re m ore t han a h undred h uman f igures f rom L a M arche, b ut t he n umber o f p laquettes f rom t his s ite i s e xceptional a nd h umans, a s s tated a bove, a re o nly o f t hird i mportance a mong t he s pecies r epresented. U ntil t he d iscovery o f G onnersdorf s uch a s eries w as w ithout p arallel a nd, f or i ts p eriod, i t s till r emains s o. B y d eduction L a M arche i s d ated t o M agdalenian II; t he i ndustry f ound i n t he r ock s helter i s p reI d ominantly o f t his s tage. A part f rom t he q uantity o f p ieces a nd t he r emarkable n umber o f h uman f igures d epicted, t he m ost s triking c haracteristic o f t he L a M arche c ollection o f p laquettes i s i ts i ndecipherability ( Pl. 6 , b ). I t i s t rue, a s P ales h as s aid, t hat w hen f resh t he w hite l ines m ade b y a r ecent c ut o n t he l imestone w ould b e e asier t o s ee t han t he i ncisions l eft t oday a nd i t i s a lso t rue t hat m any o f t he s urfaces a re w orn, b ut t he p alimpsest o f e ngraved l ines t hat i s r epeatedly u sed h ere i s m ore t han u sually c omplex a nd c onfusing ( Fig. 2 3); i n f act P ales c oncludes t hat t his i s d eliberate a nd t hat t he m yriad o f e xtra l ines a re i ntended t o c onceal. O ne c annot d etermine w hether s uch a c oncealment w as t o h ide, o r p rotect, o r m islead b ut t he i mpression g iven i s t hat i s w as d one w ith i ntention. C omplexity i s f ound i n t he c ontent o f t he d ecoration a s i n t he t echnique, f or e xample i n t he a nimal c ombinations a nd t he u nusual p ostures d epicted. I t i s p erhaps m isleading t o c omment o n a ssociations f rom a n i ncomplete s ample b ut h aving s tudied a ll t he h umans i t i s r elevant t o p oint o ut t hat n o p articular s pecies i s p referred i n c ombination w ith h uman f igures. A lmost e very p ossible c ombination e xists a nd t here a re t riple a nd q uadruple a ssociations i n a ddition t o d ual o nes. A pparently t he o nly a nimal r epresented i n a ny q uantity w hich i s n ot a ssociated w ith h uman f igures i s t he l ion. L ions o ccur w ith r eindeer, m ammoth, h orse a nd c ervids b ut n ever w ith h umans a nd i t i s p erhaps s ignificant t hat t hese t wo g roups t hat a re d rawn t o a f ormula, t hat i s t he h umans a nd t he l ions, a re m utually e xclusive. T he M agdalenian I V c ollections i n S outh-West F rance a ll c ome f rom m ulti-period s ites a nd a lthough t here i s a s tratigraphical a ttribution f or t he s mall s eries o f p ieces f rom L a M adeleine ( Dordogne) t here i s l ittle o r n one i n t he c ollections f rom L augerie B asse ( Dordogne), o r B runiquel ( Tarn e t G aronne). I n t hese l ast t wo s ites o ne m ay d istinguish p ieces b y s tyle; a t L augerie B asse s ome o f t he s tone 1 48

F IG . 2 3.

L a M arche ; l imestone p laquette, 9 .7 x 9 .0 c ms.

I n t he

e ntanglement o f i nterlaced l ines a s eated f emale f igure m ay b e s een , f acing l eft, w earing a b road c riss-cross p atterned b elt a nd , t o t he r ight o f t his f igure, a " disc" d esign . A ntiquites N ationales, 8 3.334.

C ollection , M us e d es

D rawing a fter P ales, 1 976.

( Pl. 5 a a nd b ) a nd s capulae p ieces a nd p robably m ost o f t he a ntler p almates ( Pl. 4 , a . P l. 7 , ba nd P l. 1 1, a ) m ay b e a ttributed t o t his s tage a nd a t B runiquel a s eries o f p ebbles a nd p ebble f ragments. T he n umber o f " belles p iäces" f rom L augerie, t he l ack o f f ragments a nd t he v ariety i n s tyle a nd t he m aterial o f s upport u sed a ll s uggest t hat a s election o f p laquettes f rom d ifferent l evels a nd p eriods h ave h ere b een a ccumulated i n am odern c ollection. L augerie B asse i s av ery l arge s helter a nd h as, o r h ad, e xtremely d eep d eposits. T hese r egister a g reat d eal o f o ccupation, b y a s uccession a nd v ariety o f s ettlers a nd t he a rt w ork w e n ow l ook a t a s aw hole m ust r epresent v estiges o f m any d ifferent o ccupations. I ndustries o f M agdalenian I V, V a nd V I h ave b een r ecorded h ere b ut P eyrony r emarked i n 1 914 t hat " tous l es c hercheurs a vaient m elange l 'industrie e t l a f aune d es d ivers n iveaux. L a s tratigraphie r aisonne r estant d onc ä f aire". M ost o f t he a rt p ieces a re f rom t he e arly e xcavations a nd i t i s n ow v irtually i mpossible t o r econstruct a s tratigraphy f or t hese, e xcept b y s tylistic a nalogy. S capulae g enerally c arry v ery c omplex d ecoration, w hether i n t he f orm o f a g reat m any i nextricable l ines , a s a t C astillo ( Fig. 5 ) o r 1 R ochereil ( Fig. 7 , F ig. 1) , o r a s a g round f or n umerous f igures

1 49

( Mas d 'Azil ' Pl, 1 5, b a nd F ig. 4 0 ,M ontgaudier). T he L augerie B asse g roup d oes n ot c onform t o t his p attern, h owever, n ine o f t he p ieces h ere h ave s imple d ecoration w ith a s ingle f igure, o r p art o f a f igure a nd a lthough f our f urther e xamples a re m ore c omplex w ith a v ariety o f a nimals, o r a t l east m ore t han o ne f igure, o nly o ne o f t hese h as t he t remendous l iberality o f l ines t hat i s u sually c haracteristic o f t his f orm o f s upport. I f t he d ecoration i s o ften s imple, h owever, t he s tyle i s r emarkably v aried. A s a g roup o f e ngravings t hey s how n o c onsistency a t a ll a nd o ne m ust s uppose t hat e ach p iece w as t he w ork o f a d ifferent h and. T he a ntler p almates ( of w hich L augerie h as a n e xceptional n umber, 8 i n a ll) s how a g reater c onsistency i n s tyle, t heir m ost i nteresting f eature i n t his r espect b eing t he n umber o f a natomically w rong f igures. O ne i s t he b ellowing o r " dying" b ison, ( Pl. 7 , b ) t he s econd t he i bex w ith a t wisted h ead o n t he r everse o f t his s ame p iece a nd t he t hird t he i bex o n a p almate f ound b y L artet a nd C hristy, w hich i s n ot o ften r eproduced ( Fig. 2 4). P erhaps i t i s r egarded a s i nept b ut o ne c an a rgue t hat ( like t he r est o f t his s eries) i t i s i ntentionally i nept a nd a v ery i nteresting p iece. L ow r elief, o r a t echnique o f c hamplevee, i s u sed o n an umber o f t hese p almates, t he m ost f amous b eing t he " Femme a u R enne". ( Pl. 1 1, a )

F IG. 2 4.

L augerie B asse; a ntler p almate , 1 4.2 x 6 .5 c m , s howing a n

i bex w ith i ts h ind l egs c ontorted i n a n a natomically i ncorrect p osition. S uch d epictions a re g enerally r are , b ut a re a f eature i n t he d ecoration o f p almates.

C ollection, M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales, 8 .146.

D rawing a fter L artet a nd C hristy, 1 864.

S chematically d ecorated p ebbles a re e xtremely r are i n t he L augerie B asse c ollections. S uch p ieces, w hich o ften s how u se a s c ompressors, o ccur i n m ost s ites, u sually i n a l ate M agdalenian c ontext, b ut w hether t heir r arity a t L augerie i s d ue t o s elective c ollection, t o t heir h aving b een c lassified a s t ools o r t o t he e xistence o f a n e xceptional n umber o f b one c ompressors h ere, o ne c annot d etermine. A mongst t he 1 50

P LATE 1

a .

L augerie B asse; a ntler p ulmate, 1 0.1

x6 .5, k nown a s t he " Femme-Au-Renne t' .

T his

f ragment s hows i n l ow r elief, t he h ind l egs o f ar eindeer a nd, c ut i n p erspective b ehind t hese t he l egs a nd b ody o f ap regnant w oman.

C ollection, M us e d es A ntiquite ' s

N ationales, 4 700 1, p hoto M .A.N.

b .

L imeuil; l imestone b lock, 2 9.0 x 1.0 c m, s howing a g razing r eindeer, w alking

t owards t he r ight.

C ollection, M usge d es A ntiquites N ationales, 5 675 1.22, p hoto M .A.N.

1 51

l ate M agdalenian s tone p laquettes t he " Combat d e R ennes" i s a n o uts tanding p iece; i t i s n ot a c ombat b ut a n i llustrative d rawing o f a m ale f ollowing a f emale r eindeer, s uperimposed b y a dditional f igures. ( Pl. 1 2) T he m ale r eindeer's a ntlers a re v ery f ine a nd p rovide c orroboration f or t he s ize o f p almate t hat i s p ostulated f or t he " Femme a u R enne" p laquette i tself. ( See S aban a nd L hote 1 967). T here i s a p roportional d ifference i n t he a nimals d epicted o n t he v arious f orms o f s upport a t L augerie B asse. O n t he s capulae h orse i s b y f ar t he m ost c ommon s ubject, w hile o n p almates a nd s tone s urfaces c ervids ( usually r eindeer) a re t he m ost o ften d epicted s pecies. R ochereil, i n t he C harente, h as a l arge s eries o f d ecorated s capulae, w ith h orse a gain f ar m ore o ften r epresented t han a ny o ther s pecies a nd i t i s t he m ost c ommonly d epicted a nimal a t t he A bri M orin ( Fig. 2 5) a nd M ontgaudier ( both s capulae c ollections) t hough i t i s n ot s o m arkedly i mportant i n e ither o f t hese l ast t wo s ites. G enerally a p articular f orm o f s upport a ppears t o d ictate a c ertain s tyle o f e ngraving, r ather t han e ngravings o f a p articular s pecies b ut i n t his i nstance t here s eems t o b e a c onnection ( in t he l ate c ollections) b etween c ontent, s tyle a nd s upport w hile a t L augerie, t he c onnection b etween h orse a nd s capulae e xists a lthough t he c haracteristic s tyle o f e ngraving i s a bsent.

F IG. 2 5.

A bri M orin; f ragment o f s capula, 1 2.6 x 5 .1 c m , s howing o ne,

o r m ore , h orses e ngraved w ith a n e ntanglement o f a dditional l ines. C ollection , I nstitut d e Q uaternaire, U niversity o f B ordeaux.

D rawing

a fter L aurent, 1 975 .

B runiquel i s, i n r eality, a g roup o f s ites b ut o nly o ne o f t he f our A bris d u C hateau h as a n i mportant c ollection o f p laquettes. T his i s t he A bri M ontastruc d ug b y P eccadeau d e l 'Isle i n t he l ast c entury. T he c ollection i s p rincipally o f m oderate s ized p ebbles o r f ragments f rom l arger b oulders o r p ebbles ( Figs. 4 , 1 0 , 1 3 a nd 1 6) a nd i n s uch a g roup, a s o ne m ight e xpect, m any p ieces a re c omplete a nd m any a re d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces. T hey a lso s how a h igh p roportion w ith t he g round w ell f illed a nd ah igh p roportion o f l arge f igures. T he n aturalistic d ecoration i s o ften e laborate w ith a nimals o f t he s ame a nd d ifferent s pecies a ssociated, s uperimposed a nd i nverted ( Pls. 3 a, 3 b, a nd 6 a, a lso F igs. 1 a nd 2 ). A mongst t he s pecies d epicted h orse i s o f f irst i mportance ( 29 e xamples) d eer o f n ext i mportance ( 17 e xamples) 1 52

1

O • i r 1 0 4-

1 ) ( I) k C D •H 1 ) 4• H D Ul C L 0 -p

• C D E E

a o a ( z ) o c m

C D , 1 E

( t ) .0 -0 •H 3

a ) r P C I -I

0 . . , 1 -

-o

C D C O 0

C D

-1 3

a

a ) E 'C D •H U) a ) r 1 3 C • C L ) 0 3 . -. . . a -I c r ) 3 . 01 1 0 1 C D P 0 . 1 1 1 C I ) 0 C ( I -C o x (t i a • H C Ul • H C L ) 0 C O C L) ( N . 0 : 1 -C ) Ni

a

o

r c . -

C D •H 3 C D W 0 : 3 I 1 1 I A I 3 0) CO 1 1 C • , 1 C D C L) 4- L 12 . 01 i 4 E C 3 o • H 4-

o

• CO CO ,• CO Ni

2

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o c oa) • wa)

CO

r 1 -

A 1 • L ( 1 ) C D P E L E 0 P 40 • .. 0 . . 2 CO . rr I U ) r 1 C I ) 1 i . C D C U C I) Y -0 P -0 ( I O C X

1 4) . r i C a ) 0 0 ) C CD 3 0) C O r 1 0 3 C -J • H

a

1 53

•

a

3 0 1 01

f ollowed b y c aprids ( 12) a nd b ovids ( 7) w ith a ssociations o f h orse a nd d eer o f p rimary i mportance. ( The f act t hat t he f igures g iven h ere d o n ot e ndorse t hose o f P ajot, ( 1969) m ay b e e xplained b y t he f act t hat h e d id n ot i nclude t he u npublished m aterial f rom t he B ritish M useum). A mongst t he l east r epresented s pecies a re a w olf ( Fig. 1 6) a nd a p ossible h uman f igure, o r p arts o f t wo, s ince t he t runk a nd a rms e ngraved h ere s how n o a natomical c onnection ( Fig. 2 6). A lthough p ebbles a re a c ommonly c hosen s upport f or d ecoration a t M ontastruc, t hey s how l ittle u se. T wo o f t he t hree r ecorded h ave s chematic d ecoration b ut, l ike u se, s uch d ecoration i s a r are f eature i n t his s ite.

F IG . 2 6.

A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel; l imestone f ragment, 1 6.0 x 8 .0

c m , e ngraved w ith a q uantity o f i ndecipherable l ines, a mongst w hich c an b e d istinguished a p air o f h uman a rms a nd a n u nassociated t orso. C ollection , B ritish M useum , C at. N o. 6 94.

P eccadeau d e l 'Isle d istinguished t welve l evels i n h is e xcavations b ut g ave n o r ecord o f t hese, B etirac a nd o thers h ave e ndeavoured t o c larify t he s tratigraphy b ut, f or t he e mptied s helter o f M ontastruc, t his i s v irtually i mpossible. O ne m ay d ivide t he c ollection s tylistically, h owever. A mongst t he f inest p ieces, s ix m ay b e a scribed t o M agdalenian I V a nd t his g roup c ontains n ot o nly a ll t he d epictions o f b ison t hat o ccur i n t his s ite ( Pl. 6 , aa nd F ig. 1 0), b ut a lso a ll b ut o ne o f t he f igures m arked o r s truck b y a rrows, o f w hich t here a re f ive i n a ll. ( The o ne p iece o f a l ater d ate s howing a n a nimal p inioned b y a n a rrow i s F ig.1,P1. 3 , a ). T o t his g roup o f M agdalenian I V p laquettes m ay b e a dded t wo, o r p erhaps t hree l ater g roups t hat a re s tylistically h omogenous. T here a re 5 4 d ecorated s tone p laquettes f rom M ontastruc, m any o f w hich a re o f av ery h igh q uality a nd a mongst t he o ther a rt m obilier p ieces t he s wimming r eindeer i n i vory a nd t he l eaping h orse a nd m ammoth s pear t hrowers a re a ll e xceptional. B runiquel i s a n a rea r ich i n U pper P alaeolithic s ites, i n a ddition t o t he A bris d u C hateau t here i s C ourbet a nd, a t s ome l ittle d istance, F ontales. C artailhac, 1 54

w hen d escribing B run's e xcavations a t L afaye a nd P lantade ( two o f t he A bris d u C häteau) n oted t he a mount o f a ntler f ound a nd h e a nd B etirac a lso n ote h ow m uch o f t his i s w orked. B runiquel i s n ot t he o nly s ite t hat i s r ich i n a rt p ieces a nd w here t he f aunal e vidence s uggests a ntler c ollection a nd p rocessing; P iette n oted v ast q uantities o f a ntler a t G ourdan, L augerie h as a n a stonishing a mount a nd I sturitz a q uantity t hat w as, a s a t B runiquel, s hed. O ne m ay c onsider i t a s a p ossibility t hat m any o f t he s ites r ich i n m iniature a rt w ere s easonal e ncampments c onnected w ith a ntler p rocessing, f or t he s kills r equired f or o ne a ctivity a re e qually a ppropriate f or t he o ther. T he r emainder o f t he l arge c ollections i n S outh-West F rance a re o f L ate M agdalenian d ate. A s a lready s tated, L augerie B asse a nd B runiquel c ontain g roups o f p laquettes a ttributable t o M agdalenian V a nd V I a nd t he m ost i mportant s eries a t L a M adeleine i s o f l ate d ate a lso ( Magdalenian V I). T his i s t he g roup f rom t he " cellar", e xcavated b y C apitan a nd P eyrony i n 1 928. W ith t wo e xceptions t his g roup o f 2 4 l imestone b locks a nd o ne p ebble a re e ntirely h omogenous i n s tyle. T hey a re d ecorated o n o ne s urface o nly, w ith a n o ften d eeply c ut l ine; t he f igures a re s imple o utline d rawings o f v ariable q uality, b ut c haracteristic l ate M agdalenian s tyle, t here a re, f or e xample t wo a nimals w ith y oung ( Pl. 7 , a ) a nd t welve f igures i n a n u nusual p osture. T he a nimals d epicted a re p rincipally r eindeer, o f w hich t here a re 1 9 o r 2 0 i n a ll. T his s eries o f p laquettes c ame f rom t he d eepest p art o f t he s helter, i n C apitan a nd P eyrony's d escription a lmost a " sous-sol", t he b ase o f w hich r ested o n t he n atural f loor o f t he s helter a nd t he b ack o f w hich w as f ormed b y t he r ock o verhang. I n p art i t w as b locked o ff b y l imestone s labs, w ith a l arger b lock o n e ach s ide. S tratigraphi cally t his " room" w as r elated t o t he u pper o ccupation l evels o f t he s ite a nd t races o f e ngraving w ere f ound o n t he s helter w all a bove i t. N o m ore i nformation i s g iven a bout t his c ache. I t h as b een s uggested t hat i t f ormed a s anctuary, f or t here i s n o r ecord o f o ccupation d ebris w ith t hese p laquettes, b ut w e d o n ot k now h ow t hey w ere p laced, a nd a lthough t here a re a f ew i ndications, f rom o ther s ites, t hat p laquettes w ere, o n o ccasion, g rouped o r p ut a side i n a s pecial p lace, t here i s n ot e nough e vidence t o b uild o n, p articularly a s w e k now t hat a t c ertain o ther s ites, s uch a s G onnersdorf a nd E nlene, t he p laquettes w ere s cattered a bout a t r andom . L imeuil ( Dordogne), i n s tyle a nd d ate, i s c losely c omparable t o t he M agdalenian V I s eries f rom L a M adeleine. H ere d eer, p rincipally r eindeer, ( Pl. 1 1, b a nd F ig 2 0) a re a gain o f g reatest i mportance i n t he a nimal i nventory ( there a re 8 6 d epictions o n 7 1 s urfaces) b ut h orse i s q uite w ell r epresented a lso ( Fig. 1 4), ( 59 f igures o n 4 6 s urfaces) i n c ontrast t o L a M adeleine w here i t i s d rawn i n f our i nstances o nly. T he L imeuil f igures a re f luent, i n a v ariety o f p ostures ( Fig. 1 5), g rouped, s uperimposed ( though s eldom i nverted), d rawn w ith m ultiple l ines t o c reate m ovement a nd, a s a t L a M adeleine, o f v ariable q uality. T he f igures a re u sually m oderate, o r s mall, i n s ize a nd a re d rawn o n m oderate o r l arge b locks, t he g round o f w hich i s o ften n ot f ully u tilized o r f illed. An umerically l arge c ollection o f l imestone b locks o f e xceptional s ize r ecalls L a M arche b ut i n s tyle L imeuil ( in t he s ize o f t he f igures a nd t he l egibility a nd s pontaneity o f t hese), i s v ery f ar r emoved f rom L a M arche. T he t radition o f l arge b locks, p erhaps s et u p i n a r ock s helter , h as a l ong h istory, h owever, i n S outh-West F rance. T he p ieces f rom L a M arche h ave l ost t heir o riginal c ontext; t hey h ave, i n h istorical t imes, b een s tacked t o o ne s ide o f t he s helter a nd u sed 1 55

t o b uild a w all a nd a t L imeuil t he e ngraved b locks w ere s cattered d own t he s teeply s loping h illside, b elow a n ow e mpty s helter b ut b oth, o ne m ay s uggest, b elong t o t he t radition o f d aylit m ural d ecoration t hat e xists a t a ll p eriods i n S outh-West F rance. T he c ollections f rom t he G rotte d es E yzies ( Dordogne), t he A bri M orin ( Gironde) a nd R ochereil ( Dordogne) a re a ll r elatively s mall i n n umber. T he f act t hat a ll t he s chematic ( Pl. 2 , a ) a nd l ess l egible d ecoration f rom t he G rotte d es E yzies ( with t he e xception o f o ne p iece i llustrated b y B reuil) i s t o b e f ound o n u npublished m aterial s uggests t hat t he p ublished p ieces f rom t his s ite a re u nrepresentative. T hey a re a lso a v ery m ixed g roup, s tylistically, a nd a part f rom a n e legant o utline f igure o f a r eindeer o n a s capula f ragment t hey a re n ot v ery w ell e ngraved. T he i mpression g iven . i s t hat t he p resent c ollection i s a r esidue o f p erhaps m ore a nd b etter p ieces n ow l ost ( most o f t he d eposit w as e mptied o ut o f t he s helter i n t he M iddle A ges), o r p erhaps s imply o f a t radition t hat i n t his r egion a nd p eriod w as n o l onger p ractised w ith m uch a ptitude. T he p laquette c ollections f rom R ochereil a nd t he A bri M orin, i n c ontrast, a re s tylistically h omogenous. B eing o f s capulae b oth c onsist o f f ragmentary s mall s ized p ieces a nd t hey a re a like i n s tyle a lso. T he g roup f rom R ochereil a re e ngraved a lmost c arelessly w ith a g reat m any r epeating l ines, w ith f igures a ligned o r w ith m ultiple o utlines ( usually o f t he h ead o r l egs) t o s uggest m ultiplication o r m ovement a nd w ith f igures s uperimposed ( Fig. 7 a nd F ig. 1 1). Ag reat m any a dditiona l, l ess m eaningful l ines a ccompany t he f igures. T he e ngraved l ine i s i ncisive a nd s trong, t he l ines a re f luent a nd t he i mpression g iven i s t hat c utting w as r elatively r apid a nd e asy. T he e ngravings a re n ot, t hough a ll t he w ork o f o ne h and: t he a ctual d rawing , w ithin t he o bserved c onventions, s how s ome i ndividuality, f or e xample t he p iece i n P erigeux M useum , w ith a c ervid's h ead i s s tylistically d istinct. ( Pl. 1 3, a ) A n umber o f t he f igures c onvey a s ense o f m ovement, b ut t his i s a chieved m ore b y am ultiplicity o f l egs t han b y t he a ctual d isposition o f a ny o f t hese. O ne c annot s ay t hat t he a nimal f igures a re i n u nusual p ostures, b ut t hey a re n ot e xactly s tatic, e ither. I nterestingly, t he h omogeneity o f s tyle t ht i s c haracteristic o f t he d ecorated s capulae i s n ot r epeated i n t he r est o f t he b onework f rom t his s ite. T his h as a h igh p roportion o f s chematic o r s chematized e ngraving, a s o ne m ight e xpect f rom a l ate M agdalenian s ite, b ut s ome b eautiful n aturalistic p ieces a lso, n otably t wo e xtraordinary b irds' h eads, a f ew v ery d elicately e ngraved h orse h eads, s ome f lowers, s ome f ish a nd a c ow w ith a f orward c urving h orn. T his l ast i s e ngraved w ith f ine s hort i ncisions, i n am anner t hat i s f ound a t T eyjat a nd L a V ache. A s a t R ochereil t he d ecorated s capulae f rom t he A bri M orin s eem t o f orm a g roup t hat i s c omplete i n i tself. I t i s c onsistent i n s tyle a nd ( again a s a t R ochereil) t he m ajority o f p ieces a re e ngraved w ith a n a bundance a nd c omplexity o f l ines d esigned, p erhaps, t o c onfuse a nd c onceal t he f igures a nd, c ertainly, t o c reate a n e ffect o f d uplication ( Pl. 1 3, b F ig. 6a nd F ig. 2 5). H ere a lso t he g roup o f d ecorated s capulae i s d istinct f rom t he r est o f t he b onework w hich i s, s tylisti cally, v ery v aried. A part f rom t he s capulae t here a re s chematic a nd n aturalistic e ngravings, s ome v ery f ine w ork, s ome v ery c oarse a nd d eep c ut, s trings o f h orses a nd h uman ? h eads, b ird b ones d ecorated a ll 1 56

P LATE 1 3

a .

R ochereil; f ragment o f s capula, 1 2.0 x 6 .0 c m , e ngraved, o n t he l eft o f t he p iece

w ith p art o f ad eer's h ead, f acing l eft; e ar, a ntler a nd t he p rofile o f t he n ose r emain. C ollection, M us e d e P erigord.

b .

P erigueux, 9 463, p hoto G S ieveking.

A bri M orin; f ragment o f s capula, 1 8.6 x 6 .2 c m , s how ing a g roup o f h ind l egs o f

r eindeer, s o e ngraved t o i ndicate m ovement? B ordeaux, p hoto G F errari

( see F ig. 6 a lso).

1 57

C ollection, I nst. d e Q uat.

U niversity o f

a round t he s haft a nd t wo e xquisite ( but d issimilar) e ngravings o n b one f ragments, o ne o f a p air o f b ison w ith t heir c alf a nd t he o ther o f t wo r eindeer. O ne c an c ite p arallels t o t he M orin a rt m obilier p ieces f rom L a M adeleine, T eyjat, e ven f rom c ertain P yrenean s ites, i n f act t he c ollection c ontains e xamples o f m ost o f t he s tyles c urrent i n t he l ate M agdalenian. T his i s a c haracteristic t hat i s r epeated a t R ochereil a nd L a V ache, b oth o f w hich s ites h ave, a s h as t he A bri M orin, a s eries o f p laquettes t hat a re u niform i n s tyle, i n c ontrast t o s mall s cale b onework o f g reat v ariety. T he i mplication o f t his i s t hat p laquette c ollections w ere m ade i n s itu a nd w ere n ot s ubject t o t rade o r e xchange, a s, p erhaps, w as m uch o f t he m iniature b onework. T o s uggest t hat a c ollection o f p laquettes o f s tone h as b een m ade a nd r emained i n s itu i s m ore c onvincing, p erhaps, t han t o s uggest i t o f b one, b ut t he o bservation s eems t o a pply t o t he b one p laquette c ollections o f R ochereil a nd t he A bri M orin. P erhaps a c ollection o f s capulae, i f n ot v ery h eavy, w as s till b ulky w hen c omplete, o r p erhaps t he t radition w as o f m ore d etermining i mportance t han t he m aterial. T here r emains F ontales w hich, b ecause i ts c ollections a re o f M agdalenian V a nd V I d ate . ,s hould h ave b een c onsidered b efore t he M agdalenian V I c ollections o f t he D ordogne a nd G ironde: i t i s, h owever, g eographically r emoved f rom t hese a nd m ay b etter b e c onsidered s eparately. T he p laquettes f rom F ontales w ere f ound i n b oth t he M agdalenian Va nd V I l evels b ut, e xcept t hat t he h uman f igures a re c onfined t o M agdalenian V I, t here i s l ittle d ifference a mong t he n aturalistic p ieces: t he o nly o bservation o ne m ay m ake i s t hat t hey d o n ot e xhibit t he r elaxed, l ifelike, o ccasionally i nept, s tyle o f t he M agdalenian V I c ollections i n t he D ordogne ( Limeuil, f or e xample o r L a M adeleine). T hey r etain a d elicacy o f e xecution a nd a c ertain s trictn ess o r s tiffness o f l ine t hat i s c haracteristic o f s ome M agdalenian V c ollections, i n f or e xample, t he P yrenees. W ith t he e xception o f t hree p ebbles t he e ngravings a re c ut o n l imestone b locks, m ost o f w hich a re m oderate o r e ven l arge i n s ize. A lthough t he g round o f t hese i s g enerally w ell u tilized, t he f igures a re m ore o ften m oderate t han l arge ( Fig. 2 7). C ervids a re t he s pecies m ost o ften d epicted, f ollowed b y

F IG. 2 7.

F ontal s ; l imestone b lock, 6 2.0 x 2 3.0 c m , s howing t wo i bex

c onfronting o ne a nother. T oulouse .

C ollection, M us e d 'Histoire N aturelle ,

D rawing a fter D arasse, 1 955.

1 58

h orse a nd c aprids a nd t here i s a n a ppreciable q uantity o f s chematic d ecoration o n p ieces a scribed t o t he " final M agdalenian t ransitional t o A zilian". H ere, h owever, s chematic d ecoration i s n ot a llied t o p ebbles, n or a ssociated w ith u se. U tilized p ebbles a re c ommon i n t he d eposit, b ut a re u ndecorated. S ome o f t he d ecoration a t F ontales i s c omplex a nd t he a ssociations a re e ither n aturalistic, a s w ith t he t wo i bex t hat f ace e ach o ther ( Fig 2 7) o r p erhaps i conographic, a s o n t he b lock w ith t wo s chematized f emale f igures a nd t he h eads o f a b ird a nd a d eer ( Fig. 2 8). T he f emale

F IG. 2 8.

F ontales; l imestone b lock, 3 4.0 x 2 3.4 c m . A mong o ther

a dditional l ines a re t he h ead o f ad eer, a t t op, t wo i ncomplete f emale p rofile f igures, c entre a nd, b elow t hese, t he h ead o f ab ird. C ollection, M us e d 'Histoire N aturelle , T oulouse.

D rawing a fter

D arasse a nd G uffroy, 1 960.

f igures ( there a re p erhaps m ore t han t wo) h ave o bvious p arallels t o L a R oche L alinde ( Pl. 1 0, a ), H ohlenstein, t he G are d e G ouze a nd C ourbet, w hich i s b oth t he n earest s ite g eographically a nd p rovides t he c losest 1 59

p arallel s tylistically. S uch f igures a re c haracteristic o f M agdalenian V I a nd w ere f ound i n t he e arlier s tages o f t his h orizon a t F ontales. F ontales i s u nique i n b eing t he o nly s ite i n t he l ocality o f B runiquel t o h ave b een s ystematically e xcavated a nd i ts s equence o f i ndustries t hrows s ome l ight o n t he l ost s equence o f C ourbet ( Trou d es F orges), w hich, i n a ddition t o t he f emale p rofile f igures h as s ome d ecorated b onework t hat i s c losely c omparable t o c ertain M agdalenian V p ieces f rom F ontales; t he p laquettes f rom M ontastruc, h owever, t hough s ome a re o f l ate M agdalenian d ate, s how n o s uch s tylistic s imilarity. C artailhac ( 1903) p ointed o ut t hat t he o ccupation o f t he A bris d u C hateau a t B runiquel w as n ot s imultaneous, a nd t hat i n t hese s helters t he d eposits a re n ot c ontemporary; i ndeed e ven C ourbet a nd t he m ore d istant F ontales a ppear e ach t o h ave h ad t heir r elative p osition i n t he h istory o f t he r egion. H aving s ummarized t he n umerically l argest c ollections i n S outh-West F rance t here r emain a n umber o f s ites w ith f ewer p laquettes w hich h ave n evertheless a p articular i mportance. A s n oted a bove, t here a re t wo l arge g roups o f e ngraved s capulae o f l ate M agdalenian d ate f rom R ochereil a nd t he A bri M orin a nd s capulae a re, i n f act, a q uite c ommon f orm o f s upport t hat o ccurs i n a n umber o f c ollections, o f a ll p eriods. O n o ccasion t hey r eceive t he m ost e legant a nd e laborate d ecoration a nd t he s eries f rom M ontgaudier i s o f c onsiderable i nterest. E xcept f or o ne d rawing t hese a re u npublished, a nd u ntil r ecently t hey h ave b een u navailable f or s tudy. T here a re s even f ragments i n t his g roup, f ive o f w hich s how t he v ery c omplex o verengraving t hat i s o ften f ound o n t his f orm o f s upport, a nd t wo o f w hich a re e ngraved m ore s imply. T hese l ast h ave s ome s upposed? h uman f igures a nd a s tag's h ead, w ith v ery f ine a ntlers. W ith t he e xception o f o ne f ragment w ith a f urther s tag's h ead, f lanked b y a s eries o f h orse h eads, a ll d rawn i n t he s ame p lane a nd f acing i n t he s ame d irection, t he o verengraved p ieces a re d ifficult t o d ecipher. T he l argest f ragment h as o ne ( or t wo a ligned) c omplete h orses o n t he o bverse s urface, o ther i ndecipherable f igures o n t he r everse, a nd t he r emaining p ieces h ave d ecoration t hat i s a pparently n aturalistic. T he M ontgaudier s capulae a re d escribed a s h aving b een f ound i n a ' niche' w ithout a ny a ccompanying a rtefacts; s tylistically t he f igures c ould b e a ttributed t o M agdalenian I V o r V . A s s tated i n t he i ntroduction, a n a nalysis o f M urat w as n ot m ade i n t ime f or t he c omputer p rogramme, b ut t he m aterial d eserves d escription. T wenty-two p ieces a re i ndexed i n t his s urvey f rom p ublished i llustrations; L emozi l ists f ifty-seven, b ut d oes n ot i llustrate a ll o f t hese, a lthough h e h as p ublished t he b est. A mongst t he p ieces c atalogued t o d ate c ervids a re t he a nimals m ost c ommonly d epicted, f ollowed b y h orses a nd c aprids. T here i s o ne h uman p rofile f igure a nd a lso, I n L emozi's i dentification, t wo b ison, a b ovid, a f eline , a w ild b oar a nd a nother p ossible h uman. T his i s a f airly v aried i nventory, c haracteristic o f t he l ate M agdalenian a nd t he n umber o f f igures s hown i n a n u nusual p osture i s a lso c haracteristic o f t his s tage. O ne d eer i s s hown w ith i ts h ead t urned b ackwards a nd t here a re f igures w ith h eads r aised, l owered, t rotting, w alking e tc. T he s ingle p hotographed p iece s hows a l ightly e ngraved, f luent s tyle, r eminiscent o f F ontales. A s s tated a bove, L a M arche i s a s tylistically i ndividual c ollection, a lthough, p erhaps, n ot u nique. T he n earby s ite a t A ngles-sur-l'Anglin h as m any s imilarities t o L a M arche, f or e xample i n t he i ndustrial a ssemblages o f M agdalenian I II d ate a nd t he h uman p ortraits : P rofessor 1 60

G arrod ( 1950) r emarked t hat A ngles a lso h ad a g reat m any p laquettes. T hese h ave n ot y et b een p ublished b ut i f t he f ragments o n d isplay i n t he M usee d es A ntiquite s N ationales a t S t G ermain a re r epresentative o f t he g roup i t m ay b e r emarkable f or, i n a ddition t o t heir c omplexity a nd q uality, t hey a re e xceptionally w ell p reserved. L a M arche i s i ndividual i n a nother r espect a lso, t hat i s i n t he s ize o f t he s tone s upports u sed. A s c an b e s een i n T able 3 ( Dimensions o f o bjects, i n e ach r egion a ccording t o d ate) t here a re s ixty f our p laquettes i n S outh-West F rance t hat a re o ver 3 0 c ms i n m aximum d imension ( the p laquettes i ndexed t o d ate f or L a M arche a ccount f or t wenty-six o f t he t hirty-three p ieces o f S olutrean o r E arly M agdalenian d ate) w hereas t he P yrenees h as f ive, t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain n one, a nd t he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria t wo o nly. T he t otal n umber o f l arge p ieces i n S outh-West F rance . c ould h ave b een h igher f or ) i n a n umber o f i nstances lI r ejected b locks a s b eing t oo l arge t o c lassify a s p laquettes. I n p ractice t he d istinction b etween p laquettes a nd b locks s et u p i n a s ite t o f orm a m ural f rieze i s d ifficult t o d etermine. P ales m akes n o d iscrimination a gainst s ize a t L a M arche a nd a n umber o f p ieces f rom L augerie H aute t hat h ave b een i ncluded i n t his s urvey a re a lso v ery l arge ( they r ange f rom 3 8 t o 5 5 c ms i n m aximum d imension). H ere, a s a t L a M arche, t hey f orm p art o f a g roup t hat i s g enerally o f s mall d imensions a nd s o w ere i ncluded. A t L a F errassie, o r L aussel, l ittle p ieces a re l acking a nd I r egard t hese c ollections a s m ural i n c haracter. T he d ivision i s a rbitrary, t hough a nd p erhaps s hould n ot b e m ade. I f L e R oc, o r L aussel i s a " sanctuary" f ormed b y b locks s et u p i n a s emi-circle, t his i s p robably t he e xplanation f or L augerie H aute a s w ell a nd c ould a pply t o L a M arche o r a ny o ther c ollection o f l arge s ized p laquettes. H owever, o ne c an m ake a t echnical d ifferentiation a s w ell a s o ne f or s ize. P laquettes, w ith v ery r are e xceptions, a re d ecorated b y e ngraving w hile m ural b lock s anctuaries a re g enerally c ut i n l ow r elief ( Laugerie H aute s hows a c ombination o f t echniques, a nd s o d o a f ew p ieces f rom L a M arche). I n t he e arlier p eriods, a s a t L aussel, s culpted b locks a re a ccompanied b y d eeply e ngraved o nes b ut w ith t ime, s culpture d ominates, a s a t L e R oc. T he n ext s tage a ppears t o b e m ural s culpture p roper, i n w hich t he l ow r eliefs a re c ut u pon t he w all, a s a t A ngles, L a C haire ä C alvin a nd C ap B lanc. L ow r elief s culpture i s v irtually c onfined t o S outh-West F rance ( Isturitz a nd t he c lay m odels o f t he C entral P yrenees b eing t he o nly e xceptions t o t his d istribution) a nd t he g radation i n b lock s ize b etween p laquette c ollections a nd m ural s anctuaries i n t his r egion i s a c orollary o f t his. I t p rovides, h owever, a c lear r egional v ariant i n t he c haracter o f p laquettes. I n a ll o ther a reas p laquettes a re c onsistently s mall, b ut i n S outh-West F rance t heir s ize r ange i s c onsiderable. I n c onclusion, t he p rincipal r egional f eatures t hat e merge f rom a s urvey o f p laquette c ollections i n t his g eographical g roup ( South-West F rance) a re t he o ccurrence o f a n u nprecedented n umber o f s ites, t he e xistence o f a l ocal s tyle i n t he L ate M agdalenian, p reference f or n aturalistic o ver s chematic d ecoration, e ven a t a l ate d ate, a nd a s ize d ifference i n t he s upports c hosen. T his r egion h as a r ecognizable i dentity i n i ts p laquette c ollections a lthough i nterestingly, t his i s, i n s ome r espects, m ore o bvious i n t he r elationship b etween p laquettes a nd m ural a rt f orms t han i n p laquettes a s a n i ndependent g roup.

1 61

f o ix t arascon

M AP 3 S ites w ith e ngraved p laquettes i n t he P yrenees

1

H areguy

1 3

M arsoulas

2

E spalungue

1 4

T ourasse

3 S aint M ichel, A rudy

1 5

E nlene

4

1 6

T rois F reres

5 M alarode

1 7

T uc d 'Audoubert

6

L ourdes

1 8

M as

7

A urensan

1 9

M assat

8 L abastide

2 0

P ortel

9

L orthet

2 1

L abouiche

1 0

G argas

2 2

B edeilhac

1

G ourdan

2 3

L a V ache

1 2

L espugue

2 4

G azel

P oeymau

1 62

C HAPTER 7

P LAQUETTE C OLLECTIONS I N T HE P YRENEES ( 24 s ites,

5 15 p laquettes, L ist o f s ites, p .136, M ap 3 )

T he P yrenees i s, p roportionally, t he r egion r ichest i n p laquettes. T he t wenty-four s ites l isted h ere h ave 5 15 p laquettes b etween t hem a nd n ine o f t hese s ites h ave i mportant c ollections. S outh-West F rance h as a g reater n umber o f p laquettes ( 680) b ut ( with 5 8 s ites) d oes n ot s how s uch ah igh i ncidence o f p laquettes p er s ite. 5 15 i s, i n f act, a p rovisional n umber f or t he P yrenees, f or b oth L abastide a nd t he E nlene g roup h ave m any p laquettes t hat h ave n ot b een i ncluded i n t his c omputer p rogramme. I h ave n ot m ade a n a nalysis f or e ither o f t hese c ollections; i n t he c ase o f L abastide ( as s tated i n t he i ntroduction), t wenty-three o f t he t hirty-seven c ards c atalogued t o d ate a re i ncomplete a nd a n a dditional t hirty p ieces w ere d rawn a fter t he c ompletion o f t he p resent c omputer p rogramme. W ith r egard t o t he V olp c aves, w here t he l argest c ollection c omes f rom E nlene, t he e xcavators a nd o wner a re i n p rocess o f p ublishing t he m aterial a nd t herefore i t i s n ot a t p resent a vailable f or s tudy. H owever, t he f inal f igure f or L abastide w ill e xceed s ixty p ieces a nd t hat f or E nlene w ill p robably c omprise m ore t han o ne h undred a nd t wenty-five w hich w ill r aise t he P yrenean t otal t o 6 57, p roducing a s ituation i n w hich t he P yrenees h as a lmost a s m any p laquettes a s e xist i n S outh-West F rance, c oncentrated i n l ess t han h alf t he n umber o f s ites. I sturitz i s c lassified i n t he c omputer s urvey w ith t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain ( for r easons g iven b elow), b ut o n g rounds o f s tyle a nd c hronology i t c ould h ave b een i ncluded i n t he P yrenean g roup. I ts c losest a ffinities a re t o t he C entral P yrenean s ites, i n p articular t o B edeilhac, a lthough, g eographically, i t l ies o utside t his r egion. I t i s a s ite w ith a v ery l arge n umber o f c lassic a nd l ate M agdalenian p laquettes a nd i ts c haracter a nd p osition p eripheral t o t he P yrenees e ndorses t he r ichness o f t he p laquette c ollections h ere. T he i mportant c ollections f rom T arn a nd T arn-et-Garonne h owever, d o n ot s tand i n t he s ame r elationship t o t he P yrenees a s d oes I sturitz. T hey s hould b e r egarded a s i ndividual, o r t ransitional b etween P yrenees a nd P erigord, r ather t han p eripheral t o t he P yrenees. A s s tated a bove, t he r egional g roupings u sed i n t his s urvey a re d esigned a s a f ramework i n a s ituation w here t here i s n ot e nough d ata f or f iner d ivisions. T he f our g roups u sed a re n umerically l arge e nough t o s how d ifferentiation w hich w ould p robably n ot h ave e merged i f t he m aterial h ad b een d ivided i nto s maller u nits. O ne c an s uggest t hat t he c oncentration o f p laquettes i n t he P yrenees i s d ue t o c hronological w eighting s ince t he m ajority o f t hese c ollections a re d ated t o t he L ate M agdalenian ( Magdalenian I V, V a nd V I) a nd t his i s t he p eriod r ichest i n a ll f orms o f m iniature a rt. T o a c ertain e xtent t his i s t rue, b ut i t i s n ot a n a dequate e xplanation. P laquettes a re a f ashion o f c lassical a nd l ate M agdalenian s tages i n t his r egion b ut i n S outh-West F rance t he b iggest c ollections o f p laquettes a re r espectively o f M agdalenian I II a nd V I d ate ( La M arche a nd L imeuil, L a 1 63

M adeleine e tc). T here i s n o r eason w hy S outh-West F rance s hould n ot h ave h ad l arge M agdalenian I V p laquette c ollections s ince t he i ndustrial s tage i s w ell r epresented i n t he r egion ( Sonneville-Bordes 1 960) a nd a n umber o f c ollections e xist, b ut t he f ashion f or p laquettes s eems n ot t o h ave t aken a s s trong a h old i n t his a rea a t t his t ime a s i t d id i n t he P yrenees. T he o verall p attern f or p laquettes, i n d istribution a nd d ate, i s s imilar t o t hat f or c ave a rt; s ome o f t he f inest c lassical ( Magdalenian I V) w ork i s t o b e f ound i n t he P yrenees w hile P erigord h as t he l ongest a nd m ost r epresentative r ecord. T his r epetition c an b e t aken t o e ndorse t he v alidity o f t he o bservations m ade a bout p laquettes. I f b oth g roups s how a s imilar s equence, i t s uggests t hat t he r ecord, e ven i f i ncomplete, i s n ot i naccurate. T here a re s mall c ollections o f e arly d ate i n t he P yrenees, f rom G argas i n H autes P yrenees a nd H areguy i n B asses P yrenees. G argas h as t hree p laquettes o f U pper P erigordian d ate a nd H areguy o ne o f S olutrean. T here i s l ittle e vidence o f e arly M agdalenian s ettlement i n t his r egion, t hat i s i n t he C entral P yrenees ( Meroc 1 953, 1 957, C lottes 1 976) a nd i t h as b een s uggested t hat t he v alleys i n t he l imestone f ringe o f t he P yrenees w ere n ot a ccessible t o g razing a nimals ( or m an) u ntil t he g laciers h ad r etreated s ubstantially: ( in t he P yrenees t he g lacial m axima o f t he W urm a re n ot m arked b y a dvances a nd r etreats, b ut b y d iscontinous s tages o f r etreat; A limen, 1 967). T he a rchaeological r ecord s hows v ery s parse e vidence f or M agdalenian I II ( it i s c laimed f or M arsoulas) b ut c onsiderable c olonization i n M agdalenian I V, c ontinuing t o V a nd V I. A d ivision m ay b e m ade b etween M agdalenian I V a nd V , w hich a re a lmost a lways f ound i n a c ontinuous s equence, a nd V I ( Clottes 1 976). T here a re t hree l ate ( Magdalenian V I) s ingle p eriod s ites w ith p laquettes, T ourasse i n H aute G aronne, M assat a nd L a V ache i n A riege, o therwise a ll t he c ollections b elong t o t he t ime r ange o f M agdalenian I V , Va nd V I. I t i s d ifficult t o d etermine t he e xact c hronological c ontext o f m aterial f rom o ld e xcavations a nd, i n t his r egion, d ifficult t o d istinguish M agdalenian I V c ollections f rom V ( if i ndeed, t hey s hould b e s o d ivided) w hen b oth t hese s tages a re a lmost a lways p resent i n a s ite. O ne m ay a ccept, t hough, t hat t he r emaining n ineteen s ites i n t he P yrenees h ave c ollections o f c lassical a nd o ften a lso o f l ate M agdalenian d ate. G azel i n A ude, L abouiche a nd L e P ortel i n A riege h ave s mall c ollections a ttributed t o M agdalenian I V o nly. I t i s i nteresting t hat b oth P ortel a nd L abouiche h ave f igures m arked w ith a rrows, t his b eing a t rait t hat, a s L eroi-Gourhan h as p ointed o ut, i s c haracteristic o f t his p eriod a nd r egion. T his c omparatively r are f eature r ecurs i n t he l arger c ollections f rom t he V olp c aves ; L abastide, B edeilhac a nd M as d 'Azil, a ll s ites w hich h ave p laquettes t hat a re s tylistically t ypical o f t his s tage a lthough, p erhaps ii t i s n ot t he o nly s tage r epresented. O ne c annot b uild a p attern o f r elationships b etween t he P yrenean p laquette s ites b ased o n c hronology, b ecause t he s tratigraphy o f t he s ites h as n ot b een r ecorded w ith e nough a ccuracy, b ut o ne c an, p erhaps, c onstruct a p attern o f r elationships b ased o n c haracteristics a nd s tyle. T his c an o nly b e d one w ith l arge c ollections; i n t he C entral P yrenees t here a re e ight s uch, a ll o f w hich c ontain a M agdalenian I V l evel, d istinguished b y t hree d imensional b one a nd a ntler w ork, a nd a M agdalenian V i n w hich t he t hree d imensional c arving i s r eplaced b y e laborate e ngraved d ecoration. A ll b ut t wo o f t hese s eries, t hat i s t he E nlene g roup a nd L abastide, a pparently h ave a M agdalenian V I l evel a lso. T he r ecognition o f t hese s tages d epends i n a n umber o f i nstances 1 64

o n P iette 's i nterpretations o f h is w orkers' f inds, o n c omparative c lassification w ith t hese a nd o n t ype f ossils s uch a s s ingle a nd d ouble b arbed h arpoons. I n s ome s ites , s uch a s B edeilhac o r L ourdes, t here i s n o k nown c onnection b etween t he c ollections o f p laquettes a nd t he p resumed i ndustrial s equence, t hough i n P iette's e xcavations t hese h ave g enerally b een c onsigned t o ar ecognizable l evel. D etailed a nalyses h ave b een m ade f or s ix o f t hese e ight s ites, t hat i s f or B edeilhac, E spalungue, G ourdan , L orthet, L ourdes a nd M as d 'Azil; t he E nlene g roup a nd L abastide a re d iscussed b ecause t heir s tylistic a ffinities a re i mportant a nd t he s eventh s ite a nalysed i n t he P yrenees i s L a V ache w ith a c ollection d ated t o M agdalenian V I. I t s eems a ppropriate t o g ive a s hort d escription o f t hese s even s ites b efore d iscussing t he r elationships b etween t hem a nd, a s i n t his r egion ag eographical a pproach i s m ore a pplicable t han a c hronological, t he f our s ites i n H autes P yrenees a nd H aute G aronne a re d escribed b efore t he t hree i n A riege. G ourdan , i n H aute G aronne, h as a v ery l arge c ollection o f p laquettes, 1 45 i n a ll; 2 6 o f t hese a re c omplete b ut n evertheless o nly 2 7 p ieces i n t he e ntire c ollection a re o ver 1 0 c ms i n m aximum d imension . S chist i s t he s upport m aterial m ost u sed a nd p ebbles a re c ommon. T here a re 4 1 p ebbles a nd a mongst t hese m ay b e f ound a ll b ut o ne o f t he c omplete p ieces, t he m ajority o f p ieces d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces, a ll t he s urfaces s howing u se a nd t wo t hirds o f t he s urfaces w ith s chematic d ecoration . S chematic d ecoration i s r elatively i mportant a t G ourdan, t here a re 3 1 s urfaces s o d ecorated a nd t he m otifs a re v aried a nd c omplex ( Fig. 2 9, F ig . 8 , aa nd b ). N ine o f t he 1 5 p ebble s urfaces

F IG. 2 9.

G ourdan; f ragment o f s chist, 1 3.0 x 1.5 c m , e ngraved w ith

l ightly d rawn b arbed l ines, o r p arallel l ines w ith a ccompanying c hevrons.

C ollec tion , M usee d es A ntiquites N ationales, 4 7 185.

D rawing a fter B reuil, i n P iette, 1 907.

1 65

s howing u se a s c ompressors h ave s chematic d ecoration. A part f rom t he s urfaces w ith r ecognizable s chematic m otigs t here a re a g reat m any w ith l ess l egible d ecoration ( Pl. 8 a , ba nd c ); i n f act o nly 3 8% o f t he p laquette s urfaces a t G ourdan h ave r ecognizable n aturalistic d ecoration a nd o ne m any e mphasize t hat n aturalistic d ecoration d oes n ot h ave t o b e a r ecognizable a nimal b ut s imply a l eg, l ine o f b ack, e tc. T here a re o nly 6 c omplete a nimal f igures a nd f ifteen s urfaces w ith s uperi mpositions i n a t otal o f 1 79 d ecorated s urfaces. A mongst t he n aturali stic f igures, h orse i s t he s pecies m ost o ften d epicted, f ollowed b y d eer a nd c aprids. L ess l egible d ecoration i s a c haracteristic o f s chist a nd a llied s tone s urfaces, r ather t han o f p ebbles a nd o ne m ight t herefore s uggest t hat i t c an b e e xplained b y t he f act t hat s o m any p ieces a re s mall f ragments, e xcept t hat o ne m ay a lso o bserve, f irstly, t hat e ighty-nine o f t hese f ragmentary p ieces a re c lassified a s h aving t he g round w ell u tilized a nd o nly n ine a s h aving t he s urface a rea i ncompletely f illed a nd, s econdly, t hat a lthough t he m aterial s upport a ppears a s a f ragment, t he d ecoration i s n ot a lways s o; f or e xample a p iece o f s andstone, b roken a round t he e dges, m ay h ave a w ell p ositioned h ead e ngraved o n i t a nd t his s ituation o ccurs r ather m ore o ften t han r andom b reakage c an a ccount f or. T he m aterial a t G ourdan c omes f rom a s eries o f s helters a nd t he p laquettes m ay h ave c ome f rom o ne o r a n umber o f l ocations, n everthel ess t he s tyle o f e ngraving o n t he s chist a nd s andstone p ieces i s f airly u niform , b ut a lthough o ne c an a ccept t hem a s o ne s tylistic s chool o ne c annot g roup t hem a s t he w ork o f o ne h and. T here i s, f or e xample, o ne s chist p laquette w ith o utstandingly b eautiful d ecoration ( Pl. 1 4 a nd F ig. 3 0 , a a nd b ). T he h eads o f a h orse, o r a ss ( or p erhaps a nother h orse) a nd a c hamois a re s uperimposed o n i t, a ll f acing r ight, a nd a bove t he h ead o f t he f irst h orse i s a s chematic m otif, a f lower p erhaps? o r a k not, o r a s chematized a nimal, d rawn f ull f ace? T his p iece i s a p erfect e xample o f t he P alaeolithic a rtist's s upport o f t he s entiment t hat t o t he b est s hall m ore, o r a ll, b e g iven. T he e ngraving i s b eautifully c ut, s haded a nd d etailed a nd t he s uperi mpositions a re a ccumulated w ith c onsiderable c omplexity b ut c ontrive n ot t o d eface e ach o ther; t here i s a s chematic s ign i n a ddition t o t he a nimal h eads a nd t here i s f urther d ecoration ( a b ear's h ead a nd s houlders) o n t he r everse o f t he p iece ( Fig. 3 0, a a nd b ). S uch l avish d ecoration i s a n i nteresting p henomenon a nd a lthough t his p iece i s t he o nly g ood e xample f rom G ourdan, t he p ractice i s n ot u nique. O ther s ites a lso h ave o ne, o r a v ery f ew p ieces, w hich i n q uality a nd c omplexity a re q uite d istinct f rom t he r emainder o f p laquettes i n t he s ite. T he o bservation t hat t he p laquette c ollection i s t he w ork o f a s chool r ather t han o f a s ingle a rtist a pplies e qually t o t he d ecoration o f p ebbles a t G ourdan. M any o f t he n aturalistically d ecorated p ebbles a re s tylistically r eminiscent o f M as d 'Azil b ut i t i s d ifficult t o d eterm ine h ow m uch s ignificance s uch a pparent c ultural c onvergences m ay h ave. O ne p roblem i s t hat o ne c annot e stimate h ow f ar t he n ature o f t he s upport h as d ictated t he s tyle u sed t o d ecorate i t. P ebbles o ffer a l imited, h ard a nd o ften s mooth g round a nd t his m ay h ave d etermined, o r s uggested t he s tyle o f d ecoration , o r c onvention m ay h ave d one t he s ame. T here a re a g reat m any t ools i n r eindeer a ntler a nd b one a t G ourdan b ut t he a vailability o f t hese m aterials d oes n ot s eem t o h ave i nfluenced 1 66

t he c hoice o f p laquette s upport. T here a re n ot, f or e xample, a s a t L augerie B asse, a s eries o f d ecorated p almates a nd t here i s o nly o ne s capula f ragment. W hen t ools i n t hese m aterials s urvive, t he s election c annot b e d ue t o p reservation a nd o ne m ay a ssume t hat s chist a nd p ebbles w ere h ere p referred a s p laquette s upports.

a

b

F IG . 3 0 .

G ourdan ; s chist p laquette, 9 .0 x 8 .5 c m , e ngraved o n t he

o bverse s urface, a , w ith t he s uperimposed h eads o f ah orse , a t r ight, w ith a n u pstanding m ane , t he h ead o f a nother h orse, o r a n a ss, i n t he c entre, a nd a c hamois .

T he r everse s urface, b , s hows a b ear w ith a

z ig-zag l ine e ngraved o n i ts c heek a nd s houlder. d es A ntiquites N ationales, 4 7265. 1 907 .

C ollection , M us e

D rawing a fter B reuil, i n P iette ,

( See P late 1 4, a , a lso).

L orthet, H autes P yrenees, h as a rt m obilier p ieces a nd a rtifacts c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V, V a nd V I. T he p resence o f a g reat m any d ouble b arbed h arpoons h ere i nspired t he n ame " Lorthetian" a nd i n a ll p robability t he p laquettes m ay b e a scribed t o M agdalenian V a nd V I. S chist i s t he m ost c ommon s upport m aterial, c omplete p ieces a re r are, m ost p ieces a re s mall, a s a t G ourdan; 4 o f t he 8 p ebbles s how s chematic d ecoration a nd t races o f u se a re c onfined t o p ebble s urfaces. T he p ebbles s how a h igher i ncidence o f s chematic d ecoration b ut i t o ccurs o n s chist s urfaces a lso. T he p roportion o f l ess l egibly d ecorated s urfaces i s n ot s o n otable a s a t G ourdan ( naturalistic d ecoration i s h ere f ound o n 5 4% o f t he s urface t otal) b ut i s s till o f u nusual 1 67

F IG. 3 1.

L orthet; s chist p laquette , 8 .7 x 7 .6 c m , e ngraved w ith

i ndecipherable m otifs c omposed o f d ouble l ines o f d ashes, a t echnique t hat o ccurs a gain a t t his s ite a nd a t I sturitz.

C ollection, M us e

d es A ntiquites N ationales, 4 8267.

F IG. 3 2.

L orthet ; m udstone b lock, 1 9.0 x 9 .3 c m. T he

e ngraving , w hich i s f aint a nd d ifficult t o d ecipher, s hows an umber o f s chematized a nimal f igures , i n t he j okey o r c aricatured s tyle o ften u sed o n t his t ype o f s urface. C ollection, M usee d es A ntiquites N ationales, 4 8403.

1 68

i mportance ( see p . 1 17) . A s a t G ourdan, h orse i s t he m ost i mportant s pecies i n n aturalistic d ecoration, f ollowed b y d eer. I n g eneral t he e ngraving o n s andstone a nd s chist s urfaces i s f luent, c urvilinear, a nd f airly s imple, w ith l ittle t echnical v ariety a nd l ittle t hat i s u nusual i n d epiction o r c ontent, e xcept f or t he u se o f a d ouble l ine c omposed o f d ashes, w hich i s a n i nnovation p eculiar t o t his s ite a nd t o I sturitz ( Fig. 3 1). T he s ingle m udstone p iece ( Fig. 3 2) w ould a ppear, f rom t he s tyle o f t he e ngraving, t o b elong t o t he c ategory o f " jokey" d rawings, s uch a s e xist a t G ourdan a nd I sturitz a lso, o ften f ound o n t his t ype o f s tone. I n t he f orm o f s upport u sed, i n t he s ize o f t he p ieces, t heir s tyle a nd c ontent, t he p laquettes f rom L orthet a re v ery s imilar t o t hose f rom G ourdan; t hey a re p robably s imilar i n d ate a lso a nd t he s ite i s n ot d istant g eographically. L orthet i s o n t he N este r iver a nd l ies w est o f G ourdan, w hich o verlooks . t he G aronne a t a p oint a f ew k ilometres a bove i ts c onfluence w ith t he N este. T he G rotte d 'Espalungue, a lso i n H autes P yrenees, h as a f ar s maller c ollection t han L orthet o r G ourdan. T he p laquettes a re a scribed v ariously t o M agdalenian I V, t o " Magdalenian s uperieur" o r h ave n o k nown s tratigraphical c ontext. T he p ebble f ound r ecently o n t he s urface o f t his s helter ( Marsan 1 980) a nd a ttributed t o M agdalenian I V i s t he b est n aturalistic p iece f rom E spalungue, c omparable t o e ngravings a t I sturitz i e xcept i n t he s hading o f t he h ead,which e xhibits t he m usculature l ines t hat p rompted P iette, a nd o thers, t o t alk o f d omestication a nd b ridles ( Fig. 3). T his f ormalized s hading i s 3

F IG. 3 3.

E spalungue, A rudy;

p ebble, 9 .9 x 8 .0 c m , s howing, a mongst

a dditional l ines, t he f igure o f ah orse, f acing r ight, w ith s tylized m usculature m arkings o n i ts h ead.

S uch p atterning w as, a t o ne t ime,

i nterpreted a s e vidence o f d omestication a nd t he u se o f b ridles. P rivate c ollection.

D rawing a fter L aurent, R aynal a nd R oussot,

1 977.

c haracteristic o f t he A rudy s ites; t here i s a b one f ragment w ith t he h orse h ead s haded i n t his m anner f om E spalungue i tself a nd a nother f rom S t M ichel d 'Arudy n earby, t hough t he f ashion i s n ot l imited t o t hese s ites. I t o ccurs a gain a t M as d 'Azil f or e xample, a nd a t L augerie 1 69

B asse, o n t he r everse o f t he"Femme a u R enne"plaquette. M ost o f t he p ieces f rom E spalungue a re i ndecipherable f ragments, o f n o p articular d ecorative m erit, b ut t he e ngraving i s f luent. T here i s a s ingle p laquette, e ngraved w ith a b ird, f rom S t M ichel d 'Arudy, b ut a part f rom t his p iece t here i s n o o ther c ollection o f p laquettes f rom t he A rudy b asin, e xcept t he s mall c ollection f rom E spalungue i tself. T here a re a n umber o f M agdalenian s ites h ere b ut, i nterestingly, o nly o ne e xample o f m ural a rt; w hether d ecorated c aves a nd p laquettes h ave e scaped d iscovery, o r w ere n ot f ashionable h ere, o ne c annot, a t p resent, d etermine. T he s helter o f l es E spelugues a t L ourdes ( Hautes P yrenees) h ad d eposits o f M agdalenian I V, V a nd V I, b ut t he s tratigraphy o f t he e arly e xcavations i s u nrecorded. I n a ddition t here a re a n umber o f f akes, w hich h ave b een o mitted f rom t he p resent c atalogue. O ne o f t he s uspect p ieces d ecorated w ith a " dog" h ead o n o ne s urface a nd a g rotesque m an w ith a p rominent p enis o n t he o ther i s, i n f act, m ade o n a c ompressor a nd i t s eems l ikely t hat u ndecorated p ebbles f rom t he a rchaeological l evels, e ven ac ompressor a mongst t hem , w ere, a t t he t ime o f t he e xcavations, " improved" b y m odern e ngraving. T he i ncised l ine o n t hese s uspect p ieces h owever, i s b oth d eep a nd b road, s uggesting t he u se o f a m etal t ool a nd i s u nlike t he f ine, V s ectioned l ine o f t he p alaeolithic e xamples. I t i s d ifficult t o e stablish, b eyond d oubt, t he a uthenti city, o r n ot, o f e ngraved s tone p ieces; a n umber o f t he p ieces f rom L ourdes h ave b een p ublished a nd s o, p resumably, w ere a cceptable t o t he a uthors i n q uestion ( eg P iette). I n t he a bsence o f a s cientific m ethod f or r ecognizing f akes t hey r emain a p roblem . T he a uthentic p ieces f rom L ourdes f orm a v ery i ndividual s mall c ollecti on. A l arge n umber o f p ieces a re c omplete, t hat i s a l arge n umber c onsidering h ow f ew o f t hese a re p ebbles ( 3 o ut o f 8 ) a nd t he d ecoration i s g enerally c omplex a nd r ich. T wenty-five s urfaces h ave n aturalistic d ecoration, o nly f our h ave s chematic; t welve o f t he n aturalistically d ecorated s urfaces h ave c omplete f igures, t en h ave s uperimposed f igures a nd s even h ave f igures i nverted. F our s urfaces s how m ore t han o ne a nimal o f t he s ame s pecies a nd n ine s how d ifferent a nimals. H orse i s t he s pecies m ost r epresented, f ollowed b y d eer a nd t he a nimal i nventory i s v aried w ith b irds, b ison, o xen, c aprids, b ear, r hinoceros, w olf a nd m an a ll r epresented. T he s ize r atio o f t he p ieces i s a lso o f i nterest, b ecause s o f ew a re u nder 1 0 c ms ( 6 p ieces u nder 1 0 c ms, 1 7 i n t he 1 0 -30 c ms c ategory). A n umber o f t he p ieces a re o f a v ery h igh q uality, b ut t he g roup i s n ot h omogenous i n s tyle. A c ollection o f h igh q uality, o ften c omplete ,pieces o f u niform a nd f airly l arge s ize i s n ot u nparalleled, i t e xists a t B runiquel f or e xample, a nd i t m ay r epresent t he o riginal i ncidence o f s uch p ieces a t a p articular s ite, b ut i t m ay s imply, a nd h ere m ore p robably, b e t he r esult o f s elective m odern c ollecting. A t L ourdes, w here t he c ollection i s c omposed o f s chist, s andstone a nd l imestone p ieces, r ather t hen p ebbles, t here i s a s urprising l ack o f s mall f ragmentary p ieces a nd a v ery c onsiderable v ariety i n s tyle. T he c ollection a ppears t o b e t he c ream o f v arious l evels a nd l ocations, m ade b y w orkmen w ho k ept o nly t he b est p ieces a nd i t i s r elevant t hat t his i s n ot o ne o f P iette's e xcavations. R ecently t hree C .14 d ates w ere o btained f rom r esidual f ragments o f t he d eposit; ( Clot, O mnes 1 979, O mnes e t a l 1 980) t hese c over a t ime r ange f rom M agdalenian I V t o t he A zilian, a s t he o bjects r ecovered w ould s uggest.

1 70

a

P LATE 1 4

a .

G ourdan; s chist p laquette, 9 .0 x 8 .5 c m.

E ngraved w ith t hree s uperimposed h eads,

ac hamois a nd a h orse ( or a n a ss?) i n t he c entre a nd a nother h orse o n t he r ight. C ollection, M usee d es A ntiquites N ationales, 4 7265, p hoto, M .A.N.

( for a n e xplanatory

d rawing, s ee F ig. 3 0.).

b .

L ourdes, l es E spelugues; l imestone p laquette, 1 2.1

r eindeer f ollowed b y a nother t hat i s s maller.

x5 .1

c m, s howing o ne

B ecause o f t he d ifference i n s ize

t hese t wo f igures a re o ften d escribed a s f emale a nd c alf, b ut t he d eep t hroat r uff o f t he l eading f igure s uggests a m ale, a nd t he l ess d eveloped r uff o f t he s econd, a f emale.

C ollection, M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales, 5 5326, p hoto, M .A.N.

1 71

I t w ould b e u nwise t o r egard t he L ourdes c ollection a s e ither a h omogenous g roup, o r a s tratigraphical u nit, b ut t here a re a n umber o f v ery b eautiful p ieces i n i t t hat c an e ach b e s tudied a s a n i ndividual f ield o f i nformation, f or e xample t he t wo p ieces t hat s how a p air o f r eindeer, o ne o f w hich i s i llustrated h ere ( Pl. 1 4, b ) o r t he p ebble d ecorated o n b oth s urfaces w ith g roups o f a nimals i n m ovement ( Fig. 3 4 a a nd b ). T he o bverse s urface o f t his p iece s hows a h orse a nd t wo, o r

F IG. 3 4.

L ourdes, L es E spelugues, p ebble, 1 2.7 x 5 .2 c m.

T he

o bverse s urface, a , i s e ngraved w ith a n i bex, s uperimposed o n a h orse a nd t hree, o r m ore, o ther h eads o f a nimals m oving t o t he l eft. T he r everse s urface , b , i s e ngraved w ith a n early c omplete h orse a nd t hree c ervids, a ll h urrying t o t he r ight w ith, i n t he i nverse p lane, t he h ead a nd f orequarters o f a nother c ervid.

C ollection,

M usee d es A ntiquites N ationales, 5 5324.

m ore, i bex, t he r everse a nother h orse w ith f our c ervids, ( probably r eindeer). I n a ny a ttempt t o e stablish s ome s ignificance, o r r ecognizable p attern i n t he a ssociation o f a nimal s pecies o n p laquette s urfaces, o r o n r elated s urfaces, ( that i s o n t he o bverse a nd r everse s urfaces o f a s ingle p iece) t his p ebble f rom L ourdes w ould b e f undamental t o t he s tudy. A s h as b een s tated a bove, ( Table 1 7) t he v ariety o f p airings ( or a ssociations) o n p laquette s urfaces d oes n ot r epeat t he b ias f ound i n c aves. A t L ourdes, f or e xample, h orse i s f ound w ith r eindeer, w ith w olf, w ith i bex, a nd w ith b ird, r eindeer w ith i bex, w olf w ith r hinoceros a nd b ison w ith b ear ( Fig. 3 5). T he o nly a ssociations t hat o ccur m ore t han o nce a re h orse w ith b ird a nd b ison w ith b ear, w hich e ach b oth o ccur t wice. O ne m ay a rgue t hat t he i nvento ry o f a nimals i s q uite o ut o f t he u sual a t L ourdes a nd t hat t he c ollection i s a n a rtificial o ne, o btained b y m odern s election, b ut n either o f t hese f acts i s a dequate t o e xplain t he l ack o f t he e xpected 1 72

h orse/bison a ssociations o n a ny i ndividual p laquette s urface. I n f act t his i s a n o bservation t hat a pplies m ore w idely, h orse/bovid, a lthough t he d ominant a ssociation i n c ave a rt, i s n ot o f p rimary i mportance o n p laquettes. H ere t he a ssociation o f h orse a nd c ervid i s t he m ost c ommon ( see T able 1 7).

F IG. 3 5.

L ourdes; l imestone b lock, 1 7.3 x 1 2.0 c m , s howing a b ear

a nd, i n t he o pposite p lane, a n i ncomplete b ison. M usee d es A ntiquites N ationales, 5 5255.

C ollection,

D rawing a fter P iette, 1 907.

P robably t he b est k nown p iece f rom L ourdes i s t he m an w ith a b eard, ( Pl. 4 , c ) p ublished b y B reuil ( Capitan, B reuil, P eyrony 1 924). B reuil d rew t his f igure w ith a l ong a nd f ull b eard, w ith p lumes, o r a ntlers, s prouting f rom t he c rown o f h is h ead a nd w ith a n a nimal's t ail ( Fig. 3 ), b ut t he s urface o f t his p iece i s s o d ensely c overed w ith e ngraving ( there a re a q uite e xceptional n umber o f l ines f rom w hich B reuil m ade a s election) t hat i t i s i mpossible t o s ubstantiate a nything. T he a mbiguity o f t he f igure, o r f igures, i s p resumably i ntentional, f or t he e ngraving i s c arefully c ut a nd i n a ddition t o a ll t he " naturalistic" l ines, t he L ourdes p iece h as a s eries o f r egular h orizontal l ines c ut a cross t he l ower h alf o f t he p laquette s urface. T hey c an h ardly b e d escribed a s g eometric d ecoration a nd t hey a re n ot n atural; e ffectively t hey a dd t o t he c onfusion a nd t hat m ay b e t heir p urpose. O ther s ites a nd o ther p ieces h ave f orced t his c onclusion o n t hose w ho s tudy t hem , t here i s a c omparable p laquette f rom L a M arche, f or e xample ( Pl. 2 , b ), a nd P ales h as s uggested t hat t he m ultiplicity o f l ines u sed o n t he L a M arche b locks w as d esigned t o p roduce a mbiguity o r e ven t o c onceal f igures f rom t oo e asy r ecognition. F ew c ollections a re s o c omplex a s L a M arche, b ut i t i s c ommon f or a g roup o f p laquettes t o i nclude o ne o r t wo c omplex p ieces. 1 73

I t w ill b ecome a pparent, i n s ummarizing t he t hree s ites i n A riege, t hat p laquette c ollections i n t he P yrenees o ften s how l ess s imilarity t o o ther s ites i n t he s ame g eographical g roup t han t o s ites i n a d ifferent g roup. T his o bservation i s t rue o f B edeilhac, o f c ertain s eries a t M as d 'Azil a nd o f E nlene, w hich h as n ot b een a nalysed h ere, b ut c ontains o ne o f t he m ost i mportant c ollections i n t his r egion. F IG.

3 6.

B edeilhac;

8 .7

x 5 .4

o f

a

h orse .

A ntiquites d rawing

c m,

i s

s andstone p laquette

e ngraved

w ith

C ollection,

N ationales , a

t he

M us e

7 6966(3).

t ranscription

o f

h ead d es T his P late

1 5,a.

F IG.

3 7.

B edeilhac;

1 2.9 x 6 .8 c m . i s

e ngraved

e ncrusted d es

s andstone p laquette

H ere t he h ead o f ab ison

i n

a s moothed

s urface.

A ntiquites

z one

C ollection , N ationales,

o n

a n

M usee 7 6974.

B edeilhac i s a n e normous c ave; t o d ate f our s eparate h abitation a reas h ave b een d iscovered h ere, c ontaining m aterial c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V t o V I a nd t here i s a l arge s eries o f p laquettes, f ew o f w hich, h owever, c an b e a ssociated w ith a ny o f t he a rchaeological d eposits. W ith t he e xception o f t he m ud p laquettes ( a m aterial u nique t o B edeilhac) t he p ieces i n t his c ollection a re s mall a nd f ragmentary. S andstone i s t he m aterial m ost u sed f or p laquettes a nd i t w as h ere u sed f or t hree d imensional c arving a lso. T he m ud p laquettes a re m oderate i n s ize ( 14 o f t he 1 9 e xamples m easure b etween 1 0 a nd 3 0 c ms) a nd, i n s pite o f t he f ragility o f t he m aterial f our p ieces a re c omplete, o r 1 74

n early c omplete. A s a s upport, m ud i s u sed i n t wo w ays, e ither m oulded w hen s till d amp o r i ncised w hen p artly d ry ( Delporte a nd M ons 1 973, M ons 1 979) a nd e xamples o f b oth t hese t echniques s till r emain i n t he c ave a s m ural o r f loor d ecoration. B ison i s t he a nimal m ost o ften r epresented i n t his m edium a nd, b y a nology w ith N iaux a nd L e T uc d 'Audoubert, t his s eries m ay b e d ated t o M agdalenian I V. A mongst t he s tone p ieces f rom B edeilhac, f ew a re c omplete, b ut m any a re d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces. N o s urfaces s how u se, f ew s how w ear b ut a n umber a re c oloured b y o chre o r b urning. I n a ll 1 2 s urfaces s how s chematic d ecoration ( Pl. 9 , ba nd F ig. 8 , c ), 3 5 s how n aturalistic a nd 6 0 m ore s urfaces e xhibit l ess l egible d ecoration , b ut o n n early h alf o f t his l ast g roup t he d ecoration i s p robably o f n aturalistic o rigin. T he n aturalistic d ecoration i s s imple, w ith f ew a ssociations, s uperi mpositions o r i nversions. H orse i s t he m ost o ften d rawn s pecies ( Pl. 1 5, a , F ig 3 6), f ollowed b y b ison ( Fig. 3 7) a nd t hen b y d eer a nd c aprids. H owever, i f t he d ecoration i s s imple i n l ay o ut, t he e ngraving i s o ften e legant i n e xecution a nd t he h uman f igures a re b izarre, b eak h eaded, a nd i n o ne i nstance s eated w ith f eet o uts tretched ( Fig. 3 8).

F IG. 3 8.

B edeilhac; s andstone p laquette, 1 4.5 x 9 .5 c m , s howing a

h uman f igure, a ccompanied b y a n a pparently d isembodied h ead. T here i s ag reat d eal o f a dditional h achuring o n t he s urface o f t his s tone, s uggestive o f a n a nimal, o r p art o f o ne, b ut i t i s n ot p ossible t o d istinguish a ny s ingle f igure. C ollection, M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales, 7 626 1.

T here i s n o v ery c lear d istinction i n t he s andstone w ork a t B edeilhac b etween e ngravings o n a p laquette, o utline " contour d ecoupee" f igures a nd l ow a nd t hree q uarter r eliefs. T hese l ast o ccur i n a f orm t hat i s c haracteristic o f t he c lassic M agdalenian, t hat i s t hey a re n ot t rue 17 5

f igures i n t he r ound b ut r ather a s hared s hape f ormed b y t wo l ow r eliefs a butting o n e ach o ther. T he s culptured f ragment p ublished b y B egouen ( 1929) i s s uch a p iece a nd t he M andement a nd J auze c ollection c ontains a n umber m ore. T hey a re n ot i ncluded h ere i n t he i nventory o f p laquettes b ecause f or I sturitz ( where t hey a lso o ccur) a d efinition w as m ade, p .199, w hich I r epeat h ere. " If t he c ontour o f t he p iece o f s tone i s t hat o f t he a nimal d epicted i t i s c lassified a s s culpture, b ut i f a n a nimal i s d rawn w ithin t he b oundary o f t he p iece a nd s o f orms a d esign w ithin t he o utline o f t he p laquette, t hen i t i s c lassified a s a p laquette". T he s econd f orm i s c onfined t o I sturitz ( Pl. 1 6, a , a nd F ig 5 2); t he e xamples f rom B edeilhac c onform t o t he f irst d efinition, t hat i s t he c ontour o f t he p iece o f s tone i s t hat o f t he a nimal d epicted, a nd t hey a re t hus s culpture. T he v ery c lose s imilarity t o I sturitz, t hough, s uggests t hat t he B e deilhac p ieces a re o f t he s ame d ate. A t I sturitz t hey a re a ttributed t o M agdalenian I V a nd i n f act r elief w ork i s m ore c haracteristic o f t his p eriod t han o f a ny o ther i n t he M agdalenian. T his v ery e xceptional u se o f a butting l ow r eliefs i s o ne l ink b etween B edeilhac a nd I sturitz a nd t he t wo s ites h ave o ther c haracteristics i n c ommon. I n b oth c ollections t he p laquettes a re p redominantly o f s tone ( sandstone i n b oth i nstances). B one a nd a ntler a re v ery r are a t I sturitz a nd ( apparently) n on-existent a t B edeilhac; b oth c ollections a re n umerically l arge, w ith a h igh p roportion o f f ragmentary p ieces a nd t hey h ave b oth b een d escribed a s a t eier s ites, t hough n either n ecessitates t his a s a n e xplanation f or i ts p laquette a nd s culpture c ollections. L astly, i n e ngraving, a s i n s culpture, t here a re a n umber o f p ieces f rom t hese t wo s ites t hat a re s tylisti cally v ery s imilar, f or e xample, t he e ngraved h orse h ead ( Fig. 3 6) f rom B edeilhac h as c lose p arallels a t I sturitz ( Fig. 5 1) a nd t he f eathery h orse t ails o n t wo B edeilhac p laquettes h ave n o p arallel o ther t han a t I sturitz. I f • a c onnection b etween t hese t wo s ites s eems i mprobable, o n g rounds o f d istance, o r d ifficulties i n c ommunication, t here a re m any o ther l ong d istance c onnections i n P alaeolithic a rt t hat a re a s u nexpected a nd a s d istant. I sturitz i s n ot c ut o ff b y i ts w esterly p osition f rom t he C entral P yrenean s ites, n or e ven f rom P erigord ( Sieveking 1 976) a nd s imilarity i n a rt f orms d oes n ot r equire a t otal s ocial t ransference. O ne o r t wo p ractitioners m ay s et u p a n ew c entre a nd a ll t he m aterials u sed m ay b e f ound l ocally. Av ariety o f s upport m aterials s uggests t hat t wo, o r m ore g roups o f p laquettes h ave b een c ombined i n am odern c ollection. A t M as d 'Azil t he p laquettes a re a lso k nown t o h ave c ome f rom a n umber o f l ocations i n t his u ndergroud c omplex a nd t o b elong t o d ifferent c hronological s tages. T he S t J ust P ecquarts d escribe f inding a bout s ixty s capulae o n t he l eft b ank o f t he r iver i n a l ate M agdalenian d eposit b ut i t i s n ot p ossible t o t race m any o f t hese p ieces, w ith t he e xception o f a g roup i n T he M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales a t S t. G ermain. T he a ttribution o f P iette's s eries i s l ess s pecific a nd o ne c an o nly s ay t hat m ost o f t he s capulae c ome f rom t he l eft b ank a nd a re l ate M agdalenian i n d ate. T he d ecoration o n t he e xamples p ublished, o r d escribed, t o d ate i s v ery v aried. T he b est k nown p iece i s p erhaps " Coco-des-Roseaux" f rom t he S t. J ust P ecquart c ollection ( Fig. 3 9) a nd f rom t his s ame g roup D elporte a nd M ons h ave r ecently p ublished ( 1975) a f urther n early c omplete p iece w hich i s t echnically a nd a rtistically o utstanding ( Pl. 1 5, b , a nd F ig. 4 0). T he s urface o f t his p iece i s a lmost t otally c overed w ith e ngraving b ut i t w as p ossible, b y m icroscopic a nalysis, t o r econstruct t he s equence o f e ngraving; a s mall r eindeer h ead w as a pparently t he f irst f igure t o b e c ut f ollowed b y a l arge h orse, w hich 1 76

P LATE 1 5

a .

B edeilhac, s andstone p laquette, 8 .7 x 5 .4, s howing t he v ery l ightly e ngraved h ead o f

ah orse, f acing r ight. M .A.N. b .

C ollection, M usee d es A ntiquites N ationales, 7 6966 ( I), p hoto,

( For a n e xplanatory d rawing s ee F ig. 3 6).

f as d 'Azil; s capula, 3 5.1

x1 3.5 c m, e ngraved w ith, i n t he f irst p lane, t wo

h orses a nd a r eindeer f acing l eft a nd, i n t he i nverse p lane, a nother l arge r eindeer, f acing r ight a nd t he h ead o f as maller, f acing l eft. A ntiquites N ationales, 7 7570.

P hoto, M .A.N.

1 77

C ollection, M usee d es

( For a t ranscription, s ee F ig. 4 0).

p recedes a l arge, b ut i ncomplete r eindeer a nd a s mall h orse, w hile ( of t he m ajor f igures) a l arge c omplete r eindeer w as c ut l ast. T he s equence t hus a ppears t o b e r eindeer a lternating w ith h orse, a f act t hat D eporte a nd M ons s uggest i s n ot w ithout s ignificance. T he a ssociations a re a lso v ery c omplex: t here a re a ssociations o f a nimals i n f ile, b y s ymmetry, s ize, s uperposition a nd s pecies a nd, w hile e xtremely r ealistic, t he a nimals h ave n evertheless a c ertain f ormali zation. T echnically t his p articular f orm o f e ngraving t hat i s c ut b oth d eep a nd f ine e xploits t he m edium c ompletely a nd, i f y ou c an v isually i solate o ne f rom a nother, t he f igures a re b eautiful. T his p iece i s a t ypical P alaeolithic m asterpiece; t echnically a stonishing, a esthetically o utstanding b ut a lmost i nvisible, b eing v irtually c oncealed b y i ts o wn c omplexity. T his " hidden" a spect i s p resent i n a ll f orms o f P alaeolithic a rt, i f d ifferently a chieved. P aintings i n c aves, f or e xample, a s w ell a s b eing i nitially u nderground, a re p laced i n n iches a nd s ide g alleries, c ave e ngravings a re h idden b y o vere ngraving; p aintings o bscured i ntentionally b y s uperpositions, a nd s o f orth. I t i s a p ersistent c haracteristic.

F IG. 3 9.

M as DtA zil; f ragment o f s capula, 8 .6 x 2 .8 c m , k nown a s

" Coco d es R oseaux", f rom t he o riginal t ranscription , w here t he h uman f igure a ppeared t o b e g athering f lowers.

T his m ore l iteral

t ranscription ( Pales , 1 970) s hows a m ore f ugitive f igure, a ccompanied b y ap alisade o f l ances.

C ollection, M us e d es

A ntiquites N ationales, 7 7.57 1.

A s a g roup , t he p ebbles f rom M as d 'Azil s how r elatively l ittle u se a nd l ittle s chematic d ecoration; n one h as a n e xact d ate, t hough t hose f rom t he P iette c ollection a re d escribed a s " Magdalenian s uperieur" b ut t he p redominance o f s mall, u nused p ebbles w ith n aturalistic d ecoration i s u ncharacteristic o f a f inal M agdalenian a ssembage. W ith o ne e xception, t he s chematic m otifs a re s imple a nd, i nterestingly, t he o ne m ore e laborately d ecorated p iece i s o ne o f t he t wo o ver 1 0 c ms i n s ize a nd o ne o f t he f ew s howing u se. T he o ther l arge p iece i s a r iver p ebble f ound i n t he G alerie B reuil, ( Fig. 4 1), a pparently s olidly i mplanted i n t he M agdalenian s oil s urface l o n t he r ight s ide o f t he g allery, b eneath a n e ngraving o f a b ison. S tylistically t his i s q uite u nlike t he r emainder o f t he n aturalistically d ecorated p ebbles f rom M as d 'Azil, l isted h ere, w hich a re ( as s tated a bove) s mall w ith v ery s imple o utline f igures, o r h eads o f f igures. O bviously s ize l imits e laboration, b ut

1 78

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t he f act t hat t his p iece w as p laced e xactly b elow a n e ngraving o n t he w all a lso c arries t he i mplication t hat i t c ould b e r elated t o t he w all e ngravings a nd w as p laced i n a c omplementary p osition t o t hese. T he o ccurrence o f a c laviform e ngraved o n t his p ebble r einforces s uch a n o bservation f or w hile c laviforms a re q uite c ommon i n t he P yrenean c aves i n t he l ater M agdalenian s tages ( in N iaux f or e xample) t hey a re e xtremely r are i n A rt M obilier a nd, i n t his p articular f orm u nique, a lthough i f o ne m ay r ely o n t he S t J ust P ecquart i llustrations, t here i s o ne o ther e xample a t M as d 'Azil. T he p rincipal f igure o n t he p ebble f rom t he G alerie B reuil i s a h orse, f acing r ight, e ngraved e ntirely w ith h achured s trokes w ith p ossible s pear? l ines o n i ts b ody a nd t he c laviform d esign p laced b ehind i ts f orelegs. I n a g eneral s ense, t his p ebble c an b e c ompared t o t hat f ound a t E spalungue i n 1 973 w hen c learing t he e ntrance t o t he g allery a nd f itting a d oor ( Marsan 1 980) ( Fig. 3). B oth e ngravings a re f inely h achured a nd s how a h orse, 3 f acing r ight, a nd b oth f igures f ill t he g round a vailable f or d ecoration i n t he m anner L eroi-Gourhan h as d escribed a s " cadrage ä c hamp t otal". I n t he M as d 'Azil e xample t he e ngraver i n f act m iscalculated t he s ize o f h is f igure; h aving s tarted w ith t he l ine o f b ack a nd m ane, n ot e nough s pace r emained f or a n o utstretched, o r u pheld h ead a nd t his h ad t o b e d rawn l ower d own,thus p roviding a n i llustration o f t he s equence o f e ngraving. A s o ne k nows f rom m ural a rt, t he d orsal l ine o ften s tands i n f or a c omplete f igure a nd i t s eems t o h ave o ften b een e stablished f irst i n p laquette e ngraving, a lso. T here a re a n umber o f f igures w ith d iminutive o r t wisted o r c ontracted h eads ( for e xample a t t he A bri M ontastruc, B runiquel ( Pl. 6 , a , a nd F ig. 1 0) a nd a t L augerie B asse ( Pl. 5 , a ) w here, a s o n t he M as d 'Azil e xample, t oo l ittle s pace h as b een a llowed f or t he h ead. I f t he M as d 'Azil p ebble h as a ssociations w ith m ural a rt t hese d o n ot d isqualify i t f rom i nclusion i n t he A rt M obilier g roup, b ut r ather i llustrate t he h ybrid o r t ransitional c haracter t hat p laquette c ollections h ave b etween d ecorative, m iniature a rt a nd d ecorated s anctuaries. I t i s a p articularly i nteresting p iece, i ntrinsically, a nd t he m ore i nteresting f or h ave b een f ound i n s itu. A mongst t he r emaining t hirty p laquettes l isted h ere f rom M as d 'Azil, o ne i s o f s hell, t wo o f b one a nd o ne a n a ntler p almate; t he r est a re s tone. H orse i s, a s i n t he c ategories o f s capulae a nd p ebbles, t he m ost f requently d epicted a nimal ( cervids a nd b ison b eing o f s econd i mportance) a nd, w ith t he e xception o f f our p ieces f rom t he P iette c ollection, t his g roup i s M agdalenian I V i n d ate. M uch o f t he M as d 'Azil m aterial i s a t p resent i naccessible a nd t he p resent a nalysis o f t his s ite i s f ar f rom c omplete. F or s o r ich a s ite, t he i nventory o f p laquettes i s r ather s mall a nd i s p robably u nrepresentative, b ut o ne o r t wo n otable p ieces h ave s urvived, i n p articular t he p ebble f rom t he G alerie B reuil a nd t he d ecorated s capula b riefly d escribed a bove. L a V ache h as a r elatively s mall c ollection o f p laquettes d ated t o M agdalenian V I. T here i s o ne i vory p iece b ut o therwise t he s upports a re o f s tone, p rincipally p ebbles ( 19 i n a t otal o f 2 3). M ost o f t hese a re s mall, m any a re c omplete a nd m any a re d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces. S ixteen s urfaces, a ll b ut o ne o f w hich a re p ebbles, s how u se a nd s chematic d ecoration i s c ommon ( Fig. 9 , a a nd b ). U se o ccurs m ore o ften o n t he s chematically d ecorated s urfaces, ( 14 i nstances i n t he t otal o f 1 8 s urfaces a re s o d ecorated) t han o n t he n aturalistic ( 9 o f t he 1 5 n aturalistically d ecorated s urfaces s how u se) b ut t he a ssociati on b etween g eometric d ecoration a nd u se i s n ot s o m arked h ere a s i t 1 80

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i s, f or e xample, a t G ourdan. A mong t he n aturalistically d ecorated p ebbles o ne p iece o nly h as s uperpositioning, o n b oth s urfaces, w ith i nversions o n o ne. T his s ame p iece i s a lso t he o nly e xample w ith m ore t han o ne f igure o f t he s ame s pecies o n a s ingle s urface, i n t his c ase, c ervids. T here a re t wo o ther m ore t han u sually a ccomplished p ieces w ith n aturalistic d ecoration, o ne i s a p ebble w ith t wo j umping i bex e ngraved a round t he s tone, ( Fig. 4 2) w hich y ou m ust r otate i n o rder t o s ee t he c omplete f igures, w hich a re, i n a ddition, t he o nly a nimals i n t his c ollection s hown i n m ovement. T he t hird p iece i s a s haded e ngraving o f a n i bex h ead o n a m udstone f ragment ( Fig. 4 3).

F IG. 4 2.

L a V ache; p ebble, 8 .8 x 4 .4 c m , s howing t wo j umping i bex.

T hey a re e ngraved a round t he s tone i n s uch a w ay t hat t he p iece m ust b e r otated t o r ead t he f igures.

C ollection, M usse d es A ntiquite s

N ationales.

1 82

T he n aturalistic i nventory o n t he p ebbles h as a d istinct b ias. T he p redominance o f i bex, ( there a re f ive a mongst s ix c aprids i n a ll) i s c onsistent w ith t he a ltitude o f t he s ite a nd i ts a ctual f aunal r ecord. D epictions o f h orse ( 2), c ervids ( 2) a nd b ison ( 1) a re n umerically f ar b ehind. T his b ias i s n ot r epeated i n t he b onework, b ut s uch a d isc repancy c an b e h eld t o r einforce t he s uggestion t hat s tone p laquette c ollections a re m ade a nd r emain i n s itu, w hile d ecorated o bjects o f b one a nd a ntler a re s ubject t o e xchange a nd d istribution o f v arious k inds. T he v ariety i n s tyle a nd c ontent o f t he L a V ache a rt M obilier p ieces s uggests t hat t he o bjects f ound i n t his s ite h ave c ome f rom a n umber o f d ifferent o riginal l ocations. I n c ontrast t he s tone p laquettes a re s tylistically u niform ; w ith o ne e xception t he n aturali stic d ecoration c onsists o f s implified s hape a nd o utline f igures, d rawn w ith a s ingle c lear l ine. T he m udstone p iece ( Fig. 4 3) i s t he e xception, i t i s ad etailed s haded d rawing, p erhaps b rought t o t he s ite, o r p erhaps m ade i n s itu b y a d ifferent e ngraver.

F IG. 4 3.

L a V ache; f ragment o f s andstone, 1 0.0 x 7 .5 c m , s howing t he

h ead , n eck a nd s houlder o f a n i bex, f acing l eft. C ollection, M usee d es A ntiquites N ationales.

F our l evels w ere d istinguished i n t he e xcavations a t L a V ache. ( Nougier a nd R obert 1 971) a nd t he p laquettes a re v ariously a ssigned t o t hese. I n t he s equence e stablished a bstract m otifs a re p resent f rom f irst t o l ast a nd s o a re n aturalistic, w ith t he a bstract e lement b ecoming m ore i mportant w ith t ime. T he h igh p roportion o f s chematic d ecoration a t L a V ache i s c onsistent w ith t he d ate o f t he s ite. S chematic d ecoration, i n m any s ites, e xpands a t t he e xpense o f n aturali stic t owards t he e nd o f t he U pper P alaeolithic ( Sieveking 1 981) a nd a ll t he l evels a t L a V ache a re M agdalenian V I. T he i mportance o f 1 83

p ebbles a s a s upport i s a lso c haracteristic o f L ate M agdalenian s tages i n t he P yrenees. H aving s ummarized s even o f t he p rincipal s ites i n t he P yrenees i t i s r elevant t o r ecall t hat t here a r ,e t wo i mportant g roups f or w hich n o a nalysis h as y et b een m ade, t hat i s L abastide a nd t he s eries f rom t he V olp c aves. T he s eries o f p laquettes r ecovered b y B egouen a nd C asteret f rom L abastide a re o f C lassic ( Magdalenian I V) s tyle ( Fig. 1 2); t he s eries d iscovered b y S imonnet i s l ater b ut i n b oth g roups t he d ecoration i s p redominantly n aturalistic, h orse b eing t he m ost o ften d rawn s pecies ,followed b y b ison. I n b oth g roups t he s upports a re u sually o f m oderate s ize ( between 1 0 a nd 3 0 c ms) a nd m any a re c omplete. T he V olp s ites h ave a l arge c ollection o f M agdalenian I V d ate. T hese p ieces a re p rincipally f rom E nlene, t ogether w ith s maller c ollections f rom L e T uc d 'Audoubert ( Fig. 4 4) a nd L es T rois F reres a nd t here a re a n umber o f s mall f ragmentary p ieces h ere b ut t hey d o n ot f orm s o h igh a p roportion o f t he w hole a s t hey d o a s i n m any o ther P yrenean s ites. T here a re m any c omplete a nimal f igures a mong t he e ngravings a nd a n e valuation o f t he m aterial a vailable a t p resent i ndicates t hat b ison i s d epicted m ore o ften t han h orse. I n p laquette c ollections t his i s u nprecedented b ut t he i mportance o f b ison i s c haracteristic o f d ecorated c aves i n t his r egion , f or e xample, i n L es T rois F reres a nd L e T uc d 'Audoubert t hemselves a nd i n N iaux, B edeilhac a nd F ontanet.

F IG. 4 4.

T uc d 'Audoubert;

s andstone p laquette, 1 0.5 x 4 .5 c m,

e ngraved w ith a b ison i n as tyle t ypical o f t he P yrenees a nd t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V.

B egouän C ollection, P ujol. D rawing a fter

B egouen, B riois, C lottes a nd S ervelle, 1 982.

A s s tated a bove, o ne m ay a ttempt, w ithin t heir k nown c hronological f ramework, t o r elate t he l arge P yrenean c ollections b y s tyle a nd o ther c haracteristics. L a V ache i s t he o nly s ite t hat h as n o p laquettes o f M agdalenian I V o r V d ate; M agdalenian I V i s r epresented i n t he r emaining e ight s ites a nd M agdalenian V a nd V I i n a t l east s ix o f t hem . T o s tart w ithin a r estricted r egion: I n A riege t he p rincipal c ollections o f p laquettes c ome f rom B edeilhac, t he E nlene g roup a nd M as d 'Azil. T he c ollection f rom t he V olp c aves ( principally f rom E nlene) i s d ated t o M agdalenian I V a s i t i s ( by d eduction) a t B edeilhac. A t M as d 'Azil t here i s m aterial f rom M agdalenian I V , Va nd V I w ith, i n s o f ar a s o ne c an d etermine, m ore m aterial b elonging t o Va nd V I t han t o I V. O ne m ight e xpect t he M as d 'Azil p laquettes o f a ccepted M agdalenian I V d ate t o s how s imilarities t o B edeilhac a nd t he E nlene g roup, b ut, i n 1 84

f act, t hey h ave n o p articular l ikeness t o e ither s ite. A gain, o n g rounds o f d ate, o ne w ould e xpect a n a ssociation b etween t he E nlene g roup a nd B edeilhac a nd t his c learly e xists, f or e xample i n t he e ngraving o f c ertain b ison a nd an umber o f p laquettes w ith h uman f igures, b ut e ach o f t hese s ites h as a ffiliations t o o ne o r m ore c ollections o utside t his a rea t hat a re a s c lose a s t hose t hey h ave t o e ach o ther. B edeilhac h as n ot a f ew, b ut m any s imilarities t o t he M agdalenian I V l evels a t I sturitz; i n t he c hoice o f s andstone, t he u se o f t hree d imensional c arving a nd " shared" l ow r elief, t he a nimals d epicted, t he d etail e mployed i n e ngraving, e tc. T he c ollections n ot o nly h ave c haracteristics i n c ommon b ut t he a butting l ow r elief f igures a re u nique t o t hese t wo s ites. T he s eries f rom t he V olp c aves, h owever, h ave a ssociations t o t he C asteret, B egouen s eries o f p laquettes f rom L abastide. S talagmite, w hich i s a r elatively u ncommon m aterial, i s u sed i n b oth s ites, a nd w ith r egard t o d ecoration b oth c ollections h ave a m ore t han u sual n umber o f c omplete a nimals; t hese a re p rincipally b ison a nd t he m anner i n w hich t hey a re e ngraved i s v ery s imilar ( Fig. 4 6, F ig. 4 7, F ig. 1 2, a nd 4 4): F urthermore i n b oth s ites ( Fig 4 5) s almon a nd f emale f igures a re d epicted, n either o f w hich a re

F IG. 4 5. L abastide; f ragment o f s talagmite, 8 .5 x 7 .5 c m , s howing p art o f as almon , w ith a n atural h ole i n t he s tone u sed f or i ts e ye . C ollection , M usge d e l 'Homme, 5 5.33.152 1.

c ommon s ubjects o n p laquettes o f M agdalenian I V d ate. U nlike t hose f rom t he E nlene G roup, t he p laquettes f rom L abastide a re n ot a ll o f t he s ame d ate; t he C asteret/Begouen c ollection h as a c lassic a ppearance w hile t he g roup r ecovered f rom a d ifferent p art o f t he c ave b y S imonnet h as f igures i n u nusual p ostures a nd w ith u nusual a ttributes, a nd i n s ome i nstances e ngraved i n a f reer m anner; i t a lso i ncludes t he c omposite a nimal f igure w ith a h orse h ead, a b ison's t ail a nd c ervids f eet. T his p iece h as a p ossible p arallel i n t he f amous f igures i n L es T rois F reres; B reuil c onsidered t hat s ome o f t he e ngraving i n t he S anctuary o f I es T rois F reres w as o f M agdalenian V d ate a nd t his i s c onsistent w ith t he s tyle o f t he l ater g roup a t L abastide. I t a lso s uggests t hat a n a ssociation b etween L abastide a nd t he c averns o f t he 1 85

V olp ( the c ave o f L es T rois F reres a djoins E nlene) p ersisted b eyond t he s tage o f M agdalenian I V. L ourdes, i n i ts t urn, h as a ffiliations t o b oth s eries a t L abastide; i n t he u se o f l arge s ized s upports, i n t he q uantity o f c omplete f igures d epicted a nd i n t he m anner t hese ( in p articular t he b ison a nd h orses) a re d rawn. T he L ourdes c ollection i s a n a malgam o f p ieces f rom m any l evels a nd t here a re p laquettes h ere t hat r elate n ot o nly t o t he t wo g roups r ecognizable a t L abastide, b ut a lso t o t he f ourth g roup d istinguishable i n t he P yrenees. T he f ourth g roup c omprises G ourdan, L orthet, E spalungue, a nd s ome o f t he m aterial f rom M as d 'Azil. T hese s ites h ave e xtremely f ew c omplete a nimal f igures; G ourdan h as s ix i n a t otal o f o ne h undred a nd f ortyf ive p laquettes a nd L orthet o ne i n a t otal o f f orty-nine w hich o ne m ay c ontrast w ith s ixteen c omplete f igures i n a t otal o f t hirty-four a t L ourdes a nd n ineteen i n a t otal o f s ixty-nine p ieces a t L abastide. T he m anner i n w hich t he i ncomplete f igures a re e ngraved i s d ifferent a lso. I n t he f irst, s econd a nd t hird P yrenean g roups a f ragment o f e ngraving i s o ften r ecognizable; t wo f eet o r a p art o f a m ane c an b e i dentified, b ut a f ragment f rom G ourdan, o r L orthet, f or e xample, i s m ore o ften i ndecipherable ( Pl. 8 , a , b a nd c ); i n s ome c ases o verengraving p roduces a c onfusion o f l ines a nd i n o thers t he l ines a re l ess e xact a nd l ess s terotyped, s o t hat r ecognition o f a p art i s l ess e asily m ade. I n a ddition t his f ourth g roup h as a n a ppreciable q uantity o f s chematic d ecoration , a f eature t hat i s r elatively u nimportant i n t he B edeilhac/ I sturitz, t he E nlene/Labastide o r L abastide/Lourdes g roups. T his l ast c haracteristic i s a r eflection o f d ate a s w ell a s s tyle; h owever, G ourdan a nd L orthet ( group f our) a re n ot l ater i n d ate t han s ome o f t he p laquettes f rom L abastide a nd L ourdes ( group t hree) n or a re t hey a s l ate a s L a V ache a nd t he p redilection f or s chematic m otifs h ere s eems t o i ndicate a d ifferent c hoice o f d ecorative m otif ( Piette, c ited b y C artailhac i n 1 885, n oted a t endency t owards s chematization a t G ourdan. H e o bserved t hat t he o bjects i n t he u pper l evels w ere d ecorated a lmost e xclusively w ith s chematic m otifs). W hile t here i s e ngraving c haracte ristic o f M agdalenian V a t L abastide a nd L ourdes t here i s v irtually n o s chematic d ecoration i n e ither o f t hese c ollections. T o s tate t hat s ome s ites h ave m ore c omplete f igures d epicted t han o thers r aises t he q uestion o f f ragmentation. T he b ulk o f m ost c ollecti ons i s f ormed b y f ragments a nd m ost o f t hese a re w ithout a djoining p ieces ( see T able 4 f or t he i ncidence o f r eassembled p laquettes). I n e xposed s ites, s uch a s t he r ock s helters i n S outh-West F rance, p ieces o f a n o riginal p laquette h ave p robably b een b roken b y n atural c auses a nd d ispersed b y d isturbance. I n t he P yrenees, w here m any p laquette c ollections a re i n p rotected s ituations, t his e xplanation i s n ot a dequate a nd t he o ccurrence o f g roups o f r esidual f ragments p robably r eflects a s econdary u se o f a lready b roken p laquettes, a u se, a s a t E nlene, t hat i s q uite u nrelated t o t heir h aving b een d ecorated ( this p roblem i s c onsidered i n t he I ntroduction). W hatever t he c ause o f f ragmentation a nd w hatever e xplanation o ne p refers f or t he l ack o f a djoining p ieces, t he f act r emains t hat c ollections a re m ore o r l ess f ragmentary i n c haracter, d epending, a mong o ther f actors, o n t he m aterial o f s upport c hosen. I t s eems o bvious t o s uggest t hat t he s ites w ith f ew c omplete f igures a re t hose w ith f ew c omplete s upports, b ut t he e vidence d oes n ot s ubs tantiate t his e xplanation. T he t hree P yrenean s eries w ith a h igh p roportion o f c omplete f igures a re t hose f rom t he V olp c aves, L abastide 1 86

a nd L ourdes. N umbers a re n ot a t p resent a vailable f or t he E nlene g roup b ut a t L ourdes t here a re e leven c omplete, o r n early c omplete s upports a nd s ixteen c omplete f igures w hich a re, i n m ost i nstances, e ngraved o n t he c omplete s upports b ut i n t hree i nstances a re f ound o n f ragments. L abastide i s n ot c ompletely r ecorded b ut h as m ore t han t wenty c omplete s upports a nd n ineteen c omplete f igures, f our o f w hich o ccur o n f ragmentary s urfaces. I n c ontrast t o t his g roup a re G ourdan a nd L orthet, w ith a n i dentity i n s tyle o f e ngraving, a u se o f s chematic d ecoration a nd f ew c omplete f igures. L orthet h as o ne c omplete f igure a nd t hree c omplete s upports i n a c ollection o f f orty-nine p ieces, G ourdan s ix c omplete f igures a nd t wenty-six c omplete s upports i n a c ollection o f o ne h undred a nd f orty-five p ieces. G ourdan h as a g reater n umber o f c omplete s upports t han a ny o ther s ite i n t he P yrenean r egion, b ut a d isproportionately s mall n umber o f c omplete f igures d epicted. B edeilhac m ay b e a llied w ith t he E nlene, L abastide, a nd L ourdes g roups a nd s o m ay t he s mall M agdalenian I V s eries o f p laquettes f rom E spalungue, a mongst w hich a re t wo c omplete f igures a nd t hree c omplete s upports b ut t he r emaining p laquettes f rom t his s ite a re v ery s imilar i n s tyle t o G ourdan a nd L orthet a nd m ay b e t aken t o r epresent a l ater s eries. T here i s aM agdalenian I V s eries o f p laquettes f rom M as d 'Azil b ut, d espite i ts d ate, t his h as l ittle i n c ommon w ith t he c ollections f rom E nlene, L ourdes, a nd L abastide; h owever, t he P iette c ollection f rom t his s ite, m ost p ieces i n w hich a re d escribed a s M agdalehien s uperieur, i s r eminiscent o f t he G ourdan, L orthet g roup, b oth i n t he d ecoration o f t he i ndividual p ieces a nd i n t he g eneral c haracter o f t he c ollections. T he p ebbles f rom t he t wo s ites ( Gourdan a nd M as d 'Azil) a re a lmost i dentical. I n t he P yrenees t he u se o f s mall p ebbles a s a s upport f or d ecoration i s a f ashion t hat b ecomes m ore p ronounced, t he l ater t he d ate. F or e xample, E nlene a nd L abastide h ave v ery f ew p ebbles; t he S t J ust P ecquart ( Magdalenian I V) c ollection f rom M as d 'Azil h as n one w hile t he P iette c ollection ( Magdalenien S uperieur) h as t en, L orthet a nd G ourdan h ave r espectively s even a nd f orty-one p ebbles a nd L a V ache ( Magdalenian V I) h as n ineteen o ut o f a t otal o f t wenty-four p ieces. M uch o f t he d ecoration o n p ebbles i s s chematic, b ut t here i s a lso a p articular s eries o f s mall, n early r ound p ebbles w ith a nimal's h eads; t here a re t wo s uch f rom P oeymau ( one w ith f ive h orses' h eads s uperimposed) o ne f rom t he R oque d e M ontespan i n t he M useum o f S t B ertrand d e C omminges ( not i ndexed h ere) a nd a n umber f rom G ourdan a nd M as d 'Azil. T here a re t wo f urther e xamples f rom D uruthy, L andes, o utside t he P yrenean r egion. L a V ache i s t he o nly n umerically i mportant M agdalenian V I c ollection i n t he P yrenees: i n a ddition t o t he h igh p roportion o f p ebbles u sed a s a s upport, t here i s ah igh p roportion o f s chematic d ecoration. A mongst t he d ecorated s urfaces t welve a re d ecorated n aturalistically, f our w ith c omplete a nimal f igures, a nd e ighteen s chematically. T his s ite, i n f act, p rovides a c lear i llustration o f t he r ise i n i mportance b oth o f p ebbles a s a s upport, a nd o f s chematic m otifs i n d ecoration i n t he l ate M agdalenian. O ne m ay r ecognize b oth t rends i n o ther r egions b ut t hey a re p articularly e mphasized i n t he P yrenees. I n s ummary, a c omparison o f t he s tyle a nd i ntrinsic c haracteristics o f t he m ajor c ollections s uggest t hat o ne m ay d istinguish f our a ssociated g roups a mongst t he p laquette c ollections i n t he P yrenees. T he f irst i s I sturitz a nd B edeilhac, t he s econd t he E nlene g roup a nd t he e arly s eries a t L abastide, t he t hird i s a l ater s eries a t L abastide a nd 1 87

L ourdes a nd t he f ourth a g roup t ypified b y G ourdan a nd L orthet w hich i ncludes a s eries f rom M as d 'Azil a nd f rom E spalungue ( Isturitz i s n ot i n t he C entral P yrenean g eographical g roup b ut i s i ncluded h ere b ecause s tylistic a ffinities a ssociate i t t o B edeilhac). T o r eturn t o t he c lassic M agdalenian, w hich i n t he P yrenees i s t he p eriod r ichest i n p laquettes, h ow m ay o ne a ccount f or t he e xistence o f f our s tylistic g roups i n t his a nd t he s ucceeding ( Magdalenian V ) s tage? A re t hey t o b e a ttributed t o d ifferent s ocial g roups o r d ifferent c hronological s tages? Ac hronological s equence i s n ot a f ully a dequate e xplanation. T hese f our g roups, B edeilhac/Isturitz, E nlene/Labastide, L abastide/Lourdes a nd G ourdan/Lorthet/Mas d 'Azil c ertainly h ave a c hronological r elationship b ut t hey o verlap w ith e ach o ther r ather t han f orming a c ontinuous s equence. j l agdalenian I V i s r epresented a t B edeilhac, a t t he V olp s ites ( Enlene, L es T rois F reres a nd L e T uc d 'Audoubert, b y o ne s eries f rom L abastide a nd b y f urther s maller s eries f rom M as d 'Azil, E spalungue a nd L ourdes. L abastide a nd L ourdes e ach h ave a s eries o f p laquettes, o f t he s ame f igurative t radition, t hat a re o f a l ater d ate; t heir s tyle s uggests M agdalenian V . G ourdan a nd L orthet a re s ites w ith a l ittle b one a nd a ntler w ork c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V a nd V I a nd w ith r ich c ollections o f M agdalenian V . T he p laquettes f rom b oth s ites a re d escribed a s M agdalenian S uperieur ( not M agdalenian I V) b ut d o n ot h ave t he s tylistic c haracteristics o f M agdalenian V I; o ne m ay t herefore a ssign t hem t o V . I f L a V ache i s t ypical o f M agdalenian V I, t he G ourdan/Lorthet g roup i s n ot o f t his d ate f or i t i s l ess s chematic a nd s tylistically i t s till h as m uch i n c ommon w ith t he n aturalistic t radition o f t he E nlene g roup, f or e xample, o r L abastide, o f M agdalenian I V d ate. B edeilhac i s r elated t o t he M agdalenian I V l evels o f I sturitz ( reliably e xcavated) a nd t he f act t hat t he n aturalistic t radition c ontinues a t I sturitz f rom M agdalenian I V t o V I, w ith t he a ddition o f s chematic m otifs i n t he l ater s tages g ives s upport t o t he d efinition o f t wo s tylistic t raditions i n t he P yrenees. T hree g roups o f s ites, B edeilhac/Isturitz, E nlene/Labastide a nd L abastide/Lourdes b elong t o t he p redominantly n aturalistic t radition a nd t he f ourth g roup, G ourdan, L orthet, b elongs t o a s econd l ess n aturalistic, m ore s chematic t radition w hich i s a pparently c onte mporary t o t he t hird n aturalistic P yrenean g roup r epresented a t L abastide a nd L ourdes. T o d etermine s ocial g rouping, o ne n eeds m ore e vidence t han p laquettes a lone c an s upply; s upporting e vidence s hould c ome f rom p arietal a rt, f rom a rt m obilier c ollections a nd c ertainly f rom i ndustrial m aterial. T his l ast i s o ften i nadequate, f or e xample i n o ld e xcavations i t i s s eldom p ossible t o d etermine w hat o ther m aterial w as a ssociated w ith p laquettes, a nd, s ince m uch o f t he i ndustrial d ebris i s n ow m ixed, i t i s d ifficult t o i dentify v ariants i n t he i ndustries t hemselves. I n t he c ase o f c aves s uch a s B edeilhac o r L abastide t he p roblem i s d ifferent; h ere t he f loor a rea i s v ast a nd o ccupational d ebris ( in t he f orm o f h earths a nd a l ittle a ssociated m aterial, o ften o f n o d iagnostic v alue) i s f ound i n a f ew l ocations o nly, f or e xample i n a s ide g allery o r a t t he l imit o f d aylight. V ery f ew p laquettes a re a ssociated w ith t hese s poradic o ccupations a nd s equences f rom o ther c aves h ave v ery l ittle r elevance t o t he p roblem. I t s hould b e p ossible t o m ake c omparisons b etween d ecorated b one a nd a ntler w ork a nd p laquette c ollections. H ere, a gain, o ne r equires r eliable, d ocumented a ssociations a nd, a s i n t he c ase o f t he i ndustrial 1 88

m aterial s uch a ssociations s eldom e xist. I t i s, i n a ny c ase, d ifficult t o m ake s tylistic c omparisons b etween e ngraving o n s tone a nd b one o r a ntler w ork b ecause e ach u tilized o r u nutilized f orm t ends t o h ave i ts o wn t radition o f d ecoration. M any o f t he c haracteristic g roups i n b one a nd a ntler s uch a s t he f äon ä l 'oiseau s pear t hrowers, h alf r ods w ith s piral d ecoration, d iscs a nd o ther c ontour d ecoupees f orms, a nd h yoid b one a nimal h eads h ave v ery c omplex p atterns o f d istribution. A s ingle p arallel b etween s ites i s s uggestive, b ut a n umber a re m ore v aluable a nd i n g eneral t he b one a nd a ntler w ork s hows a n e xtremely c omplicated n etwork o f r elationships b etween s ites, b oth i n t he P yrenees a nd o utside t his r egion. I t s hould b e p ossible t o i dentify r elated g roups b ut t o d o s o i s o utside t he s cope o f t he p resent s urvey a nd w hile s uch d istributions m ight e ndorse t he g rouping o f p laquettes, t here i s l ittle e vidence o f t his t hat o ne c an o ffer a t p resent. Ac omparison w ith t he d istribution o f d ecorated c aves e qually p rovides o nly a l ittle e ndorsement f or t he f our s uggested g roups a mong p laquette c ollections. I n t he f irst g roup ( Bedeilhac/Isturitz) t he m ural d ecoration a t B edeilhac c orroborates t he d ate a nd s tyle o f t he p laquette c ollections b ut I sturitz ( in t he g allery o f O xocelhaya) h as a l imited i nventory o f m ural a rt a nd t his h as n ot y et b een f ully s tudied; i n t hat i t i s a scribed t o L eroi-Gourhan 's s tyle I V, a ncien, i t i s c omparable t o t he M agdalenian I V p laquette c ollections h ere, b ut i t i s n ot a d efinitive g roup. I n t he s econd p laquette g roup ( Enlene/ L abastide) b oth s eries a re i n l arge c aves o r g allery c omplexes, w ith a p romising a rray o f m ural a rt. O ne m ay r ecognize s tylistic s imilarities i n t he s culpture o f t he T uc d 'Audoubert a nd t he e ngraving o f b ison i n t he o ccupation d ebris o f t he V olp c aves )f or e xample, b ut w hile t here a re m any s uch s tylistic p arallels, t here i s n o d irect c onnection t o b e m ade b etween t he p laquette s eries a nd t he d ecorated g alleries. T he s ame m ust b e s aid o f L abastide w here, i n a ddition, n either t he m ural a rt n or t he p laquette c ollections h ave y et b een i nventoried o r s tudied i n s uch a w ay t hat o ne c an a nalyse t heir s tylistic i dentity. N everthel ess t he L abastide a nd E nlene g roup r emains t he m ost p romising f or a n i ntegrated s tudy o f p laquette a nd m ural a rt c ollections. W ith r egard t o t he t hird p laquette g roup ( Labastide/Lourdes) w hile L abastide h as a n a s y et i ncompletely a nalysed s eries o f m ural p aintings a nd e ngravings, L ourdes h as n one a nd t he f ourth g roup ( Gourdan/Lorthet) h as n o k nown d ecorated c aves i n t he v icinity o f t he s ites. T his l ack o f c oincident g rouping, b etween s ites w ith m ural d ecoration a nd t hose w ith p laquette c ollections, i s a c ommon f eature i n a ll r egions a nd s uch a d isappointi ng r ecord o f c orrelations i s p erhaps d ue t o a l ack o f d ata; t he d ecorated s anctuaries t hat w e k now t oday a re p robably a s mall f raction o f t hose t hat o nce e xisted a nd t he p reservation o f p laquette c ollections m ay b e e qually s elective. T he i mportance o f p laquette c ollections i n t he P yrenees, a t a p eriod w hen c ave p ainting t akes t o d eep c ave l ocations d oes, h owever, s uggest a c omplementary r elationship b etween t he t wo f orms ( see I ntroduction) a nd i f t his i s s o o ne w ould p erhaps e xpect t hem t o h ave a lternative p atterns o f d istribution w ithin a s mall l ocality. A t p resent, o ne c an o nly s peculate b ut, l eaving t he m atter o f l ocal d istribution a side, t here a re o ther p oints o f i nterest i n t he r elationship b etween c ave a rt a nd p laquettes. T he P yrenean a nd C antabric a rea h as o ne o f t he m ost r ecognizable a nd f ormalized t raditions o f c ave d ecoration t hat e xists. T his h as a s tylistic i dentity a nd a n arrow c hronological h orizon a nd i t i s c haracterized b y b lack o utline p ainting, b y a p articular i nventory o f

1 89

F IG. 4 6.

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a b ison t hat t akes u p t he w hole s pace a vailable f or d ecoration. C ollection, M usee d e l 'Homme. 5 5.33.1430.

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1 90

P rivate c ollection .

f igures ( basically b ison a nd h orse, w ith t he a ddition o f a d ifferent u nusual a nimal a nd v estigial h uman f igures) a nd b y a s tandardized p ositioning o f f igures. N iaux c an b e t aken a s a t ype s ite a nd t he w hole g roup i s, i n s tyle, t ypical o f M agdalenian I V. T his " formula" d ecoration i s o nly f ound i n a c ertain n umber o f c aves; i t e xists a t N iaux, P ortel, S inhikole, E kain, S antimamine, P indal a nd C ullalvera a nd p ossibly i n a f ew o ther s ites a lso ( Sieveking 1 979). T he r elevance o f t his g roup t o p laquettes i s t wo-fold, f irstly a c onnection b etween B edeilhac a nd I sturitz ( such a s e xists f or p laquettes), b ecomes m ore a cceptable w hen s upported b y a c onnection i n m ural a rt s uch a s e xists b etween N iaux a nd S antimamine, o r P ortel a nd E kain. S econdly t he b lack o utline g roup i s r ecognizable b y a s tyle o f p ainting i n w hich t he f igures a re d rawn i n o utline, a re s tatic a nd h ave c ertain p roportional c haracteristics t hat a re v ery c arefully r epeated. I n t his r espect o f s tyle c ertain o f t he p laquette c ollections i n t he P yrenees e cho t he f ormalization o f t he b lack o utline g roup. T he m anner i n w hich b ison a nd h orse a re e ngraved a t E nlene, B e deilhac, o r i n t he e arly s eries f rom L abastide i s e xtremely s imilar t o t he s tyle o f t he P ortel, N iaux g roup. I t i s a m atter o f p roportion a nd a c hosen s hape f or a f igure, t he b odies a re c ompact, t he e xtremities s mall a nd t he s tatic p osition h as a s uggestion o f t ension. T he e ngravings o f b ison a nd h orse o n p laquettes f rom t he t hree s ites l isted a bove ( and f rom I sturitz) a re v irtually i nter-changeable ( Fig. 4 6 a nd 4 7, P l. 1 5, a . F ig 3 6, a nd F ig. 5 1) a nd t he i dentity o f t he s tyle i s a ccentuated b y t he f act t hat t hese t wo s pecies a re t he m ost o ften d epicted. A s t he d ominance o f b ison a nd h orse w ould l ead o ne t o e xpect, t hese c ollecti ons a re o f M agdalenian I V d ate. L eroi-Gourhan r ecognizes a n a ssociation o f b ison a nd h orse a s t ypical o f t he c lassic M agdalenian, a nd a n a ssociation o f b ovid a nd h orse a s b asic t o P alaeolithic a rt. T he b ovid, h orse a ssociation i s n ot h owever v alid w ith r egard t o p laquettes; a s T ables 1 6 a nd 1 7 s how, h ere c ervids a nd n ot b ovids a re a lmost a lways o f s econdary i mportance t o h orse b ut i t i s i nteresting t hat t he M agdalenian I V c ollections o f t he P yrenees p rovide o ne o f t he r are e xceptions t o t his ( the o ther i s t o b e f ound a t t he s ame p eriod i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria, a b ias p roduced b y I sturitz). I n t his p eriod b ison i s o f s econd i mportance t o h orse a nd i n t his r espect t he p laquette c ollections r epeat t he p attern s hown i n c ave p ainting i n t his s ame r egion a nd p eriod. I t i s i nteresting t o c ompare t he d istribution o f t hese t wo g roups ( the b lack o utline p aintings, a nd t he p laquettes o f M agdalenian I V d ate) w hich a re a llied b y s tyle a nd f ormat. B lack o utline p ainting o ccurs i n c aves i n t he P yrenees a nd t he B asque a nd C antabric r egions. I t i s r are i n S outh-West F rance a nd i ts c ounterparts i n t he p laquette c ollections a ppear t o b e e ven m ore n arrowly r estricted. T he n ear i dentical b ison a nd h orse e ngravings o ccur i n t he E nlene g roup, a t B edeilhac, L abastide ( Casteret a nd B egoudn c ollection) a t L ourdes a nd a t I sturitz ( Figs. 1 2, 3 5, 3 6, 3 7, 4 4, 4 6, a nd 4 7), w hich i s t he o nly m ajor s ite i n t he g roup o utside t he C entral P yrenees, a r egion t o w hich i t i s i n a ny c ase, p eripheral. T his s tyle o f e ngraving i s s poradically r epresented i n S outh-West F rance, i t a ppears o n i ndividual p ieces f rom P uy-de-Lacan ( Fig. 1 9) a nd L e R oc a nd i f, i n t hese i nstances i t i s a s m uch a n i ndication o f M agdalenian I V a s o f P yrenean s tyle, t his i s n ot a r ule t hat m ay b e a pplied g enerally. A t L augerie B asse, f or e xample, t he s tyle o f e ngraving, w hile b eing c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V ( Pl. 5 , a a nd b ), i s n ot " Pyrenean" n or i s t he M agdalenian I V s eries a t B runiquel ( Pl. 6 , a a nd F ig. 4 ). T he s tylistic g roup a ssociated w ith 1 91

t he b lack o utline p ainting i s c oncentrated i n t he P yrenees a nd o ne m ay r egard i t a s a r egional c haracteristic o f t his a rea. I t i s n ot t he o nly e xample o f r egional i ndividuality, f or i nstance a h igh i ncidence o f p laquettes p er s ite i s m ore m arked i n t he P yrenees t han i n a ny o ther r egion a nd t he i mportance o f s chematic d ecoration i s g reater h ere a lso. T here a re m ore l ate M agdalenian s ites i n S outh-West F rance t han i n t he P yrenees, b ut t he p revalence o f s chematic d ecoration i s n umerically h igher i n t his l ast r egion , a nd p roportionally i t i s m uch m ore s o. C ollections c omposed o f a g reat m any s mall f ragments o f f riable s tone ( usually s chist, b ut s ometimes s andstone) a re a lso a P yrenean f eature, t hey o ccur i n t he V olp c aves , a t B e/d eilhac, M as d 'Azil, G ourdan, L orthet a nd E spalungue. T he u se o f s uch m aterials i s am atter o f c hoice f or t here a re p lenty o f r iver p ebbles o r l arger b locks i n a ny o f t hese l ocalities a nd a t L ourdes, L abastide a nd L a V ache s uch s upports w ere, i n f act, p referred. F ragmentary s upports a re u sed o utside t he P yrenean a rea, f or e xample a t I sturitz, S aut d u P erron ( Loire) a nd a t L achaud a nd B adegoule i n D ordogne, w here t he c ollections a re o f f ragments o f l ithographic l imestone, b ut t hese f our g roups r epresent a ll t he l arge c ollections t hat e xist i n o ther r egions. I t i s a c haracteristic ( like o thers) t hat i s P yrenean b y r eason o f i ts p revalence r ather t han b y i ts e xclusivity. T here i s c onsiderable v ariation b etween t he P yrenees a nd o ther r egions a nd t here a re c ertain r egional v ariations w ithin t his a rea. O ne m ay, o f c ourse, r ecognise s uch d ifferences b etter i n a n a rea s uch a s t his, w ith a q uantity o f m aterial, b ut t his, i n i tself, m ay b e r egarded a s a r egional v ariation.

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P LAQUETTE C OLLECTIONS I N T HE B ASQUE P ROVINCES A ND S PANISH C ANTABRIA ( 21 s ites,

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p .

1 36 M ap 4 )

T here a re o nly t wo c ollections w ithin t his r egion t hat a re l arge e nough t o m erit i ndividual s tudies, t hat i s I sturitz a nd C astillo a nd t heir e xtreme d isparity h ighlights a p roblem a ttendant o n t his g roup. F or t he p urposes o f a c omputer s urvey, i t w as n ecessary n ot t o m ake t he r egional g roups t oo m any, o r t oo u nequal i n s ize a nd t o a chieve t his t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria w ere c lassified a s a s ingle g roup. T here i s p erhaps e vidence, i n S traus' ( 1978) a nd L aplace's w ork ( 1979) t o s ee a n i ndustrial i dentity i n t he B asque p rovinces f rom t he S olutrean o nwards a nd w hen c onsidering c ave a rt t his g rouping h as a c ertain j ustification a lso, f or t he m ural a rt s ites i n t he F rench B asque p rovinces, s uch a s S inhikole-Ko-Karbia, E chiberri-Ko-Karbia a nd O xocelhaya a re c losely r elated t o E kain a nd o ther s ites i n t he S panish B asque d istricts; w hen c onsidering p laquettes, h owever, t he g rouping i s l ess s atisfactory. W hile I sturitz h as c lose a ssociations w ith m any o f t he F rench P yrenean s ites ( notably B edeilhac), t he p laquettes i n S panish C antabria, w hich a part f rom C astillo a re n ot n umerous a nyway, h ave n o c lear a ssociations o utside t his i mmediate a rea. I deally, p erhaps, m ore r egional g roups s hould h ave b een d istinguished b ut t oo s mall au nit e xhibits n o c haracteristics a nd, e ven i f t he f our d ivisions u sed i n t his s urvey a re n ot p erfect, i t i s p ossible t o o bserve c ertain g eneral t rends f rom t hem t hat w ould p robably n ot h ave b een a pparent i n s maller g roups. C astillo ( Santander) h as a c ollection o f s capulae t hat a re i nteresting i n t heir d ate ( Magdalenian I II) a nd i n t heir s tyle. T hey a re e ngraved i n t he m ultiple s troke t echnique t hat i s c haracteristic o f C antabric m ural e ngraving; a t echnique t hat m ay v ary f rom a n o utline a chieved b y a m ultiplicity o f s trokes t o a ll o ver s hading o f t he f igure ( Fig. 4 8 a nd F ig. 5 ). I t i s q uite d istinct f rom t he u se o f m ultiple o utlines t o c reate m ovement,or t he d uplication o f f igures,which i s a f orm o f s uperi mposition t hat h as a w ide g eographical d istribution, w hile t he m ultiple s troke s tyle i s c onfined t o t he C antabric r egion. 1 4 o f t he s capulae i n t he C astillo c ollection a re d ecorated o n t wo s urfaces a nd 2 8 o f t he 3 3 f ragments, ( three o nly a re n early c omplete), m easure b etween 1 0 a nd 3 0 c ms.; t his s ize r atio i s e xceptionally h igh a nd i t s eems p robable t hat s maller f ragments w ere n ot r etained i n t his e arly e xcavation. T he d ecoration i s n aturalistic a nd c ervids a re d epicted f ar m ore o ften t han a ny o ther s pecies, ( the n ext i n f requency i s h orse). T he d eer a re, f or t he m ost p art, d rawn w ithout a ntlers s uggesting a h erd o f d oes w ith a f ew a ttendant s tags. T his i s a g rouping t hat i s r epeated i n t he c aves o f L lonin a nd C ovalanas; R ed d eer s tags a nd d oes d o n ot r un t ogether, e xcept f or a s hort p eriod i n t he y ear a nd t his f act a ppears t o h ave b een r ecorded i n C antabric c aves. I n t he C astillo s eries m ore t han f orty d eer a re e ngraved o n t wenty-four s urfaces, t he m ajority r epresented b y h eads r ather t han a w hole f igure. T hese a re o ften g rouped i n p airs, o r m ore, a nd o ften a ligned; s uperimpositions a re t hus q uite c ommon a nd i nversions 1 94

F IG. 4 8.

C astillo ; s capula, 1 6.3 x 5 .9 c m , s howing , i n o ne p lane,

ac omplete d eer a nd t he l arge h ead o f a nother, f acing l eft a nd, i n t he i nverse p lane, a s econd h ead a lso f acing l eft. C ollection, M useo A rqueologico N acional, M adrid.

F IG. 4 9.

D rawing a fter A lmagro, 1 976.

A ltamira, s capula, a pprox. 1 5.0 x 7 .5 c m , s howing a h ind 's

h ead , f acing l eft , c omparable i n s tyle t o t he s eries f rom C astillo . E xcavated b y A lcalde d el R io, p resent l ocation u nknown. D rawing a fter B arandiaran, 1 973.

r ather l ess s o. T he C astillo s eries i s n ot a m odern a nd d isparate c ollection, a s a re m any o f t he p laquette g roups, b ut p robably a u nit t hat w as i mportant i n t he a ggregate. O ne c an, h owever, o nly s peculate a bout t his, f or f irstly, t here i s n o w ay o f d etermining w hether t he g roup i s c omplete, a nd s econdly, l acking a ny i nformation o n t heir e xact l ocation , w e d o n ot k now h ow e ach p iece r elates t o a nother. I n a ny r egion s capulae s eem t o i nvite o verengraving a nd a m ultiplicity o f l ines i n t heir d ecoration, b ut t he c ollections a re g enerally f ar l ess u niform t han a t 1 95

C astillo. S panish C antabria i s n ot r ich i n p laquettes a nd, f or t his r eason, p arallels t o t he C astillo s eries m ust b e f ound i n t he c ave a rt o f t he r egion. T he e xception i s A ltamira, w here a s mall g roup o f s imilarly d ecorated s capulae o ccur, m ade f amous b y B reuil's i llustr ations ( Fig. 4 9). T he c ave w alls o f A ltamira a nd C astillo i tself h ave c omparable e ngravings, a s d o C andamo a nd L lonin a nd t he m ultiple s troke s tyle, a s S panish p rehistorians h ave e mphasized, i s p eculiar t o t his r egion ( Jorda 1 964, A lmagro 1 980). I sturitz, i n t he B asses P yrenees, i s a s ite w ith a v ery l arge c ollecti on o f p laquettes, a nd a l ong t ime s equence f or t hese ) b ut l ittle v ariety i s e xhibited e ither i n t he s upport m aterials u sed o r i n t he s ize r atio o f t he p ieces, a lthough t he e arly s eries, A urignacian, P erigordian a nd S olutrean s how v ery l ittle r elief w ork a nd l ess d ecoration o n t wo s urfaces o f a n o bject t han d o t he M agdalenian s eries. T he p laquettes f rom I sturitz a re m ade p rincipally o f s andstone, b ut t here a re 3 2 p ebbles i n t he t otal o f 1 50 p ieces. P ebbles a re p roporti onally o f g reater i mportance i n t he e arly s eries, a nd a n umber s how u se ( Fig. 5 0), b ut s chematic d ecoration o n t hese i s r are, i n c ontrast

/

o e . 3

-

- -. -

•

, •

' " •• • ' 71

•

I

_

• " e r

-

-

F IG. 5 0.

I sturitz; p ebble, 1 2.75 x 4 .0 c m , u sed a s ac ompressor a nd

e ngraved w ith a b ear 's h ead a nd o ther l ines, f rom t he A urignacian l evels i n t he c ave.

C ollection , M us e d es A ntiquite ' s N ationales.

D rawing a fter R a nd S S t. P erier, 1 950 .

t o t he M agdalenian p ebble c ompressors, n early h alf o f w hich s how s uch d ecoration. I n t he e arly s eries o f n aturalistically d ecorated p ieces h orse i s a l ittle m ore f requent t han a re c ervids, b ison t akes t hird p lace a mongst t he a nimals a nd t here a re t welve o r m ore p ossible h uman f igures, o r p arts o f t hese. P halli o r v ulvae a re, o n o ccasion, d rawn i n p lace o f c omplete f igures. I t i s a rbitrary t o d iscuss A urignacian, G ravettian a d S olutrean p ieces a s a s ingle u nit b ut t his h as b een d one b ecause e ach g roup i s r ather s mall t o c haracterize s eparately a nd, i n t his s tudy, i t i s m ore i mportant t o d ifferentiate t hem f rom t he M agdalenian t han f rom e ach o ther. T he e arliest p ieces ( Final A urignacian a nd G ravettian) a re, i n g eneral, s impler b ut i n t he i ncidence o f h uman f igures, t he s tages a re u niform. P ebbles f rom t he M agdalenian l evels s how a h igh d egree o f u se, i t o ccurs o n a ll b ut o ne o f t he s urfaces w ith s chematic d ecoration a nd o n a pproximately h alf o f t hose w ith n aturalistic. I nterestingly, a t I sturitz, t he a ssociation o f s chematic d ecoration a nd u se i s a lready e stablished i n M agdalenian I V a nd t he p roportion o f n aturalistic t o s chematic d ecoration o n p ebbles r emains t he s ame i n M agdalenian V . ( One c annot c omment o n M agdalenian V I, s ince t here i s o nly o ne p ebble h ere 1 96

c ertainly a scribed t o t his s tage.) T he s andstone a vailable a t I sturitz w as e asily w orked a nd e xploited b y t he M agdalenian I V o ccupants o f t he c ave w ho e mployed l ow r elief, d eep c utting a nd s hading, b oth f ormalized a nd n aturalistic. F ourteen p laquettes a re s till c omplete, w hich i s a t estimony t o t he p rotected n ature o f t he s ite f or s andstone i s n ot a v ery r obust s upport. M ost a nimal f igures a re d rawn l arge a nd m ost s urfaces a re w ell f illed: a ssociations a re c ommon ( those o f t he s ame a nimal b eing a l ittle m ore f requent t han t hose o f d ifferent), s uperimpositions a nd i nversions a re n umerous ( as a re u nusual a ttributes) a nd s eventeen o f t he a nimal f igures a re c omplete ( Pl. 1 , b ). H orse w ith 4 9, o r m ore, d epictions ( Fig. 5 1) i s t he a nimal m ost

F IG. 5 1.

I sturitz; s andstone p laquette, 1 0.3 x 4 .9 c m , s howing a

h orse 's h ead, e ngraved w ith f ine l ines a nd h achuring , f rom t he M agdalenian I V l evels o f t he S outh H all.

C ollection, M Usee d es

A ntiquites N ationales, 7 480 1.

c ommonly d rawn i n t he s eries a s aw hole b ut a mongst t he s andstone a nd s chist p laquettes o f M agdalenian I V b ison i s o f g reater i mportance t han a re c ervids. O n t hese m aterials t here a re 2 2 d epictions o f b ison a nd 1 8 o f c ervids, w hether r eindeer o r r ed d eer. C ervids, h owever, r emain o f f irst i mportance i n t he d ecoration o f p ebbles w here b ison d o n ot f igure a t a ll. T he a scendance o f b ison i n t he M agdalenian I V c ollecti ons o f t he P yrenees h as b een s tressed a bove a nd i t e merges i n t he c omputer p rogramme ( see T able 1 6, a nimal i dentifications a ccording t o d ate), w here b ison i s s hown t o h ave a u nique i mportance a t t his s tage i n t he B asque p rovinces a nd S panish C antabria a nd i n t he P yrenees. T he v ery l arge M agdalenian I V c ollections f rom I sturitz a re i n f act r esponsible f or t he b ias i n t he B asque/Cantabric g roup a nd i n t his r espect ( as i n m any o thers) I sturitz s hows c lose a ffiliations t o P yrenean g roups s uch a s B edeilhac o r E nlene, L e T uc d 'Audoubert a nd L es T rois F reres. C olour o n p laquettes, w hether d ue t o p aint o r b urning, a nd t he o ccurrence o f a nimal f igures s truck b y a rrows a lso e merge f rom t he c omputer p rogramme a s c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V, ( see r especti vely T ables 1 3 a nd 1 9), a nd b oth a re e vident o n t he s andstone s urfaces a t I sturitz. F our a nimal f igures a re s hown s truck b y a rrows ( Pl. 1 , b ) 1 97

a nd 4 7 s urfaces, i n a t otal o f 9 0 , s how c olour. A ssessments f or c olour a re u nreliable w hen o ne d oes n ot k now h ow o ften t his f eature h as d isappeared, o r h as n ot b een n oted / b ut w hen t he m ajority o f i nstances t hat a re r ecorded r elate t o M agdalenian I V t his m ay b e p resumed t o h ave s ome s ignificance. T he s carcity o f s chematic m otifs, t he a bsence o f l ess l egible d ecoration, t he p redilection f or c learly d rawn, o ften c omplete a nimal f igures w hich a re s haded v ariously t o i ndicate r elief o r h air o r c oat c olouring a re a ll c haracteristic f eatures o f M agdalenian I V d ecoration a nd i n a ll t hese r espects I sturitz s tands a s o ne o f t he t ype s ites f or t his p eriod. O ne m ay d istinguish g roups a mongst t he p laquettes f rom t his s ite b ut t his i s a n a spect o f t he c ollections t hat c an b e b etter e xplained a fter a d escription o f t he c ave i tself. I sturitz h as t wo l arge h alls o f a lmost e qual e xtent, t hat r un a longs ide e ach o ther t hrough t he h ill t op. T he o riginal e ntrance w as f rom t he ' n orth ( into t he S alle d 'Isturitz o r G rande S alle) b ut t he e ntrance n ow u sed i s m odern a nd o pens t o t he s outh, l eading i nto t he S alle S aint-Martin. ( Oxocelhaya, w hich h as p aintings, i s t he n ame g iven t o a nother a bandoned w ater c ourse b elow t he o ccupied h alls.) T hese t wo m ain h alls a t I sturitz w ere d ug p rincipally b y P assemard a nd t he S t. P eriers, b oth o f w hom d ug i n b oth h alls. T he P alaeolithic u se o f t he c ave a lternated f rom h all t o h all, d etermined, p erhaps b y t emporary b lockages, r ock f alls, o r i nterior s treams. M agdalenian I V i s t he o nly s tage r epresented i n b oth g alleries; t he l atest M agdalenian l evels, w hich a re n ot i n f act v ery r ich, a re c onfined t o t he G rande S alle a nd t he b ulk o f t he a rt w ork i s, e xpectedly, M agdalenian I V. S t. P erier w as p unctilious i n l ocating h is f inds, ( at l east a s t o h all), b ut h is c ollections a re l ess r ich i n p laquettes t han a re P assemard's a nd P assemard, w hen d escribing h is L evel E ( Magdalenian I V) m akes n o d ifferentiation b etween n orth ( Grande S alle) o r S outh H all. I t i s p ossible t o l ocate s ome o f t he p ieces i n h is c ollection b ut n ot a ll. A mongst t he t hirty-five p ublished p laquettes e ight c ome f rom t he n orth h all a nd n ine f rom t he s outh a nd a mongst t he f urther f ifty-four u npublished p ieces, a n a dditional t en f rom t he n orth h all ( the G rande S alle) a nd s ixteen f rom t he s outh h all ( the S alle S aint M artin). O ne o f t he p ublished p ieces f rom t he s outh h all i s A urignacian , f our c ompressors f rom t he n orth h all a re M agdalenian V o r V I a nd t he r emainder, f rom b oth h alls, a re a ttributed t o M agdalenian I V. T he n umber o f i dentified p ieces i s d isappointingly s mall, a nd i t i s t he m ore d isappointing i n t hat, e ven f rom t his r educed n umber o f e xamples, c ertain i ndications a ppear w hich c annot b e s ubstantiated f rom t he e xisting e vidence. H owever, t he o bservations o ne c an m ake a re i nteresting, e ven i f o nly a s i ndications. F irstly t he i dentified g roup f rom t he N orth h all h as, i n a ddition t o t he f our c ompressors m entioned a bove, t hree o ther p ieces w hich, a lthough l isted a s M agdalenian I V m ight, f or v arious r easons, b e M agdalenian V o r V I i n d ate. T he r emaining i dentified p ieces a re a ll n aturalistic; i n a ddition t o a s eries o f e ngravings t here a re t wo f ragments s howing l ow r elief w ork , o ne w ith p art o f a s chematized m ane a nd o ne w ith a c omplex a rrangement o f i nverted f igures. T hese t wo p ieces a re e xamples o f a t echnique t hat i s p eculiar t o I sturitz a nd B edheilhac, a nd w hich c an b e d escribed a s s hared l ow r elief. T ypically t wo s urfaces w ith l ow r elief f igures a but o n e ach o ther, t he f igure, o r f igures o n e ach s ide m ay r eflect t he o pposite s hape e ntirely, s o t hat, f or e xample t he h ead o n t he o bverse s urface, f acing l eft, i s d uplicated 1 98

b y t he h ead o n t he r everse s urface f acing r ight, o r t he r everse s urface f igure m ay s imply b e a dapted i nto t he g iven s hape w ithout b eing a n e xact r eflection o f t hat o n t he o bverse s urface. I n a n umber o f i nstances a g roove i s c ut a long t he u pper e dge o f t he s tone t o d iffere ntiate t he f igures o n e ach s ide ( Fig. 5 2), f rom w hich o ne m ust r ealize

F IG. 5 2.

I sturitz; s andstone, 5 .9 x 5 .8 c m , af ragment o f t wo

a butting l ow r eliefs o f t he r umps o f t wo h orses, d ivided o ne f rom t he o ther b y ag roove a long t he u pper e dge.

T hey a re n ot e xactly

d uplicated a s t hey d o n ot s hare a b ack l ine a nd o ne h as n o t ail. C ollection , f l us e d es A ntiquites N ationales, 7 4752.

t hat i t w as c learly n ot t he i ntention o f t he a rtist t o p roduce a s ingle t hree d imensional f igure, e ven o f t he f lattened r elief v ariety t hat i s c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V. O bviously i t i s a rguable w hether s uch s hared r elief f igures a re p laquettes a t a ll. H ere a t echnical, a nd p robably e ntirely a rtificial d efinition i s u sed t o i nclude o r r eject s uch p ieces. T hey a re o n t he b orderline o f s culpture a nd, i f t he c ontour o f t he p iece o f s tone i s t hat o f t he a nimal d epicted, i t h as b een c lassified a s s culpture, b ut i f o ne a nimal ( or m ore) i s d rawn w ithin t he b oundary o f t he p iece a nd s o f orms a d esign i ndependent f rom t he o utline o f t he p laquette, i t h as b een c lassified a s a p laquette ( Pl. 1 6, a ). T his l ast t echnique i s u nique t o I sturitz a nd t hese p ieces a re s ome o f t he m ost i nteresting t hat t he s ite h as p roduced. T he f amous " dead" a nd " dying" r eindeer a nd t he c onverging b ison ( Pl. 1 6, a ) a re t he m ost p erfect a nd c omplete e xamples a nd t here a re f ragm ents o f a n umber m ore. ( For e xample, F ig. 5 2) T hese p ieces h ave b een d escribed b efore l isting t he i dentified p ieces f rom t he s outh h all b ecause t he s lightly d ifferent d istribution o f t echnically d istinct p ieces i n e ach g allery i s s ignificant. T o r ecapitulate, t he n orth h all h as a n umber o f p ieces w hich, a lthough i ncluded i n P assemard's M agdalenian I V g roup, h ave a s lightly l ater a ppearance, f or e xample, t he o ccurrence o f c ompressors, e laborate s chematic d ecoration a nd a d epiction o f r ed d eer s upport t his o bservation, b ut t here a re a lso p ieces t hat a re m anifestly M agdalenian I V, i n p articular t he l ow r elief p ieces d escribed a bove. T he s outh h all, h owever, ( the S alle S aint M artin) h ad n o M agdalenian V o r V I d eposits a nd t he M agdalenian I V l evels w ere s ealed b y a l ayer o f s talagmite s o t hat o ne m ay t ake i ts c ontents a s d efinitive o f t his 1 99

s tage. T he p ieces f rom t he P assemard c ollection t hat c an b e i dentified a s b elonging t o t he s outh h all a re a s f ollows: t wo p laquettes w ith a butting l ow r elief, t wo f urther p robable f ragments o f t he s ame, f our e xamples o f l ow r elief w ork, t he l ast t wo o f w hich h ave e ngravings o n t heir r everse s urfaces, a nd e ighteen f urther e ngraved p ieces, f our o f w hich a re d ecorated o n b oth s urfaces. F ive o f t hese p ieces h ave e ngraving t hat i s i ndecipherable, o ne h as a r oughly e ngraved i f l ively h orse h ead, a nd t he r emaining t welve f orm a g roup t hat i s c haracterized b y f ine, e legant e ngraving w here, o n o ccasion, e ven t he o utline i s c reated b y h achuring ( Fig. 5 3, a a nd b ). T his s tyle, w ith o ne

• •• • •,-

a

F IG. 5 3 .

I sturitz; s andstone f ragments, a , 7 .9 x 6 .3 c m , s howing a

h orse 's h ind l eg a nd t ail, v ery l ightly e ngraved w ith l ines o f h achuring.

b , 5 .7 x 5 .5 c m , s howing t henose a nd j aw o f ab ison ,

e ngraved i n t he s ame w ay, w ith l ines o f h achuring.

C ollection ,

M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales, 7 48 18 a nd 7 4797.

e xception , i s n ot p resent a mong P assemard's i dentified p ieces f rom t he n orth h all, n or i s i t p resent i n S t. P erier's c ollection f rom t his g allery, a lthough i t a ppears a gain i n h is c ollection f rom t he s outh h all. O n e vidence, t here a ppears t o b e a s lightly d ifferent d istr ibution o f t echnically d istinct p ieces i n t he n orth a nd s outh h alls a t I sturitz, f or e xample, t he n umber o f i dentified a butting l ow r elief p ieces i s g reater f or t he s outh h all t han f or t he n orth a nd t he v ery f ine l ine h achured e ngravings a re a lmost e ntirely c onfined t o t he s outh. T he n umerical b alance o f a butting l ow r elief p ieces ( two f rom t he n orth h all, f our f rom t he s outh) d oes n ot a llow o ne t o a dd t he u nlocated p ieces t o t he s outh h all c ollection , a lthough t he p robability o f t heir h aving b een f ound t here i s q uite h igh, b ut o ne m ight l egitimately s uggest t hat t he u nlocated f inely h achured p laquettes s uch a s t he " hare" w ere m ost p robably r ecovered f rom t he s outh h all. S aint P erier s uggested t hat m uch o f t he s ophisticated b one a nd a ntler w ork o f M agdalenian I V w as p roduced i n a teliers a nd t hat I sturitz a nd B edeilhac w ere c entres f or t he p roduction a nd d iffusion o f s tone s culpture, b ut, w ith r egard t o p laquettes, t his i s n ot, p erhaps, t he b est e xplanation. T hese l ast w ere p roduced i n q uantity b ut w e h ave n o e vidence t hat t hey w ere f or u se a nywhere b ut I sturitz i tself a nd, a lthough t hey a re f ound g rouped a nd s cattered i n t he i nterior g alleries, i t i s u nlikely t hey w ere m ade t here. A ny c raftsman w ould 2 00

p refer d aylight a nd, u ntil t he c onstruction o f a m odern e ntrance t he s outh h all, a t l east, w as e ntirely i n t he d ark. H aving b een e ngraved t he p laquettes w ere p erhaps s et u p w ithin t he g alleries w here t hey c ould b e s een b y f ire l ight a nd w hen t he a ctivity w ith w hich t hey w ere a ssociated, ( some c eremony? o r r ecital?) w as f inished, t hey w ere p erhaps a bandoned t here. I sturitz i s a v ery r ich h abitation s ite w ith n o c omparably r ich m ural a rt s ite k nown a nywhere i n t he l ocality ( Oxocelhaya i s m inimal i n d ecoration). T his m ay b e b ecause s uch a c ave h as n ot y et b een f ound, b ut i t m ay, c onversely b e a n e xplanation f or t he p rofusion o f s tatuettes a nd p laquettes i n t he s ite i tself. P laquette c ollections h ave m any c haracteristics i n c ommon w ith c ave a rt a nd t he h omogeneity o f s ome o f t hese g roups h as b een e xplained b y s uggesting t hey a re t he w ork o f o ne o r m ore c raftsmen a massing a c ollection o f p laquettes t o f orm a n a lternative " sanctuary". S anctuary h owever, i s n ot a v ery g ood d escription o f t hese c ollections. I t i mplies a r efuge o r a p lace a part a nd i t m ay r easonably b e u sed o f c aves b ut e xcept f or t he c onnotation o f r ecognized i mages i t i s l ess a pt f or p laquettes. T hey a re, p erhaps, e ssential a djuncts t o s ome r ite o r m ime a nd B reuil's o riginal d escription o f " parois m obiles" w as m ore a pt. T he d ifference b etween I sturitz a nd o ther s ites i n S panish C antabria i s a s m uch a m atter o f d ate a s l ocation. I sturitz h as l evels o f M agdalenian I V, V a nd V I, M agdalenian I V b eing t he m ost i mportant i n c onsideration o f p laquettes ( the f ew p ieces f rom B rassempouy a re o f t he s ame d ate a nd t hose f rom D uruthy a re w ithin t he s ame M iddle t o L ate M agdalenian r ange). T he s tage o f M agdalenian I V i s g enerally c onsidered a s m issing o r v ery i ll r epresented i n S panish C antabria, t hough t o d eny i ts e xistence a ltogether m akes a n e xplanation o f t he c ave s anctuaries v ery d ifficult ( this p roblem i s d iscussed i n S ieveking 1 979). T he p laquette c ollection f rom C astillo i s c onsidered t o b e M agdalenian I II a nd t he s ix c omparable s capulae f rom A ltamira a re f inal

F IG . 5 4. P aloma; s chist p laque, 1 6.5 x 8 .2 c m .

T wo, o r m ore,

s uperimposed h orses a re e ngraved h ere, g alloping t o t he l eft, a ssociated w ith s everal a pparently d isarticulated h uman l imbs. C ollection, M useo N ational d es C iencas, M adrid. B arandiaran, 1 973.

D rawing a fter

( This i s at ranscription o f P late 1 6, b . )

2 01

P LATE 1 6 a .

I sturitz, s andstone b lock, 9 .75 x 6 .0 c m , s howing o ne b ison, o r p erhaps t wo,

e ngraved a nd c ut i n l ow r elief w ithin t he b oundary o f t he s tone.

T wo f urther

d uplicated f igures a re e ngraved o n t he r everse s urface o f t his p iece, p laced t o c oincide w ith t he f igures o n t he o bverse.

C ollection, M us e d es A ntiquites

N ationales, 7 4763, p hoto, M .A.N. b .

P aloma, s chist p laque, 1 6.5 x 8 .2 c m , s howing t wo o r m ore, s uperimposed h orses,

g alloping t o t he l eft a nd s everal d isarticulated h uman l imbs. N ational d e C iencas N aturales, M adrid.

P hoto, T heresa C hapa.

2 02

C ollection, M useo

S olutrean; i n f act, w ith t he p ossible e xception o f P aloma a nd E kain n one o f t he e ighteen s ites i n S pain w ith p laquettes c an b e c onsidered a s c lassic M agdalenian, t hough R ascano, T ito B ustillo a nd a n umber o f o thers b elong t o t he C antabrian U pper ( late) M agdalenian. E kain h as a b eautiful s tone p laquette t hat m ight h ave b een f ound i n a ny P yrenean M agdalenian I V c ontext b ut t he C 14 d ate o f 1 2,050 1 90 B P i s n ot i n a ccord w ith t his a nd t he g roup f rom P aloma ( 12 p ieces) w hich i s f requently p ut f orward a s t he m issing e vidence o f M agdalenian I V c ould, o n g rounds o f s tyle, b elong t o t his p eriod, t hough i t m ay, e qually a cceptably, b e c onsidered a s a l ittle l ater. T he s tone p laquette f rom P aloma w ith c antering h orses ( Fig. 5 4 a nd P l. 1 6, b ) i s c omparable t o t hat w ith a g roup o f a nimals i n m ovement f rom L ourdes w hich b y d eduction m ay b e p laced i n M agdalenian V . T he n omenclature o f M agdalenian I V, V a nd V I i s p erhaps i napplicable t o S pain a nd t he i mpression g iven i s t hat t he s tage ( Magdalenian I V) w hich i s r ich i n t he P yrenees a nd w hich i s l argely i dentified b y i ts m iniature a rt p ieces, i s f ugitive a nd s poradic i n C antabria. P erhaps M agdalenian I V i s a f acies t hat i s i nterdependent w ith r eindeer a nd b ison i n t he P yrenean f oothills a nd t he B asin o f A quitaine a nd, l ike t hese a nimals, i s p oorly r epresented i n S pain. P ollen a nd f aunal d ata b oth i ndicate t hat t he C antabrian c oastal p lain w as w ooded t hroughout m ost o f t he l ate P aleolithic p eriod ( Clark 1 974-5) a nd s uch a h abitat f avours r ed d eer r ather t han b ison a nd r eindeer. T hese l ast t wo s pecies o ccur i n s mall n umbers i n t he o ccupation d ebris o f C antabrian s helters b ut a t n o t ime d oes t heir i mportance a pproach t hat o f r ed d eer. B oth s pecies a re r epresented i n C antabrian c ave p ainting ( bison m ore f requently t han r eindeer) b ut t he i nventory o f a d ecorated c ave i s o ften d ifferent f rom t hat o f t he e nvironment a nd i t i s r elevant t hat b oth i n c aves a nd o n p laquettes b ison i s o nly i mportant i n t hose c ollections a nd m ural l ocations t hat m ay b e r elated t o M agdalenian I V ( in t he c ase o f p laquettes, t o I sturitz). I n f act t he e vidence f rom t he P yrenees a nd S outh-West F rance s uggests t hat b ison a re t he h allmark o f M agdalenian I V. I t h as b een s uggested t hat t he a bsence o f M agdalenian I V ( a r eindeer b ased t echnology?) i n C antabria i s r elated t o t he s carcity o f r eindeer h ere, b ut b ison a re p erhaps e qually i mportant i n t his c ontext. I n c onclusion i t i s c lear t hat t here i s n o r egional c haracter u niting t he p laquette c ollections o f t he B asque p rovinces a nd C antabria b ut b ecause t he c hronological s equence t hat o ccurs i n F rance i s n ot r epeated i n S pain, o ne c annot d etermine w hether t his d ivergence i s r egional, c hronological o r c ultural. A t a n e arly s tage, C astillo a nd A ltamira c onstitute a r ecognizable s tylistic g roup w ithin t he r egion, a nd b oth c ollections e xhibit t he m ultiple s troke e ngraving t echnique t hat i s p eculiar t o s ites i n N orth S pain. A t a l ater d ate t he r ich c lassic a nd l ate M agdalenian c ollections a t I sturitz s how h ow c losely t his s ite i s r elated t o o thers o f t he s ame d ate i n t he P yrenees a nd a lso e mphasize t he u niformity o f t he c ultural s tage o f M agdalenian I V.

2 03

C HAPTER 9

P LAQUETTE C OLLECTIONS O UTSIDE A QUITAINE A ND C ANTABRIA ( 22 s ites,

7 7 p laquettes, l ist o f s ites,

p .

1 37, M ap 1 , p .136)

T he d esignation o f " outside A quitaine a nd C antabria" p roperly i ncludes S outhern S pain, I taly, S witzerland, G ermany, C entral E urope a nd R ussia b ut t hese a reas a re n ot r elevant t o a s tudy o f r egional g rouping i n W estern E urope. S ites w ithin t he b oundaries o f F rance, h owever, a nd i n t he L ow C ountries a re, i n a n uMber o f i nstances, r elated t o t he A quitanico-Cantabric g roup. T he s election m ade h ere w as d etermined b y t he d ata a vailable i n 1 982; t hree B elgian, o ne D utch a nd a ll t he s cattered F rench s ites w ith p laquettes f rom t he R höne V alley t o N orth F rance h ave b een i ncluded, b ut t his i ll a ssorted g roup h as n o r egional e ntity i n i tself a nd c annot b e e xpected t o h ave, s ince t he a rea c oncerned i s n ot, i n a ny s ense, a u nit. T hese s ites a re p eripheral t o S outh-West a nd C entral F rance o r t o t he P yrenees a nd o ne c an m ore e asily p oint t o c onnections o utside t his f ourth r egion t han i n i t. I n F rance t he l ate M agdalenian i s m arked b y t erritorial e xpansion ( Lorblanchet 1 969, S onneville-Bordes 1 963) a nd o ne w ould e xpect t he p laquette c ollections p eripheral t o A quitaine a nd t he G aronne c omplex t o b e l ate i n d ate. T he m ajority t hat c an b e r eliably d ated c onform t o t his p attern; i f M agdalenian, t hey a re l ate a nd o therwise t hey a re p re o r p ost M agdalenian. T he o nly s ite t hat d oes n ot c onform t o t his r ule i s L a C olombiere, i n A in w hich, w hile o f c ontroversial d ate, i s o f c lassic M agdalenian a ppearance. W ith r egard t o n umerical i mportance, o nly t wo s ites i n t his r egion f ulfil t he s ize r equirement f or t he p resent c omputer s urvey, o ne b eing L a C olombiere a nd t he o ther S aut du-Perron ( Loire). R ecent e xcavations a t R oc-la-Tour o n t he B elgian b order h ave a dded a t hird l arge c ollection a nd t he e mergency e xcavations a t S aut du-Perron, i n a dvance o f t he f looding o f t he g orges o f t he L oire h ave a dded a g reat m any p ieces t o t his g roup. T he c omputer s urvey, h owever, w as m ade b efore t hese c ollections w ere a vailable a nd t he t otal o f 7 7 p ieces h ere q uoted f or t his r egion a s a w hole i s n ow d eficient; a f igure i n e xcess o f 2 00 w ill b e c orrect f or t he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria. T hese a dditional c ollecti ons a ugment t he m aterial b ut t hey d o n ot a lter t he c onclusions d rawn f rom t he s maller i ndexed s ample. T here a re t wo o pen a ir s ites w ith p laquettes a t S aut du-Perron, V igne B run, w ith a P erigordian o ccupation d eposit t o w hich t hree o f t he p ublished p laquettes a re u sually a scribed, a nd G outte R offat, w ith M agdalenian d eposits. T here i s aM agdalenian l evel a t V igne B run a lso a nd i t h as b een s uggested t hat t he p laquettes m ight b e b etter a scribed t o t his l evel; c ertainly t here i s n othing i n t he s tyle o f e ngraving t o d istinguish t hem f rom t he G outte R offat s eries. A s election o nly o f t he S aut du-Perron p ieces h as b een p ublished a nd, t o d ate, t he a nimal f igures h ave b een c hosen f or i llustration b ut t he s ites c ontain a q uantity o f s chematic d ecoration a lso ( Fig. 5 5, a , ba nd c ). O ne m ay m ake c ertain g eneral c omments o n t hese c ollections; a ll t he p laquettes a re s mall a nd a ll a re f ragments o f s chist, f ew o f w hich a re c omplete. 2 04

a

F IG. 5 5.

S aut du-Perron; s chist f ragments w ith s chematic

d ecoration . a , 5 .5 x 4 .2 c m , b , G outte R offat, 5 .5 x 3 .7 c m , c , 6 .5 x4 .0 c m .

C ollections, a , M usee D echelette, R oanne, S P.70, b ,

D irection d es A ntiquites P rehistoriques d u R höne-Alpes, c , F aculte d es S ciences d e l a T erre, U niversity o f L yon, 1 . S P.46.

T he d isposition o f t he d ecoration i s s imple; o nly o ne s urface h as s uperimposed a nd i nverted f igures, o nly o ne s urface ( the s ame) h as m ore t han t wo a nimal f igures a nd t here a re o nly t wo i nstances o f a nimals i n a n u nusual p osture, o ne o f w hich i s t o b e f ound o n t he r everse s urface o f t he s ame p iece. T he o bverse s urface h as t wo h orses, b oth f acing r ight a nd s uperimposed a t d ifferent a ngles, w hich a re r ather s imply, i f f luently, e ngraved, a nd t he r everse s urface h as a r eindeer t hat i s a ltogether n aturalistic e xcept f or t he a wkward p osition o f t he h ind l eg, w hich i s t wisted f orward t o f it i nto t he s pace a vailable o n t he s tone ( Pl. 1 7, a ). G enerally t he e ngraving o n t he S aut du-Perron p ieces i s f luent w ith a c onsiderable q uantity o f o verengraved l ines a nd s hading. T he r hinoceros, r epresented b y i ts f eet a lone b ut o f u ndoubted a ttribution,invites c omparison w ith L a C olombiere, b ut o n a ccount o f t he s pecies p ortrayed, r ather t han t he s tyle. T he i ndexed d ocumentation o f S aut du-Perron m ade h ere i s i ncomplete, b ut t he s election t hat i s p ublished i s i nteresting. S tylistically t he g roup i s n earer t o c ertain P yrenean s ites, o r t o t hose i n t he B runiquel g roup t han t o o thers. F or e xample, t he G outte R offat r eindeer i s s imilar t o c ertain f igures f rom F onta Ms w hile t he f emale f igures f rom t his s ame s ite m ay b e c ompared t o C ourbet, t o F ontales ( Fig. 2 8), o r t o L a R oche, L alinde ( Pl. 1 0, a ). A ll h ave s tylized, p rofile f igures, t ypical o f t he l ate M agdalenian. T here i s a n a ppreciable q uantity o f 2 05

a

P LATE 1 7

a .

S autdu-Perron, G outte R offat; s chist p laquette, 9 .2 x 7 .1 c m , e ngraved w ith a

r eindeer f acing l eft, w ith d iminutive a nd c ramped l egs, d ue t o l ack o f s pace o n t he s urface o f t he s tone.

C ollection, M us e D echelette, R oanne.

S P.4 1.

P hoto , c ourtesy

o f 3C ombier. b .

L a C olombiere; l imestone p ebble, 1 4.75 x 1 3.0 c m , s howing a m usk-ox w ith i ts c oat

e ngraved i n af ormalized m anner. 1 .

M ayet a nd P issot c ollection .

F aculte d es S ciences d e l a T erre , U niversity o f L yon P hoto , M artine F aure.

2 06

s chematic e ngraving f rom t he S aut du-Perron s ites a nd i t i s i nteresting t hat i t o ccurs b oth a t V igne B run, i n aP erigordian c ontext, a nd G outte R offat, i n aM agdalenian. T his i s n ot a c haracteristic u nique t o t hese s ites, R ocher-de-la-Caille, f or e xample, h as a s imilar i nventory o f n aturalistic a nd s chematic m otifs, a lthough L a C olombiere d oes n ot. T he M agdalenian d ate o f L a C olombiere i s n ow a ccepted, b ut i t r emains a n i ndividual s ite. 1 5 o f t he 1 7 p ieces i n t his c ollection a re p ebbles, 1 0 o f t hese a re c omplete, m any a re o f m oderate s ize, t hat i s b etween 1 0 a nd 3 0 c ms. i n m aximum d imension, a nd l ike B runiquel o r L ourdes, w hich a re c omparable i n f orm a nd s ize o f s upport, t he d ecoration o f t he L a C olombiere p ebbles i s v ery r ich. W ith a s ingle e xception, w hich i s t he p ebble e xcavated b y M ovius a nd J udson i n 1 948 , ( Fig. S o , a a nd b ) t his s eries w as f ound b y M ayet a nd P issot i n 1 913-14 . E ven a t t hat d ate t he s tratigraphy w as h ard t o e lucidate f or t he s ite h ad b een t urned o ver b y a s eries o f e arlier e xcavators a nd t he d eposits l eft t o M ovius w ere e ven m ore e xiguous. O ne o f M ayet a nd P issot's p ieces c ame f rom t he d ump a nd i s i n m any w ays a nomalous, p erhaps s uspect, b ut t he r emaining e ight p ebbles b elong i n t he c ontext o f t he r ock s helter a nd t o a s ingle i ndustrial l evel. N ine o f t he t en c omplete p ebbles ( the e xception i s t he s uspect p iece) a re e ngraved o n b oth s urfaces. S ix o f t hese n ine h ave, o r h ad b efore a brasion , a c omplexity o f s uperimposed a nd i nverted f igures o n b oth s urfaces, i n f act a ll b ut t he t wo s mallest p ebbles a nd t he o ne l arge a re d ecorated i n t his m anner a nd t his l ast i n f act h as s uperimposed, i f n ot i nverted f igures o n i ts r everse s urface. S ome o f t he p ebbles a re v ery d ensely o verengraved, t he m ost c omplex b eing M ayet a nd P issot's P ebble 1 , P ebble 4 a nd t he s ingle p iece f ound b y t he H arvard U niversity g roup i n 1 948 ( Fig. 5 6). T he o verengraving i s f ormed a lmost e ntirely b y s uperimposed f igures, t he d ecorated s urfaces h ave s ome a dditional o dd l ines, b ut m ost o f t he e ngraved i ncisions a re p arts o f a nimals o r f orm s hading o n t hese, w hether n aturalistic o r f ormalized. M any o f t he f igures a re c omplete a nd t hey a re d rawn i n t he c lassic M agdalenian m anner, i n p rofile a nd w ith d etail; o ne h orse h as i ts s ex i ndicated, ( an u nusual a ttribute), a nd c ertain o f t he c ervids a re i n p ostures o f m ovement, b ut i n g eneral t he a nimals a re d epicted a s s tatic. M otifs s uch a s g rids a nd s erpentiform l ines a re i ncluded b ut t here i s n o s urface w ith g eometric o r s chematic d ecoration a lone a lthough f ifteen s urfaces s how u se a s a c ompressor. I f t he a nimal f igures a re r elatively s imple t he w ay i n w hich t hey a re p ositioned i s n ot. O ne s urface h as, i t i s c laimed, s ix d ifferent a nimal s pecies r epresented, t hree o ther s urfaces h ave f our e ach, t hree f urther s urfaces h ave t hree a nd f our h ave t wo a piece. T en o r m ore d ifferent s pecies h ave b een i dentified, a nd t here a re c ertainly a n umber o f f urther f igures, o r p arts o f f igures, t hat h ave n ot y et b een i dentified. T his i s a v ery v aried i nventory, p articularly f or a g roup o f M agdalenian d ate a nd i t h as an umber o f u nusual a nimals, f or e xample r hinoceros a nd m usk o x ( Pl. 1 7, b ), i n a ddition t o h orse, c ervids, c aprids, b ears, f elines, m ammoth, b ison o xen a nd h umans. N one o f t he i dentifications o f b ison a re c onvincing, b ut t his i s t he o nly d ubious g roup. C ervids a re t he m ost c ommonly d epicted a nimal, h orse i s o f n ext i mportance, a nd t here a re a n a ppreciable n umber o f f elines. T he C olombiere p ebbles a re e xceptional i n a nother w ay, i n t hat t here a re f ive ( perhaps s ix) e ngravings o f a nimals w ith a rrows i n t heir b odies. T hese a re t he c lassic " feathered" d arts a s d rawn o n a s tone 2 07

/-" -

F IG. 5 6.

L a C olombiere; p ebble, 1 2.0 x 8 .2 c m .

T he o bverse

s urface, a , s hows , i n t he f irst p lane, a h orse w ith a d art i n i ts t hroat, f acing t o t he r ight a nd , i n t he i nverse p lane , ac ervid w ithout a ntlers, a n i bex a nd a f eline, a ll f acing l eft s o t hat t heir h eads c oincide w ith t hat o f t he h orse .

T he r everse s urface, b ,

s hows, i n t he f irst p lane, t he f igures o f ah orse , ac ervid a nd a r hinoceros ( whose h ead i s r epeatedly r ecut) a ll f acing l eft a nd, i n t he i nverse p lane , t he h ead o f af eline, f acing r ight. C ollection, M us e d e l 'Ain, B ourg-en-Bresse.

2 08

p laquette f rom B runiquel ( Fig. 1 , P l. 3 , a ): a rrows o r d arts i n a ssociation w ith a nimal f igures a re a c haracteristic f eature o f M agdalenian I V a nd t his i s a nother r eason, i n a ddition t o t heir s tyle, f or a ssigning am id-Magdalenian d ate t o t he C olombiere p laquette c ollection. D ating t his c ollection h as p resented m any p roblems. M ovius ( 1956) i dentified t he i ndustry a ssociated w ith h is p ebble a s b eing a n U pper P erigordian, e ven i f r ather a berrant i n a ppearance,but t he l atest r ea ssessments m ade b y D esbrosse a nd o thers i n 1 975 s uggest t hat t his l evel i s i n f act a M agdalenian, a gain a typical, w ith p ronounced e piG ravettian a ffinities. T he f lint w ork i s n ot d efinitive, b ut s ome o f t he b one o bjects ( such a s a d ouble b evelled, s quare s ectioned p oint) a re i dentifiably M agdalenian. T he i ndustry h as b een c ompared t o t he m id-Magdalenian o f A rlay i n J ura w hich, i n a ddition t o a s imilar i ndustry h as a n e ngraved p ebble c omparable t o t hose f rom C olombiere ( it i s n ot i dentical, b ut h as s ome s imilarities). W hatever t he i ndustry, L eroi-Gourhan ( 1956) w as c orrect i n h is a ssessment o f t he s tyle o f e ngraving o f t he p ebbles. I nternal e vidence, s uch a s t he u se o f f eathered d arts, i s f urther s upport f or t his, b ut s upport i s h ardly n eeded. W hile C olombiere h as n o e xact p arallels i n P alaeolithic a rt t he q uality o f t he p ieces, a s a t B runiquel, a llow m uch m ore t han u sually e xact s tylistic j udgements. T he t ension a nd c ompactness o f t he f igures, t he w ay t hey a re p acked i nto t he s urface a rea, a nd t he r epresentation o f a f ormalized a nimal t ype, r ather t han a n i ndividual a nimal, a ll i ndicate a c lassic M agdalenian. W here s uch a n i ndustrial s tage e xisted, o ne w ould a scribe t he p ebbles t o M agdalenian I V, b ut h ere, p erhaps m id-Magdalenian i s m ore a cceptable a nd, c onsidering t he l atest r eassessments o f t he i ndustrial m aterials, t here a re n o l onger a ny o bjections t o s uch a n a ttribution. O ne n eed n ot a gree w ith M ovius i n h is s tatement t hat, b ecause t he f auna o n t he p ebbles d oes n ot r eflect t hat f ound o n t he s ite " It i s v ery i mprobable t hat t he d rawings w ere a ctually e xecuted a t t he s helter" ( Movius a nd J udson, 1 956). T he s tones a re o f a m aterial a vailable l ocally, aJ urassic l imestone o f a lmost l ithographic q uality a nd, w ith r egard t o t he a nimals d rawn, f irstly, i n P alaeolithic a rt w hether m ural o r m iniature, t he i nventory d epicted i s q uite o ften a t v ariance w ith t he e nvironment a nd, s econdly, t he a bsence o f b ones o f a c ertain a nimal i n a l iving s ite n eed o nly m ean t hat s uch a b east w as n ot c aught, o r w as n ot c arried b ack, n ot t hat i t d id n ot l ive i n t he r egion. T his a pplies p articularly t o a s ite s uch a s C olombiere w hich w as a pparently n o m ore t han a s hort t erm s ettlement. T he m ost l ikely p lace f or t he C olombiere p ebbles t o h ave b een e ngraved i s i n t he s helter i tself a nd t he i dentity o f s tyle a mong t he p ieces t ends t o c onfirm t his. I n h is e xplanation o f t he f unction o f t hese p ebbles M ovius f ollowed B reuil a nd o thers i n r egarding t hem a s r itual o bjects. T he s uggestion m ade w as t hat " the p ebble w as i nitially e ngraved a nd u sed i n s ome s ort o f h unting c eremony w as r e-engraved a nd h aving s erved i ts p urpose i n c onnection w ith c ertain p articular s ites c onnected w ith t he h unt, i t w as c eremoniously k illed". ( Movius a nd J udson) R e-engraving e xplained t he s uperimpositions, " killing" e xplained t he b attered a nd c hipped s tate o f a n umber o f t he s tones. T hese e xplanations, h owever, a re o nly a ssumptions; t he b attering a nd c hipping o f a n umber o f t he p ebbles i s c onsistent w ith t heir u se a s c ompressors. M ovius h imself d escribes h is 1 948 p ebble ( Fig. 5 6) i n t he f ollowing m anner, " one e nd 2 09

i s h eavily a braded a nd t he m arks o f p ercussion e xtend p art w ay a long e ach o f t he s ides, s uggesting e xtensive u se a s a h ammer s tone o f s ome s ort", o nly t o r eject, i n t he n ext s entence, t he p ossibility o f i ts h aving b een s o u sed. M any d ecorated p ebbles s how u se a s c ompressors a nd t he p roblem i s n ot s o m uch w hether s uch s tones w ere u sed, a s w hether t hey s hould b e c lassified a s p laquettes. A n umber o f P alaeolothic t ools a re e legantly d ecorated, p articularly n one xpendable: , " intermediate' t ools, s uch a s c ompressors, a nd i t i s n ot , n ecessary t o s ummon u p a r itual " killing" t o a ccount f or t he b attered a nd c hipped z ones o n s ome o f t he C olombiere p ebbles. P alaeolithic c raftsmen f requently p ainted a w all o r e ngraved a n o bject w ith c are, o nly t o o bliterate o ne p ainting w ith a nother, o r d eface t he e ngraving b y u se; o ur p rocesses o f t hought t hat a re o utraged b y s uch d estruction ( such l ack o f c onservation) a re c learly n ot t he s ame a s t heirs a nd e xplanations s uch a s a " ritual k illing" a re v ery l ikely t o b e i na ppropriate. ( Sieveking, 1 987) I n r elation t o t he d ate o f L a C olombiere, i t i s r elevant t hat K esslerloch, i n S witzerland, h as a n a ssemblage o f a rt o bjects t hat a re w holly c haracteristic o f M agdalenian I V ( Bandi 1 977). B oth s ites m ay r epresent a n e astwards s pear-head c olonization, o r s imply a f oray, p revious t o t he g eneral L ate M agdalenian e xpansion. C olombiere i s a pparently a t ransitory s ite b ut t he o ccupation a t K esslerloch i s m ore s ubstantial. T he C olombiere p ebbles a re d istinctive b oth w ithin a nd w ithout t heir g eographical c ontext, b ut t he s ingle p ebble f rom A rlay ( Jura) i s c omparable t o t hem i n s ome r espects a nd s o a re o ne o r t wo o f t he s eries f rom R ocher d e l a C aille ( Loire). W ith t he e xception o f o ne p ebble f rom t his l ast s ite t hese p ieces a re a ll l ess n aturalistic t han t he C olombiere s eries, b ut t he u se o f f luent, v ery c omplex o ver e ngraving o n p ebbles i s c ommon t o a ll t hree s ites. T he R ocher d e l a C aille p ieces a re s aid t o b e l ate M agdalenian, b ut t his i s a n a ssessment m ade o n t he f lintwork a lone. T he e ngraved p ebble f rom t he G rotte d u T rilobite a t A rcy-sur-Cure i s o ften c ited a s a p arallel t o C olombiere, p rincipally, p erhaps, b ecause i t i s a lso d ecorated w ith r hinoceroses. I ts d ate i s s aid t o b e A urignacian b ut e ven i f o ne m ight q uestion w hether t he s tyle o f e ngraving i s a s e arly a s t his i t r emains a n u nsatisfactory p arallel t o C olombiere s ince t here i s l ittle s imilari ty i n t he m anner o f d epiction. O ne o f t he m ost b eautiful s ingle f inds i n t his r egion ( outside A quitaine a nd C antabria) i s t he h orse h ead f rom C epoy i n L oiret ( Pl. 1 8). T he m anner o f e ngraving i s t ypically M agdalenian, a lthough t he i ndustry h ere i s H amburgian. A s urvival o f " classical" s tyle a ppears t o b e c haracteristic o f t he p eripheral r egions ,for t he t wo p laquettes f rom C häleux i n B elgium a re a lso e legantly e ngraved ( as a re a s eries f rom R oc L a T our, A rdennes), n ot i n t he h eavy l ate M agdalenian i diom f ound i n D ordogne, b ut i n a n e legant a nd n aturalistic s tyle, a nd t he m ost e laborate p iece f rom S aut du-Perron ( Pl. 1 7, a ) i s v ery s imilar t o t hese. O ther l ate s ites, h owever, i llustrate t he i ncreasing i mportance o f s chematic d ecoration, f or e xample G ouy ( Normandy) ( Pl. 9 , a ) w ith a f inal M agdalenian i ndustry a nd t he A bri G ay ( Ain) w ith a n A zilian. A s s tated i n t he a nalysis o f S aut du-Perron, t his s ite h as a q uantity o f s chematically d ecorated p ieces a lso, b ut t hey a re n ot y et f ully p ublished. E nval ( Puy-de-Domme) i s a n u nfinished e xcavation; e ight o f t he p laquettes f ound h ere h ave b een i llustrated a nd t he a dditional 2 10

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2 11

f ragments a re r ecorded a nd t heir d ate a nd p osition i n t he d eposit i s k nown. H ere o ne c annot c omplain o f t he r ecording, b ut t he p laquettes a re n ot v ery i mpressive. T he e ngraving i s c oarse, o n o ccasion c ombined w ith l ow r elief; t he r ump o f o ne h orse a nd t he b ody o f a nother a nd . heads o f h orse a nd i bex a re d epicted, t wo p ossible a nd o ne m ore c onvincing h uman f igure, s ome i ndecipherable d esigns a nd a m otif t hat P ales a nd T assin d e S aint P ereuse ( 1979) d escribe a s a f eather, o r l eaf s keleton, b ut w hich m ight b e r egarded a s w holly s chematic. T he p ieces a re s mall i n s ize ( only t wo p laquettes a re o ver 1 0 c ms) a nd o f t he s eventeen p ieces f ound b y B ourdelle ( 1979) a ll b ut t wo w ere f ound w ith t heir o nly, o r t heir b etter, d ecorated f ace d ownwards; t his l ower f ace w as g enerally h eavily i mpregnated w ith o chre b ut w hether t his w as a pplied t o t he p laquettes o r s eeped t hrough t he d eposit i n a p eriod o f d amp, i t i s n ot p ossible t o d etermine. A n umber o f t hese d ecorated p ieces w ere i ncorporated w ith o ther " u ndecorated p laquettes i n a s tretch o f p aving, l aid, i t i s t hought, t o c ounteract t he d amp. E nval h as t wo t hree d imensional s tatuettes ( a p ossible f emale f igure a nd a h uman h ead) a nd t hese a nd t he p laquettes, t hough f rom v arious i ndividual l evels, a re a ll o f f inal M agdalenian d ate. T he m aterial f or F rance o utside t he c lassic a reas o f A quitaine a nd t he P yrenees i s s parse a nd t he s ample u sed h ere f or t he c omputer s urvey i s s mall. T here a re t wice a s m any m ore p laquettes u npublished a s t here a re l isted b ut t hey r einforce, r ather t han a lter t he d eductions d rawn f rom t he s ample i ndexed. O ne c annot d raw m any c onclusions f rom a g roup o f s ites t hat i s s o w idespread, b ut t wo o bservations m ay b e m ade. F irstly, t hat d elicate, n aturalistic e ngraving p ersists i n l ate, o r p ost-Magdalenian c ontexts i n N orthern F rance a nd B elgium , f or e xample a t C epoy, R oc l a T our a nd C hj ä leux, a nd s econdly, t hat i t i s p ossible t o r ecognise o ne l ocal g roup w ithin t he r egion; t he e vidence f or t his i s t entative b ut t he C olombiere, A rlay a nd R ocher-de-la-Caille p ebbles h ave a s imilar a ppearance a nd g eographically t he a ssociation i s f easible. B ourg-en-Bresse ( Colombiere) i s l ess t han 6 0 k ms f rom L ons-le-Saunier ( Arlay) a nd R oanne ( Rocher-de-la-Caille) i s a pproximately 6 0 k ms f rom B ourg-en Brasse a nd 1 40 f rom L ons. T hese d istances a re m easured d irectly b ut a c onnection b y w ater i s e asy b etween C olombiere a nd A rlay a nd p ossible b etween e ither o f t hese s ites a nd R ocher-de-la-Caille. I n g eneral t his p eripheral g roup o f s ites w ith p laquettes h as n o p articular r egional c haracter, e xcept t hat i ts a ssociations a re a ll w ith t he c lassical s equence i n F rance. W hereas t he c ave s anctuaries i n t he l ower R höne v alley b elong t o t he M editerranean a rt p rovince, t he p laquettes f rom A in, L oire, o r P uy-de-Dame d o n ot. T heir l ines o f c onnection a re p resumably b y t he D ordogne, L ot a nd T arn r ivers, t o A quitaine o r t he f oothills o f t he P yrenees. S aut du-Perron, f or e xample h as a ffinities t o F ontales a nd C ourbet i n t he B runiquel d istrict a nd i f o ne i s t o c ompare C olombiere w ith a ny o ther s ite, t his c ould b e M ontastruc a t B runiquel. T he m ultiplicity o f s uperimpositions ( principally o f h orses a nd c ervids) a nd i nversions, t he u se o f c omplete f igures, t he g rouping o f s ome o f t hese a nd t he p resence o f a rrows r elate a n umber o f t he C olombiere a nd B runiquel p ieces; t he f ormula w ithin w hich t hese p ieces a re d rawn i s s imilar, a lthough t heir i ndividual s tyle i s n ot.

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C HAPTER 1 0

C ONCLUSIONS T O P ARTS O NE A ND T WO , T HE C OMPUTER S URVEY A ND T HE A NALYSES B Y R EGION

T he c omputer t ables a nd t he r egional a nalyses a re d esigned t o l ook f or g eographical v ariations a mong p laquette c ollections, w hether t hese a re v ariants i n n umber, s ize, m aterial, d ate o r s tyle. T he c omputer r esults c over t he f irst f our o f t hese a spects a nd s how a bsolute d ifferences a nd d ifferences i n d egree. T he a nalyses o f i ndividual s ites a nd t he e xamination o f t hese a s r egional g roups e ndorse m any o f t he c omputer r esults a nd a dd t o t hese a n a ssessment o f s tyle a nd c ertain o ther o bservations, s uch a s t he i ncidence o f p laquettes p er s ite, t hat a re n ot v isible i n t he c omputer s urvey. S ince t he r esults o f t he c omputer t ables a re s ummarized i n P art I o f t his s urvey a nd a s ummary o f e ach g eographical r egion i s i ncluded i n P art I I t here i s n o n eed t o r ecapitulate t hese r esults h ere, e xcept v ery b riefly. T he r egional p atterning d isclosed b y t he c omputer s urvey s hows W estern F rance a nd t he P yrenees a s d istinct u nits; C antabria i s, i n m ost r espects, a llied t o t he P yrenees a nd t he s ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria a re, i n t he s ame d egree, r elated t o S outh-West F rance. T hese t wo s maller g roups s how l ittle r egional i dentity a nd d o n ot, i n a ny c ase, h ave t he g eographical c ohesion t hat e xists i n t he P yrenees o r A quitaine. S outh-West F rance i s i ndividual i n i ts l ong r ecord o f p laquette p roduction, i n t he s ize o f s upport u sed t hroughout t his t ime s pan a nd i n t he p roliferation o f p laquettes i n t he l ate M agdalenian. C ertain c haracteristics o f s tyle p rincipally, t hough n ot a ll, o f a l ate d ate, a re p eculiar t o t his r egion a nd n aturalistic d ecoration i s a t a ll p eriods o f p rimary i mportance. T he r egional a nalysis f or S outh-West F rance s trengthens t he o bservations m ade f or s tylistic i ndividuality h ere i n t he L ate M agdalenian; i t a lso s hows t he g eographical d istribution o f s ites o f d ifferent d ate a nd i t e mphasizes t he i nterr elationship o f p laquettes w ith o ther f orms o f m ural a rt i n t his r egion . H ere t here i s a c ontinuity b etween e arly a nd l ate c hronol ogical s tages a nd b etween p ortable a nd l ow r elief a rt i n t he r ock s helters o f t his a rea. T he P yrenees, w hich i s t he r egion i n w hich p laquettes a re o f m ost i mportance, h as a n i ndividual c haracter t hat d iffers f rom S outh-West F rance i n m any w ays. H ere t he p laquettes a re a lmost e xclusively a c lassic M agdalenian f eature, t hat i s o f M agdalenian I V a nd V d ate; t here a re n umerous M agdalenian V I s ites i n t his r egion b ut t he f ashion f or p laquettes h as r eached i ts f loruit b efore t his s tage a nd a lthough t hey e xist i n M agdalenian V I c ontexts, t hey a re n ot a bundant a s i n S outh-West F rance. T he s upports u sed f or p laquettes i n t he P yrenees a re p redominantly s mall a nd o ften f ragmentary a nd, o n o ccasion , c ollections a re f ound i n d eep c ave l ocations i n a p osition o f s econdary u se. T he c ombination o f h orse w ith b ison w hich i s b asic t o c ave a rt b ut n ot d ominant i n t he d ecoration o f p laquettes, o ccurs h ere i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V. T his h ighlights b oth t he i mportance o f M agdalenian I V i n t his r egion ( stylistic a nalysis s hows a c onnection

2 13

b etween t he d ecoration o f p laquettes a nd o f c aves a t t his s tage) a nd t he i mportance o f b ison a s a n e lement i n M agdalenian I V c ulture. T he e conomy m ay d epend, i n t his p eriod, u pon r eindeer b ut b ison i s t he d efinitive e lement i n t he a rt f orms. T he r egional a nalysis f or t he P yrenees e mphasizes t he i mportance o f p laquettes i n t his r egion b y s howing t he h igh i ncidence o f p laquettes p er s ite; t here a re m ore p laquettes i n S outh-West F rance b ut i n t he P yrenees a n a lmost e qual n umber a re c oncentrated i n l ess t han h alf t he n umber o f s ites. A n a nalysis o f t he m ajor s ites a lso s hows s tylistic g rouping a mongst p laquette c ollections i n t his r egion: f our s uch g roups e xist, t wo o f M agdalenian I V d ate, t wo l ater, p robably o f M agdalenian V ; b oth o f t he e arly a nd o ne o f t he l ater g roup b elong t o t he n aturalistic t radition w hile t he s econd l ate g roup i s m ore s chematic, a nticipating a d evelopment t hat b ecomes v ery p ronounced i n t his r egion i n t he l ate M agdalenian. A t rend t owards s chematization i s a pparent i n a ll r egions t owards t he e nd o f t he M agdalenian ( with t he e xception o f S outh-West F rance w here, a lthough i t e xists, i t d oes n ot i ncrease i n i mportance) b ut i t i s f ar m ore p ronounced i n t he P yrenees t han a nywhere e lse. H ere i t i s a llied t o a d eveloping p reference f or p ebbles a s a s upport a nd t o t he u se o f t hese a s c ompressors. T he q uantity o f p laquettes i n t he P yrenees i n t he c lassic M agdalenian i s p robably r elated t o t he c ontemporary f ashion f or l ocating c ave s anctuaries i n d eep g alleries t hat a re d ifficult o f a ccess. D eep s anctuaries e xist i n S outh-West F rance a nd C antabria, b ut n either i n s uch q uantity, n or i n p laces o f s uch e xtreme i naccessibility a s i n t he P yrenees. H ere p laquettes a re n ot a c hronological a lternative t o d ecorated c aves b ut, i n t he p eriod o f M agdalenian I V, t hey a ppear t o b e a c ompensatory l ocational a lternative a nd i n a ll r egions a nd p eriods o ne m ay d escribe t hem a s a n a uxiliary f orm . A t rend t owards s chematic d ecoration i s a g eneral p henomenon a t t he e nd o f t he U pper P alaeolithic. I t a ppears i n t he d ecoration o f b onework, i n c aves ( for e xample a t L as H errerias, i n N orth S pain) a nd o n p laquettes u ntil, i n t he s ucceeding M esolithic p eriod, i t d isplaces n aturalistic d ecoration a ltogether. H owever, i t i s n ot c orrect t o s ee t his a s a n ew t rend; n ot o nly d oes s chematic d ecoration e xist a t a ll p eriods i n S outh-West E urope b ut o utside t his a rea i t i s a r ule r ather t han a n e xception. S chematic, a pparently g eometric, m otifs a re b asic t o a ll d ecoration i n C entral E urope, R ussia a nd t he a llied M editerranean a rt g roup a nd t he e xtremely a ccomplished n aturalistic a rt o f S outh-West E urope s hould b e s een a s a v ariant w ithin t he m ain d ecorative t radition,which e xtends f rom S iberia t o t he A tlantic c oasts o f S pain a nd w hich e xists f rom t he A urignacian t o t he A zilian. N aturalistic f orms a re a lways p resent ( for e xample, t he V enuses o f V estonice o r M ezin) b ut i n S outh-West E urope, a nd p articularly i n t he M agdalenian, t his a spect h as a s pecial d evelopment. H aving t ouched u pon t he p henomenon o f n aturalistic a rt, o ne m ay c omment o n i ts d egree o f a ccomplishment. T his i s n ot a f actor o f r egional v alue a nd i s n ot, p erhaps, r elevant t o t his s urvey b ut t he q uality o f t he d rawing i s r eally t he r eason w hy p laquettes a re o f s uch i nterest. T he i ndividual f igures a re s ometimes e xquisite, i n o bservation, l ine a nd p roportion a nd t he c omplex o verengravings a re n ot a r andom s uperi mposition o f i mages b ut a c omposition i n w hich t he i ntersecting l ines c omplement e ach o ther a nd s et u p p atterns o f a ngles, c urves a nd n egative s paces ( see, f or e xample, P l. 1 , b , F ig. 1 o r F ig. 5 6). T o a 2 14

m odern a rtist t hese f igures a nd c ompositions l ack n othing i n c onceptu alization o r t echnique. P alaeolithic a rtists w ere, f or e xample, a ble t o r epresent a h orse g alloping. M edieval a nd R enaissance a rtists ' o bservation i n t his r espect w as i ncorrect, a nd i t i s u sually t hought t hat t he p osition o f h orses ' l egs w as n ot r eproduced c orrectly u ntil t he c amera s howed h ow t hey w ere p laced i n a ction, b ut t he e ngraver o f t he P aloma h orse ( Fig. 5 4 a nd P l. 1 6, b ) c ould c laim t o h ave a nticipated t his. A s s tated a bove, i n t he I ntroduction , i n t he T wentieth C entury w e h ave v ery l ittle i dea o f t he m eaning o f a ny P alaeolithic a rt f orms b ut c ertain a spects s uggest t hat t hey w ere v ery c omplex. T hey w ere a lso v ery c onsistent, o ne m ay d iscern r egional g rouping i n p laquettes, o r a ny o ther f orm , o ver w ide r egions a nd a l ong p eriod o f t ime b ut t he b asic c haracter o f P alaeolithic a rt s hows l ittle c hange. T he i nventory o f a nimals a lters v ery l ittle, n either d o t he a ssociations, t he p ositions d epicted ' , n or t he t echniques u sed. O ne m ust s uppose t his t radition w as h eld i ntact b y a s ocial s anction o f c onsiderable s trength f or i t i s s urprising t hat s uch c hanges a s o ccur a re o f ad egree n o g reater t han r egional v ariation.

2 15

A PPENDIX :

P UNCH-CARD C ODE U SED F OR D ECORATED P LAQUETTES

A REA

A B C D

S outh-West F rance P yrenees B asque p rovinces a nd C antabric S pain S ites o utside A quitaine a nd C antabria

M ATERIAL O F S UPPORT

1 S capulae 2 B one o r i vory 3 A ntler 4 P ebble 5 S andstone 6 S chist 7 M ud 8 L imestone a nd o ther h ard s tones

S TATE O F S UPPORT

9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6

F resh W orn C omplete o r a pparently c omplete B roken a nd r eassembled N early c omplete F ragment o r i ndeterminable A ctually s een S een i n p ublication -illustrated

D IMENSIONS O F S UPPORT

1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4

U nder 1 0 c ms 1 0 -30 c ms O ver 3 0 c ms F igure(s) l arge i n r elation t o s upport F igure(s) m oderate i n r elation t o s upport F igure(s) s mall i n r elation t o s upport G round f illed, o r w ell u tilized G round i ncompletely f illed

D ECORATION F ORM A ND C ONTENT

2 5

3 3 3 4 3 5

O ne i dentifiable f igure o r p art o f f igure, a nimal o r h uman M ore t han o ne f igure, s ame a nimal F igures o f d ifferent a nimals C omplete f igure(s) C omplete a nd i ncomplete f igures I ncomplete o r i ndeterminable f igure(s) o r p art(s) o f f igure(s) F igures s uperimposed F igures i nverted ( in c ontrary p lanes t o e ach o ther) N arrative s cenes A nimal(s) w ith y oung U nusual p osture(s) o r u nusual a ttribute(s)

3 6 3 7 3 8 3 9 4 0 4 1 4 2

B ird F ish o r e el M ammoth H orse ( or A ss) O xen, B ison O xen, g eneral i dentifications D eer

2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1 3 2

S PECIES D EPICTED

2 16

43 S PECIES 4 D EPICTED ( Cont.) 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 4 9 T ECHNIQUE O F D ECORATION

50 51 5 2 5 3 5 4 5 5 5 6 5 7 5 8 5 9

G oat o r A ntelope R hinoceros B ear L ion H uman, f emale H uman, m ale H uman, s ex i ndeterminable D ecorated o n m ore t han o ne s urface D ecoration c arried o ver f rom o ne s urface t o a nother P lain l ine d rawing M inimal s hading M oderate s hading F ormalized, s chematic s hading O verall s hading D eep c ut l ine S hallow c ut l ine D eep a nd s hallow l ines

D ETAILS O F D EPICTION

60 61 6 2 6 3 6 4 6 5 6 6 6 7 6 8 6 9 7 0 7 1 7 2 7 3 7 4 7 5

E ye, r ound E ye, t riangular o r e lipsoidal E ye, r inged E ye w ith c orner l ine E ye, a bsent F eet, s ingle i n p rofile F eet i n p airs B lob f eet F eet, a bsent M ane w ith u pright s trokes M ane, u nderlined M ane, b oxed M ane, s chematized, c hevrons e tc B eard, s chematized H orns o r a ntlers f ull f ace H orns o r a ntlers i n p rofile

A SSOCIATIONS

76

N aturalistic f igure(s) h arpoon(s) N aturalistic f igure(s) S ign(s) w ithout a nimal N aturalistic f igure(s) a dditional o dd l ines

7 7 7 8 7 9

L ESS L EGIBLE D ECORATION

80 81 8 2 8 3 8 4

D ATE

8 5 8 6 8 7 8 8

w ith a rrow(s) o r w ith s chematic s ign(s) f igure(s) o r p arts o f f igure(s) w ith

I ncomprehensible l ines, p robably f igure(s) I ncomprehensible l ines, p ossible p arts o f f igure(s) F igure(s) o r p art(s) o f f igure(s) w ith m ultiple o utlines A ll o ver i ndecipherable l ines, m uch e ngraved I ndecipherable l ines, m oderately o r l ittle e ngraved P erigordian. A urignacian. G ravettian. S olutrean. E arly M agdalenian I . I I. I II. G eneralized L ate M agdalenian ( IV. V . V I. M agdalenian I V

2 17

D ATE ( Cont.)

N ON N ATURALI STIC A ND R ARE C ATEGORIES

I N C ENTRE O F C ARD

8 9 9 0 9 1 9 2 93 9 4 9 5 9 6 9 7 9 8 M N

M agdalenian V M agdalenian V I A zilian -Epi-Palaeolithic U nclassified C omposite a nimals F ox, W olf, G lutton, v egetation : a ny o ther r arity G eometric d ecoration -schematic L ow r elief -shallow t o m oderate d own c utting L ow r elief -deep c ut L ow r elief c ombined w ith e ngraving C oloured s urface , p ainted o r b urnt S igns o f u se E xact d imensions P resent p rovenance o f o bject, C ollection a nd C atalogue n umber. S ite, C ountry a nd D epartment. C ard n umber. P ublications. R eference t o i llustrations. D escription o f d ecoration , i e e xact n umber o f a nimals, o r p arts o f a nimals a nd s igns s hown ; i f m ore t han o ne, w hich w ay t hey f ace, e tc.

2 18

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" Decouverte d 'une l ampe

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B ETIRAC, M .B. 1 952. " L 'importance g eographique d e B runiquel e t d e S aint A ntonin a u P aleolithique S uperieur". A ctes. 1 0 C ong . p d 'Etudes F ed . S oc. A cad & S ay. p 7 2-76 B ORDES, F ; F ITTE, P . a nd L AURENT. P . 1 963. " Gravure f eminine d u M agdalenien V I d e l a g are d e C ouze ( Dordogne)" L 'Anthropologie. p T ome 6 7. N o 3 -4 p 2 69-282.

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B OSINSKI. G erhard. 1 973. " Le s ite m agdal4nien d e G önnersdorf. ( Commune d e N euwied, V allee d u R hin m oyen. R .F.A.)". B SPA. T ome X XVIII p 2 5-48 p B OSINSKI, G erhard. a nd F ISCHER, G isela. 1 974. D ie M enschendarstellungen v on G önnersdorf d er a usgrabung v on 1 968. ( Figures h umains) W iesbaden. B OTTET , B . 1 955. " Les p ointes s urelevees e t l es p lanes d u M icoquien i nferieur d e l a B aume-Bonne. Q uinson ( Basses-Alpes)". B SPF 5 2 p p 1 33-136 B OTTET, B . 1 957. " ... l e s ens d e c ertain s tigmates a ffectant l a s urface d 'un g alet B aume Bonne." G ravures d e l a B aumeBonne" " Nouvelle g ravure m obiliere d e l a B aume Bonne r epresentant u n P oisson f erre". B SPF 5 4 p 2 0 ; 2 2; 19; 5 71-572 p B OTTET , B ernard & B ertrand. 1 947. " La B aume Bonne ä Q uinson ( B.A.)" ( Industries P aleolithiques a vec O euvres d 'Art). B SPF . X LIV P 1 52-170. P B OURDELLE , Y ves. 1 979. " L 'abri D urif ä E nval ( Vic-le-Comte, P uy-de-Döme)" I . E tude v reliminaire d u M agdalenien f inal d u f ond d e l 'abri. G allia P rehistoire T ome 2 2. 1 . P p 8 7-112 B OURLON, L e C apitaine. 1 916. " Nouvelles d ecouvertes ä L augerie-Basse. R abots, O s U tilises , Oeuvres d 'Art". L 'Anthropologie T X XVII ( Les O euvres d 'Art ,note c omplementaire p ar M . l 'Abbe B reuil P P 1 -26 B OUVIER, J .M . 1 979. " La M adeleine: a cquis r ecents" " La F in d es T emps G laciaires" e d. D . d e S onneville-Bordes C NRS. P P 4 35-441. B OUYSSONIE, L 'Abbe. J . 1 946. " Choses v ues ä P uy-de-Lacan C ommune d e p M alemort ( Correze)". B SPF . X LIII p 15-120 B OUYSSONIE , J . a nd D ELSOL, H . 1 930. " L 'Abri p rehistorique d e J olivet p res T errasson ( Dordogne)". R Avue A nthropologique X L p p 3 67 B REUIL , H enri. 1 902. " Station d e l 'Age d u r enne d e S aint-Marcel ( Indre) d 'apres l es f ouilles d e M . B enoist". L 'Anthropologie P T . X III. P 1 45-165 B REUIL , H . 1 927. " Oeuvres d 'art p aleolithiques i nedites d u P erigord e t A rt O riental d 'Espagne". R evue A nthropologique X XXVII. P P 1 01-108. B REUIL , L 'Abbe. 1 929. " Gravures a urignaciennes s uperieures d e l 'abri L abattut ä S ergeac ( Dordogne)". R Avue A nthropologique 1 929 ( Ann e 3 9) p p 1 47-151

2 21

B REUIL , M . L 'Abbe. H . 1 936. " Oeuvres d 'Art M agdaleniennes d e L augerie B asse" ( Dordogne). A ctualitAs S cientif iques e t I ndustrielles 3 82 B REUIL , H . 1 937. " De q uelques O euvres d 'Art M agdaleniennes i nedites o u p eu c onnues". I PEK . P rähistorische K unst. p 1 -16 p B REUIL , H enri. 1 952. F our H undred C enturies o f C ave A rt. C entre d 'Etudes e t d e d ocumentation p rehistoriques. M ontignac. D ordogne. T rans. M ary E . B oyle. R ealize p ar F ernand W indels. B REUIL , H . a nd J EANNEL , R . 1 955. " La g rotte o rnee d u P ortel A L oubens ( Ariege)". L 'Anthropologie L IX . p 1 97-204 p B REZILLON, M . 1 977. " Informations a rcheologiques. C irconscription d 'Ile d e F rance". G allia P rehistoire T ome 2 0. 2 . ( Pincevent, p laquette) p 3 49-351 p C APITAN, L . a nd B OUYSSONIE , J ean. 1 924. " Limeuil , son g isement a g ravures s ur p ierres d e l 'age d u r enne". P ublications d e l 'Institut I nternational d 'Anthropologie N o 1 C APITAN, L ., B REUIL, H . a nd P EYRONY, D . 1 906. " Les gavures d e l a g rotte d es E yzies". L 'Ecole d 'Anthropologie. R evue M ensuelle T X VI p 4 29-441 p C APITAN, L ., B REUIL , H . P EYRONY, D . 1 910. L a C averne d e F ont-de-Gaume a ux E yxies ( Dordogne). M onaco. C APITAN, L ., B REUIL , H . a nd P EYRONY, D . 1 924. E yzies ( Dordogne) I .P.H. M asson. P aris

L es C ombarelles a ux

C APITAN, L . a nd P EYRONY, D . 1 928. L a M adeleine. S on g isement s on i ndustrie ,ses o euvres d 'art. P aris. C ARRE , F ran ois. 1 979. " Le s ite d es B attants, B lassac ( Haute L oire)". L a F in d es T emps G laciaires e n E urope. C NRS N o. 2 71 p 5 31-4 p C ARTAILHAC, E mile. 1 885. " Oeuvres i nedites d es a rtistes c hasseurs d e r ennes". E xtrait d e l a r evue M ateriaux p our l 'H istoire p rimitive d e l 'Homme. 3 e s erie. T ome I I. F evrier. p 6 3-75 p C ARTAILHAC, E mile. 1 903. " Gravure i n dite d e l 'age d u R enne" ( Chaffaud) L 'Anthropologie X IV p p 1 79-182 C ARTAILHAC, E mile. a nd B REUIL, H enri. 1 906. L a C averne d 'Altamira a S antillane, p res S antander ( Espagne) M onaco. C ARTAILHAC, E . a nd B REUIL L 'Abbe H . 1 907. I. " Etude s ur l es O euvres I d 'Art d e L augerie B asse". L 'Anthropologie. T ome X VIII ( Breuil p 1 0-36) p C ASTERET , N orbert. L ondon.

1 938.

T en Y ears U nder t he E arth.

22 2

P enguin B ooks

C HEYNIER , D r A ndre. 1 949. B adegoule. S tation S olut Aene e t p roto-Magdalgnienne M emoire 2 3. A rchives d e l 'I.P .H. C HEYNIER , A ndre. 1 965. " L 'Abri L achaud ä T errasson ( Dordogne)" P rghistoire T ome X VI ( Fasc. U nique) C HOLLET , A ndre., R EIGNER , H enri. a nd B OUTIN, P ierre. 1 974. " La G rotte d u B ois-Ragot ä G ouex ( Vienne)". N ote p reliminaire. G allia P rghistoire T .17. F asc 1 . p 2 85-291 p C HOLLOT , M arthe. 1 964. C ollection P ieFt te. A rt M obilier p rehistorique. E ditions d es M usees n ationaux. M inistere d 'Etat A ffaires C ulturelles. C HOLLOT-VARAGNAC, M arthe. 1 980. L es o rigines d u g raphisme s ymbolique E ditions d e l a F ondation S inger-Polignac. P aris. C LARK, G .A. 1 974-5. " Excavations i n t he l ate P alaeolithic c ave s ite p o f B almori, A sturias, S pain". Q uaternaria X VIII p 3 83-426 C LOT , A . a nd O MNES, J . 1 979. " Premiers d atages r adiocarbone d u M agdalenien d es H autes-Pyrenees". B SPF T ome 7 6 p p 2 34-339 C LOTTES, J ean. 1 969. L e L ot p rghistorique. I nventaire p rehistorique e t p roto-historique. B ulletin d e l a S ociete d es E tudes d u L ot. T ome X C. F asc 3 a nd 4 C LOTTES, J ean. 1 976. " Les c ivilizations d u P aleolithique s uperieur d ans l es P yrenees". L a P rehistoire F rançaise e d. H d e L umley. p p 1 214-1231 C OMBIER, J ean. 1 976. " Chalon-sur-Säone-Macon". L ivret g uide d e l 'Excursion A 8. U ISPP I Xe C ORCHON, M aria S oledad. 1 971. A sturiano. S alamanca.

T roisieme c hapitre. C ongres.

N otas e n t orno a l a rte m ueble

C OULONGES, L . 1 949. " Le g isement p aleolithique d e C avart ( Lot)" p L 'Anthropologie 5 3. p 5 58-560 C OULONGES, L . 1 963. " Magdalenien e t P erigordian p ost-glaciares. g rotte d e l a B on e d el R ey". ( Lot e t G aronne). G allia P rghistoire V I p p 1 -29

L a

D AMS, L a nd M . 1 978. " Les p laquettes g rav es d e F ontales ( Tarn-etG aronne) c onserv es a u M usee d e S aint-Antonin-Noble-Val" p E xtrait d u B SPA T ome X XXI. p 7 7-89. D ANIEL , R . 1 936. " Gravures s ur p ierre d e l a g rotte d u T rilobite a p A rcy-sur-Cure ( Yonne)". B SPF T .XXXIII p 6 75-678 D ANIEL , R aoul. 1 941. " Gravure d 'oiseau s ur p ierre d e l 'abri d e R ochebecude, c ommune d e T remolat ( Dordogne)". B SPF . 3 8 p p 2 65-7

2 23

D ANIEL , R aoul. 1 942. " Pierres g rav6es d e l a g rotte d u P lacard" p ( commune d e V ilhonneur, C harente). B SPF . X XXIX. p 17-119 D ARASSE, P . 1 949. " L 'Abri-sous-roche d e F ontales p res S aint A ntonin ( Tarn e t G aronne) ( Magdalenien S uperieur)" B ulletin d e l a S ociete ' M gridionale d e S pgologie e t d e P rghistoire. A nn e p 1 948-49. p 2 15-226 D ARASSE, P . 1 951. " Quelques p ieces i nedites d u g isement d e F ontales p res S t A ntonin ( Tarn e t G aronne)". 7 0e C ongr s d e L 'Association F rançaise p our l 'avancement d es s ciences I II. p p 1 31-142 D ARASSE , P . 1 955. " Deux o euvres d 'art m agdaleniennes d e l 'abri d e F ontales, p res S aint-Antonin ( Tarn e t G aronne)". B SPF L II p p 7 15-718 D ARASSE, P . 1 956. " Notes s ur l 'Abri d e F ontales p res S aint-Antonin ( Magdalenien S uperieur)". A ctes d e D ixi me C ongr 4 d 'Etudes d e l a F ederation d es S ocietgs A cademiques e t S avantes. L anguedoc. P yrenees. G ascogne. M ontauban 2 9-31 M ai 1 954 p p 4 7-63 D ARASSE, P . 1 956. " Dessins p aleolithiques d e l a v allee d e l 'Aveyron i dentiques ä c eux d e l 'Hohlestein e n B aviere" ( Fontales) p Q uartar 7 /8 p 1 71-176 D ARASSE , P aul. a nd G UFFROY, S imone. 1 960. " Le M agdalenien s uperieur d e l 'abri d e F ontales p res S aint-Antonin. ( Tarn-et-Garonne)" p L 'Anthropologie. T . 6 4. N o 1 -2. p 1 -35 D EFFARGE , R ene., L AURENT , P ierre., S ONNEVILLE-BORDES, D enise d e. 1 975. " Art M obilier d u M agdalenien s uperieur d e L 'Abri M orin ä P essac-sur-Dordogne ( Gironde)". G allia P rghistoire. T ome 1 8 F asc 1 p p 1 -64 D ELAGE , F ranck . 1 935. L 'Anthropologie.

" Les R oches d e S ergeac ( Dordogne)" T ome 4 5. p p 2 81-317

D ELOGE , H . a nd F AURE, M . 1 979. " Les s chistes g raves d u g isement m agdaleniens d u R ocher d e l a C aille ( Loire)". A nnexe t o " Les s chistes g raves d u S aut du-Perron. E xtrait d u B ulletin M ensuel d e l a S ociete ' L inngene d u L yon. N o 9 ( 48e a nnee) p p 5 79-581 D ELPECH , F rançoise. a nd H EINTZ, E mile. 1 976. " Les A rtiodactyles". B ovides p 3 8 6 3 9 4 , C e r v i d e s p 3 9 5 4 0 4 . L a P r Aistoire p p F rancaise e d. H enry d e L umley. D ELPORTE , H . 1 970 . " Circonscription d 'Auvergne e t L imousin". G allia P rghistoire. X III. F asc 2 ( Blot, H aute L oire a nd E nval, P uy d u D öme) p 4 59-484 p D ELPORTE , H . 1 979. L 'Image d e l a F emme d ans L 'art p r Aistorique P icard. P aris.

24 2

D ELPORTE , H enri. a nd M ONS, L ucette. 1 973. " Notes d e t echnologie e t d e m orphologie d e l 'Art p aleolithique m obilier: I II B ison g rave s ur p laquette d e l imon d e B edeilhac ( Ariege)". B ulletin d es A ntiquites N ationales. N o 5 . p p 2 0-32 D ELPORTE, H . 1 975. " Les o euvres d 'art M agdaleniennes d e l a g rotte d e l a V ache ( Ariege)" L a R evue d u L ouvre e t d es M us es d e F rance . 2 5e a nnee. N o 2 . D ELPORTE H . a nd M ONS, L . 1 976. " Omoplate d ecoree d u M as d 'Azil ( Ariege)" E xtrait d 'Antiquites N ationales N o 7 . 1 975. p p 1 4-23 D UPORT , L ouis. 1 977. C atalogue o f E xposition. D ix A nn es d e F ouilles A M ontgaudier 1 966-1976. M us e d e l a S ociete A rcheologique e t H istorique d e l a C harente. F AURE, M artine. 1 979. " Les s chistes g raves d u S aut du-Perron a V illerest ( Loire. F rance)". H istorique e t m ise a u p oint. E xtrait d u B ulletin m ensuel d e l a S ociete L inneenne d e L yon p 5 29-584 p F ISCHER, H . 1 896. " Note s ur l es c oquilles r ecoltees p ar M .E P iette d ans l a g rotte d u M as d 'Azil" ( Ariege). L 'Anthropologie V II p 6 33-652 p F ROSSARD , E milien a nd C h. L . 1 870 . " Note s ur l a G rotte d 'Aurensan, P yrenAes -Age d u R enne ( 1)". M ateriaux p our l 'H istoire d e l 'Homme. 2 e s erie. N o 5 . p 2 05-216 p G IROD , P . a nd M ASSENAT , E . 1 900. L es s tations d e l 'age d u R enne d ans l es v allees d e l a V ez2 hre e t d e l a C orr ze. P aris. G RAZIOSI, P aolo. L ondon.

1 960.

P alaeolithic A rt.

F aber a nd F aber.

H ARDY, M ichel. 1 891. " La s tation 9 uaternaire d e R aymonden A C hancelade ( Dordogne) e t l a s epulture d 'un c hasseur d e R ennes" B ulletin d e l a S ociete H istorique e t A rcheologique d e P erigord . p T ome X VIII p 6 5-89, 1 21-135, 1 93-212. H INOUT , J acques. 1 974. " Abris o rngs d es m assifs g rgseux d e T ardenois ( Aisne)". C ahiers A rcheologiques d e P icardie I . p p 3 3-66. J UDE , D r P . E . 1 960 . " La g rotte d e R ochereil. S tation M agdalgnienne p e t A zilienne". A rchives d e I .P .H . M emoire 3 0. p 5 -74. K IDDER, L ilia a nd H omer H . 1 936. " Le P uy-de-Lacan e t s es g ravures p M agdalgniennes". L 'Anthropologie T .46 . p 1 7-31 L ACAN, J acques. 1 977. ' Ecrits. A S election'. T avistock P ublications. L ondon.

T ranslated A lan S heridan.

L ACORRE. F ernand. 1 960. L a G ravette. L e G raveteien e t l e B ayacien. L aval. I mprimerie B arneoud. S .A. 2 25

D E L AET, S .J. 1 958. T he L ow C ountries. s eries .Thames & H udson , L ondon .

A ncient P eoples a nd P laces

L APLACE, G eorges. 1 974. " De l a d ynamique d e l 'analyse s tructurale o u l a t ypologie a nalytique". R ivista d i S cienze P reistoriche. p V ol X XIX. F asc. 1 . F lorence. p 3 -71 L ARTET , E douard. a nd C HRISTY , H enry. 1 865. R eliquiae A quitanicae; b eing c ontributions t o t he a rchaeology a nd p alaeontology o f P erigord a nd t he a djoining p rovinces o f S outhern F rance. B ailliere, L ondon. L ARUE, M ., C OMBIER, J . a nd R OCHE , J . 1 955. " Les g isements P erigordien e t M agdalenien d u -S aut du-Perron ( Loire)". L 'Anthropologie T .59 p p 4 01-428 L AURENT, P ierre., R AYNAL , J ean-Paul. a nd R OUSSOT , A lain ( Comite d e L 'Exposition). 1 977. C atalogue d e l 'Exposition. L a F in d es T emps G laciaires e n F rance. C NRS. C olloque I nternational. I nstitut d u Q uaternaire. T alence. B ordeaux. L EMOZI, L 'Abbe . 1 924. " Fouilles d ans l 'Abri s ous r oche d e M urat. p C ommune d e R ocamadour ( Lot)" B SPF . X XI. p 1 7-58 L EMOZI, A . 1 936. " Quelques s pecimens d e l 'Art Q uaternaire ( Region d e C abrerets. L ot)". I . G rotte T emple d u P eche M erle. C ommune d e C abrerets. L ot. I I .Figurations h umaines d e l 'Abri s ous-roche d e M urat. V allee d e l 'Alzou. R ocamadour ,Lot. C ongr s P rehistorique d e F rance . p p 6 42-668 , 6 68-670 . L EMOZI, C hanoine. A . 1 959. " La g rotte M arcenac, s tation d u p aleolithique s uperieur" ( Etude c omparative). C ongre p P rehistorique d e F rance. P aris. p 7 78-807 L EMOZI, A . 1 961. " B. L e G rand A bri s ous r oche s olutreen d u B ourg d e C abrerets". B ulletin d e l a S ociete d es E tudes L itteraires, p s cientifiques e t a rtistiques d u L ot. T ome L XXXII. p 1 00-106 L EMOZI, A . 1 968. " Grand A bri s ous R oche p rehistorique d u B ourg d e C abrerets ( Lot)". T hree p arts. B ull d e l a S oc. d es E tudes L itteraires, S cientifiques e t A rtistiques d u L ot. T ome 8 9 L EROI-GOURHAN, A ndre. M azenod, P aris.

1 965.

' Prehistoire d e l 'art o ccidental'.

L EROI-GOURHAN, A ndre 1 972. " Considerations s ur L 'organisation S patiale d es F igures A nimales d ans L 'Art P arietal P aleolithique" S ymposium I nternacional d e A rte R upestre. S antander 1 970 p 2 81-300 p L EROI-GOURHAN, A ndre. 1 976. " La p einture p arietale d e B outigny ( Essonne)". A ntiquites N ationales N o 8 . p 8 -10 p

26 2

L EROI-GOURHAN, A ndre. 1 978. " Le c heval s ur g alet d e l a g alerie B reuil a u M as d 'Azil ( Ariege)". G allia P r Aistoire. T ome 2 1 ,2 p 4 39-445 p L EROI-GOURHAN, A ndre. 1 978. " L 'Expression d u t emps e t l 'animation d es f igures a u p aleolithique". I n, S ystemes d e s ignes . T extes r eunis e n h ommage ä G ermaine D ieterlin . C NRS. P aris 1 978 . p p 3 59-367 L EVINE , M orton H . 1 957. " Prehistoric A rt a nd I deology". A nthropologist. V ol 5 9. N o 6 . D ec. p9 49

A merican

L HOTE, H enri 1 967. " Nouvelle L ecture d e l a P laquette d ite d e l a F emme a u R enne". B SPF L XIV 1 5 p 1 23-130 L OEBELL, A ndreas. 1 979. S tratigraphie e t s 4dimentologie d e l a g rotte d es R omains d e l 'Abri G ay e t d e l 'Abri d e l a C olombiere ( Ain). T hesis. G renöble. U niversite s cientifique e t m edicale d e G renöble. L ORBLANCHET, M . 1 969. d u H aut Q uercy".

" Aper çu s ur l e M agdalenien m oyen e t s uperieur p C PF X IXe S ession. A uvergne. p 2 56-83

L ORBLANCHET , M . 1 976. " Huitieme J ournee". L ivret g uide d e l ' xcursion A 5 . p U ISPP I Xe C ongr s ( Louradour) p 1 37-141 M ALVESIN-FABRE , G ., N OUGIER, L .R. a nd R OBERT, R omain. 1 954. " L 'occupation m agdalenienne d e l a g rotte d e B edeilhac ( Ariege) e t d ecouverte d 'un n ouveau g isement d ans l a g alerie V idal". p E xtrait B SPA T ome V III p 1 9-48 M ARCEL , P ierre. 1 976. " Gravure m agdalenienne s ur c ortex d e n ucleus" ( Montmorillon, V ienne). C ongress P r4historique d e F rance. X Xe p S ession P rovence 1 974. p 3 65-368 M ARSAN, G en6vieve. 1 980 . " Trois p ieces d 'art m obilier d e l a g rotte d 'Espalungue A A rudy ( Pyrenees-Atlantiques)". B SPF T ome 7 7/6 p p 1 81-186 M ARSHACK , A lexander. 1 972. T he R oots o f C ivilization. T he c ognitive b eginnings o f m an 's f irst a rt, s ymbol a nd n otation . W eidenfeld &N icolson. L ondon. M ARTEL , M aurice. 1 955. " Niches e t c achettes M agdaleniennes d ans l a c averne d e B edeilhac" ( Ariege). B ull.Soc.d'H ist N at. T oulouse 9 0 p p 2 39-244. M ARTIN, H enri. 1 928. " La F rise s culptee e t l 'atelier S olutrean d u R oc" ( Charente). A rchives d e l 'Institut d e P al4ontologie H umaine. M emoire 5 . M ARTIN, Y ves. 1 972. L 'art p alAolithique d e G ouy . I mprimerie B uquet. S t E tienne-du-Rouvray. M AURY, J . 1 914. p p 2 91-296

" Fouilles d e M .A . L e B el A L augerie B asse"

2 27

B SPF X I

M AYET , L ucien . a nd P ISSOT, J ean. 1 915. " Abri s ous r oche p rehistorique d e L a C olombiere p res P oncin ( Ain)". A nnales d e l 'Universite d e L yon. N ouvelle s erie. 1 . S ciences. M edecine. F asc. 3 9. M ELLARS, P .A . 1 973. " The c haracter o f t he m iddle-upper p alaeolithic t ransition i n s outh-west F rance". T he E xplanation o f C ulture C hange. e dited. C olin R enfrew . D uckworth. p 2 55-276 p M EROC, L . 1 953. " La c onquete d es P yrenees p ar l 'homme". p I ntern. d e S peleol. P aris t . I V. s ect. 4 . p 3 3-51

I er C ongres

M EROC, L ouis. 1 959. " Premousteriens, M agdaleniens e t G allo-Romains d ans l a c averne d e L abouiche ( Ariege)". G allia P r4histoire I I . p p 1 -37. M ICHAUT , L . 1 955. d e G ourdan". p p 2 33-238

" Gravures t rouvees d ans l es d eblais d e l a g rotte B ull. S oc. d 'Hist. N at. T oulouse. 9 0.

M ICHAUT , L ucien, a nd S IMONNET , G eorges. 1 947. " Decouverte d 'une p laquette d e p ierre g ravee , p resum e d 'epoque M agdalenienne d ans l a g rotte d e l a T ourasse ( Hautes G aronne)". B SPF X LIV . p p 1 91-194 M ILLOTTE , J .P. 1 960 . I nformations A rcheologiques. p d e B esancon. G allia P rehistoire 3 . p 1 82-4

C irconscription ( Arlay)

M ONS, L ucette. 1 974 . " Notes d e t echnologie e t d e m orphologie d e l 'art p aleolithique m obilier: I V C heval m odele " au d oigt" s ur u ne p laquette d e l imon d e l a g rotte d e B edeilhac ( Ariege)" p A ntiquites N ationales 6 . p 2 9-31 M OURE R OMANILLO , J ose A . 1 975. E xcavaciones e n l a c ueva d e T ito B ustillo ( Ribadesella, A sturias). C ampanas d e 1 972-1974. I nstituto d e E studios A sturianos. O viedo. M OVIUS, H allam , L . J nr. 1 977. " Excavation o f t he A bri P ataud, L es E yzies ( Dordogne)". A merican S chool o f P rehistoric R esearch. B ulletin 3 1. M OVIUS, H allam , L . a nd J UDSON, S heldon. 1 956. T he R ock S helter o f L a C olombiere. A rchaeological a nd g eological i nvestigations o f a n U pper P erigordian s ite n ear P on in ( Ain). A merican S chool o f P rehistoric r esearch. P eabody M useum . H arvard B ulletin N o. 1 9. N OUGIER , L .R . a nd R OBERT , R omain. 1 957. " Le r hinoceros d ans l 'art p F ranco-Cantabrique o ccidental". B SPA. T ome X II. p 1 6-52 N OUGIER, L ouis R ene. a nd R OBERT, R omain. 1 966. " Les f elins d ans p l 'art q uaternaire. I I. C omplements". B SPA. T ome X XI. p 3 7-46 N OUGIER , L .R. a nd R OBERT , R omain. 1 971. " Galets g raves d u M agdalenien f inal d es P yrenees". ( Grotte d e l a V ache, A lliat, p A riege) B SPA. T ome X XVI. p 1-75

2 28

O CTOBON, F .C.E. 1 950. " Une g ravure i nddite d e l a g rotte d e B edeilhac ( Ariege)" C ongres P rghistorique d e F rance C R X III. p p 5 22-525 O MNES, J acques. a vec l a c ollaboration d e C LOT , A , J EANNET, M ., M ARSAN, G ., M OURER-CHAUVIRE , C . 1 980. L e G isement p rghistorique d es E spglugues A L ourdes ( Hautes P yrenees). E ssai d 'inventaire d es f ouilles a nciennes. C entre A turien d e r echerches s ous t erre. M emoire 1 . P AJOT, B ernard. a nd P LENIER, A Leth. 1 976. " Quelques g ravures M agdaleniennes i nedites d e l 'abri F ontales". B SPA. T ome X XXI. p p 2 1-30 P ALES, L eon. a nd S AINT P ERrUSE, M arie T assin d e. 1 965. " En c ompagnie d e l 'Abbe B reuil d evant l es b isons g raves M agdaleniens d e l a g rotte d e l a M arche". M iscelanea e n h omenage a l a bate H enri B reuil B arcelona. T omo I I. p p 2 17-250 P ALES, L eon, a vec l a c ollaboration d e S AINT-PER USE, M arie T assin d e. 1 969. L es g ravures d e l a M arche. I .Felins e t O urs. P ublications d e l 'Institut d e P rehistoire d e l 'Universite d e B ordeaux. M emoire N o 7 . P ALES, L eon. a nd S AINT P ER USE, M arie T assin d e. 1 976. d e l a M arche. I I. L es H umains. E ditions O phrys.

L es G ravures

P ALES, L eon a vec l a c ollaboration d e S AINT P rRgUSE , M arie T assin d e. 1 979 " L'Abri D urif ä E nval ( Vic-le-Comte, P uy- e-Döme). I I G ravures e t s culptures s ur P ierre". G allia P rehistoire T ome 2 2. 1 . p 13-142 p P ASSEMARD, E mmanuel. 1 944. " La c averne d 'Isturitz e n P ays B asque". P rghistoire V ol I X . p 7 -84 p P EQUART, M arthe a nd S aint J ust. 1 960, 1 961, 1 962, 1 963. " Grotte d u M as d 'Azil ( Ariege). U ne n ouvelle g alerie M agdalenienne". A nnales d e P algontologie. X LVI, X LVII, X LVIII, X LIX. p 1 27-194, 1 57-250, 1 67-286, 1 -97 p P EYRONY, D . 1 918. " Gravures s ur p ierre e t g odet d u g isement p rdhistorique d u S oucy". B SHAP 4 5. p 1 43-148 . p P EYRONY, D . 1 932. " Les g isements p rehistoriques d e B ourdeilles ( Dordogne) L es B ernous / Fourneau d u D iable. A rchives d e l 'I .P .H . M emoire 1 0 P EYRONY, D . 1 936. " L 'Abri d e V illepin. C ommune d e T ursac ( Dordogne). M agdalenien s uperieur e t A zilien". B SPF X XXIII p 2 53-272 p P EYRONY, D enis a nd E lie. 1 938. " Laugerie-Haute, ( Dordogne) A rchives I PH . M emoire 1 9 .

29 2

p res d es E yzies"

P EYRONY, Dand E . 1 941. " Gisement p rehistorique d e C rabillat. S es r apports a vec l es d epots ä f ormes g eometriques d u P aleolithique s uperieur e t d u M esolithique" ( plaquettes, p M artinet) B SPF 3 8. p 2 45-262 " Gravures d u M agdalenien I I d e C rabillat e t P EYRONY, D an d E . 1 945. p L augerie-Haute". B SPF . X LII p 2 9-30 P EYRONY, E lie. 1 934. " La s tation p rehistorique d u P ech d e l a p B oissiere" B SPF X XXI. p 1 94-213 P EYRONY, D . a nd M AURY, J . 1 914. " Gisement p rehistorique d e L augerieB asse ( fouilles d e M . A . L e B el)" Rvue A nthropologique. p T ome X XIV p 1 34-154 P IETTE , E . 1 874. " La g rotte d e G ourdan p endant l 'age d u R enne ( 1)" M ateriaux p our l 'Hist.de l 'Homme. X a nnee 2 e s erie. T ome V . p p 5 3-79 P IETTE , E douard. P aris.

1 907.

L 'art p endant l 'Age d u R enne.

P LENIER, A leth. 1 971. L 'Art d e l a g rotte d e M arsoulas. M emoires d e l 'Institut d 'Art p rehistorique. I . M arsoulas ( Toulouse). P RADEL, D r L . a nd C HOLLET, A . 1 950. " L 'Abri P erigordien d e L araux, c ommune d e L ussac-les-Chateaux" ( Vienne). L 'Anthropologie 5 4. p p 2 14-227 R AVOUX, G . 1 966. " L 'outillage o sseux p aleolithique d ans h e G ard". p C ahiers L igures d e P rehist.et d 'Arch.15. p 3 7-78 R EINACH, S alomon. 1 913. L eroux. P aris.

R •pertoire d e l 'art Q uaternaire.

R IGAUD , J . P h. 1 978. I nformations A rcheologiques. C irconscription d 'Aquitaine. G allia P r aistoire. T ome 2 1. F asc. 2 . p p 6 27-659 R OUSSOT, A lain. C atalogue.

1 965. C ent A ns d e P r Aistoire e n P erigord . B ordeaux. M usee d 'Aquitaine.

R OUSSOT, A lain. a nd D ELSOL , J acques. 1 970. " Un g alet g rave d e R ochereil" C ommune d e G rand-Brassac ( Dordogne). E xtrait d u B ull. d e 1 a S oc. H ist. e t A rch. d u Prigord . T ome X CVII. p 1 74-184 p R OUSSOT, A lain. a nd F ERRIER, J ean. 1 970. " Le R oc d e M arcamps ( Gironde) Q uelques n ouvelles o bservations". E xtrait d e B SPF . T ome 6 7. p 2 93-303 p R OZOY, J .G. 1 978. " Les g isements A hrensbourgiens d e G eldrop". L es D erniers C hasseurs. L 'Epipaleolithique e n F rance e t e n B elgique. T ome 1 . p 15-129 p

2 30

S ABAN, R . 1 967. R eflexions a natomiques s ur l a p laquette d e l a F emme a u R enne" ( Laugerie B asse, M agdalenian I V). B SPF L XIV . p p 1 31-142 S ACCHI. D ominique. 1 968. " Donnees n ouvelles s ur l e P aleolithique p S uperieur d u d epartement d e l 'Aude". A tacina 3 . p 3 -32 S AHLINS, M arshall, P ublications.

1 974. S tone A ge E conomics. L ondon.

T avistock

S AINT-MATHURIN, S uzanne d e. 1 973. " Bas-relief e t p laquette d e l 'Homme M agdalenien d 'Angles-sur-l'Anglin". E xtrait. B ulletin p d es A ntiquit s N ationales N o. 5 . p 1 2-19 S AINT-PERIER, R ene d e. 1 920. " La g rotte d es H arpons ä L espugne ( Lespugue) H aute-Garonne". L 'Anthropologie X XX . p p 2 09-234 S AINT-PERIER , C omte d e. 1 925. " Les o euvres d 'art p aleolithiques d e l a v allee d e l a S ave ä L espugue ( Haute-Garonne)". I PEK 3 p 3 3-43 p S AINT-PERIER , R ene d e. 1 930 . L a G rotte d 'Isturitz. I . L e M agdalenien d e l a s alle d e S aint-Martin. A rchives d e I PH. M emoire 7 . S AINT-PERIER, R ene d e. 1 936. L a g rotte d 'Isturitz. I. L e I M agdalenien d e l a G rande S alle. A rchives d e I PH. M emoire 1 7. S AINT-PERIER, R ene d e. 1 947 " Les d erniers o bjets M agdaleniens d 'Isturitz". L 'Anthropologie. T ome 5 1. N o 5 -6. p 3 93-415 p S AINT-PERIER, R ene d e ( and S ). 1 952 . ' La G rotte d 'Isturitz'. II. L es S olutreens, l es A urignaciens, e t l es M ousteriens. I A rchives d e I PH. M emoire 2 5. S CHMID , E lizabeth. 1 976. " Eine J ungpälaolithische m ammut-gravierung v on L es E yzies, D ordogne". A rchaeologisches K orrespondenzblatt 6 P P

5 -7

S CHMID , E lizabeth. 1 979. " Eine N eue p ferdegravierung v on l a M adeleine, D ordogne". A rchaologisches K orrespondenzblatt 9 . p H eft 4 . p 3 75-6 S ERONIE-VIVIEN, M . R . a nd L E T ENSORER, J .M . 1 979. " Donnees r ecentes s ur l 'Azilien d u L ot: l a g rotte d e P egourie ä C aniac-du-Causse". L a f in d es t emps g laciares. e d. d e S onneville-Bordes. C NRS. p p 4 71-482 S IEVEKING, A nn. 1 976. " Settlement p atterns o f t he L ate M agdalenian i n t he C entral P yrenees". P roblems i n E conomic a nd S ocial A rchaeology ( Eds. S ieveking, G . d e G ., L ongworth, I .H., p W ilson, K .W.) p 5 83-603

2 31

S IEVEKING , A nn . C ave A rt". p p 9 5-109

1 979 . " Style a nd R egional G rouping i n M agdalenian B ulletin N o 1 6 . I nstitute o f A rchaeology . L ondon.

S IEVEKING, A nn. 1 979. T he C ave A rtists. S eries. T hames & H udson. L ondon.

A ncient P eoples a nd P laces

S IEVEKING 3 A nn. 1 981. " Continuite d es M otifs s chematiques a u o sterieurs e n F rancoP aleolithique e t d ans l es p eriodes p p C antabrie". A ltamira S ymposium 1 981. p 3 19-337 S IEVEKING, A nn. 1 986/7. " La C olombiere r eexam inee : U ne a nalyse d e s tyle d es g alets d ecores". A ntiquites N ationales N o 1 8/19. p p 1 01-108 S IMONNET , G eorges. 1 947 " Une n ouvelle p laquette d e p ierre g rave m agdalenienne d e l a g rande G rotte d e L abastide. C ommune d e p L abastide ( Hautes-Pyrenees)". B SPF X LIV. p 5 4-64 S ONNEVILLE-BORDES, D enise d e. 1 960. L e P aleolithique S uperieur e n P erigord . T omes I a nd I I. C NRS P ublications. S ONNEVILLE-BORDES, D enise d e. 1 963. " Le P aleolithique S uperieur e n S uisse". M emoires o riginaux. L 'Anthropologie . T ome 6 7. N o 3 -4. p p 2 05-268 S TRAUS, L awrence G uy. 1 978. " Thoughts o n S olutrean c oncave b ase p oint d istribution". L ithic T echnology V ol 6 . N o 3 . Z ERVOS, C hristian. 1 959. L 'Art d e l 'Epoque d u R enne e n F rance. E ditions C ahiers d 'art. P aris. A BBREVIATIONS B SHAP B SPA B SPF C NRS C PF C RSM I PEK I PH U ISPP

B ulletin d e l a S ociete H istorique e t A rcheologique d u P erigord B ulletin d e l a S ociete P rehistorique d e l 'Ariege B ulletin d e l a S ociete P rehistorique F rangaise C entre N ationale d e R echerche S cientifique C ongres d e l a S ociete P rehistorique F rangaise C omptes r endus d es s eances m ensuelles J ahrbuch f ür P rähistorische & E thnographische K unst I nstitut d e P aleontologie H umaine U nion I nternationale d es S ciences P rehistoriques e t P rotohistoriques

2 32

A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Iw ould l ike t o t hank m any p eople a nd i nstitutions f or t heir a ssistance i n s tudying c ollections. I n p articular, M . D elporte, t hen C onservateur en-chef a t t he M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales w ho, w ith M me. M ons, h is r esearch a ssistant, h elped m e i n e very w ay. A s tudy o f p laquettes d epends t o am arked d egree, u pon t he c ollections o f t he M usee d es A ntiquites N ationales a t S t. G ermain b ut t here a re m any o ther m useums a nd p rivate c ollections w ith v ery i mportant m aterial, b oth p ublished a nd u npublished a nd, i n t his c ontext Ia m g rateful t o t he l ate P rofessor A lmagro, t o D r. A ltuna, M lle. C hapa, M . E chegaray a nd P rofessor a nd M me. M oure-Romanillo f or a ccess t o S panish c ollections; I n F rance m y t hanks a re d ue t o M . A lteirac, M . A rambourou, M . l e C omte B egouen , M . B outin , M . N orbert C asteret, M . C hollet, M . C elerier, M . D uport, M . L aplace, M . Y ves M artin, M lle. M arsan, M . O mnes, D r. P radel , M . S acchi, M me d e S onneville-Bordes a nd M . G eorges S immonet f or a ccess t o s mall o r p rivately o wned c ollections; t o M . C lottes, M . C ombier a nd D r. V andermeersch, D irecteurs d es C irconscriptions, t o M . G uichard ( Les E yzies M useum), M me L adier ( Montauban M useum) M . L orblanchet ( Cabretets M useum) M . R oussot, ( Musee d 'Aquitaine) M lle. S udre ( Toulouse N ational H istory M useum) a nd t he c urators o f B rantöme, B rive a nd P erigueux m useums f or a ccess t o c ollections i n t heir c are. I n P aris, i n a ddition t o t he M us e d es A ntiquites N ationales m y t hanks a re d ue t o t he D irectors o f t he M us e d e l 'Homme a nd t he I nstitut d e P aleontologie H umaine. Iw ould l ike t o t hank D r. P ales f or a dvice a nd h elp a t m any t imes, M . D arasse f or i nformation o n t he s ites i n t he B runiquel r egion a nd M .M . B egouen a nd C lottes f or s howing m e t heir e xcavation i n p rogress a t E nlene. O ne o f t he m ost i mportant s eries o f p laquettes ( from t he A bri M ontastruc a t B runiquel )is t o b e f ound i n E ngland a nd I a m g rateful t o t he D irector a nd T rustees o f t he B ritish M useum f or a ccess t o t heir c ollections. M y t hanks a re a lso d ue t o D r. J ones a nd D r. M oulton w ho d evised a nd h andled t he c omputer p rogramme u sed i n t his s tudy, t o P rofessor H odson a nd D r. R ay I nskeep f or t heir a dvice o n t he p reparation o f h istograms a nd t o P rofessor J ohn E vans, P rofessor H odson a nd D r. N ewcomer o f t he I nstitute o f A rchaeology, L ondon U niversity, u nder w hose a uspices m y r esearch w as c arried o ut. T his p roject r equired e xtensive t ravel t o l ook a t c ollections a broad a nd t he S ociety o f A ntiquaries o f L ondon, L ondon U niversity's C entral R esearch F und, T he B ritish A cademy a nd t he D epartment o f E ducation a nd S cience h ave a ll a ssisted m e; t he S ociety o f A ntiquaries, i n a ddition t o a t ravelling g rant, f inanced t he c omputer p rogramme. Ia m v ery g rateful t o a ll t hese I nstitutions, f or Ic ould h ave d one l ittle w ithout t heir s upport. L astly, I w ould l ike t o t hank m y h usband f or r eading t he G illian M oody f or p reparing t he t ypescript f or p ublication.

2 33

t ext a nd

R ESUME

P LAQUETTES G RAVEES M AGDALENIENNES;

E TUDE R EGIONALE E T S TYLISTIQUE

D ans l e c ontexte d e l 'art p aleolithique, o n p eut d efinir u ne p laquette c omme u n m orceau n on-utilitaire d e p ierre, o s o u a ndouiller d ont u ne s urface e st a ssez p late p our p orter u ne g ravure. L a d ecoration i ncis e • e st e n g eneral l imitee a u ne s eule s urface ( 9uoique p arfois l es d eux c ötes s oient u tilises) e t c omprend d es i mages r ealistes e t d es m otifs ecorations e st c omparable ä c elui s chematiques. L e c aractere d e c es . d d e l 'art p arietal. O n t rouve d es p laquettes d ans l es d epots d 'habitation t out a u l ong d u p aleolithique s uperieur, m ais c 'est v ers l a d erniere p artie d u m agdalenien q u'elles a pparaissent e n p lus g rand n ombre ( environ 1 5,000 A 1 1,000 B .P.). A vec u ne d istribution s emblables ä c elle d es i ndustries r eliees, o n e n a d ecouvert d ans l a F rance o ccidentale e t c entrale, l es P yrenees, l es p rovinces b asques, l e n ord d e l 'Espagne, l a v allee d u R höne, l 'Italie, l a S uisse e t l 'Europe c entrale. C ette e tude s e l imite c ependant a ux r egions g eographiques a utour d e l 'Aquitaine e t d es P yrenees. E lle c oncerne l 'examen d e 1 550 e lements, ä p artir d e s ources p ubliees o u n on, e t d 'objets q ui s e t rouvent d ans d es m us es o u d es c ollections p rivees. 1 40 s ites s ont r epresentes. U n p rogramme d 'ordinateur a e te u tilise e t, p our l 'etude d es s ites i ndividuels, u n s ysteme d e c artes p erforees. D ans l es d eux c as, d es c riteres d e s tyle e t d e c hronologie o nt s ervi d e b ase ä l a d efinition d es d ifferences r egionales e t c aracteristiques d es q uatre g roupes c onsideres. L 'analyse p ar s ites c onfirme l es r esultats d onnes p ar l 'ordinateur e t m ontre q ue l es d ivergences r egionales s 'expriment ä l a f ois s ur l e p lan d u s tyle e t d e l a c hronologie. D ans c ertains c as c es d ifferences s ont a bsolues, d ans d 'autres p roportionnelles, m ais o n p eut e tablir u n m odele r e5ional i ncontestable, q ui e st p lus m arque e n A quitaine e t d ans l es P yrenees m ais q ui p eut a ussi e tre o bserve d ans l 'Est d e l a F rance e t l es p rovinces b asques.

2 34

L IST O F P LATES P late

1 .

a . L augerie B asse b . I sturitz

p.

3

P late

2 .

a . L es E yzies b . La M arche

P late

3 .

aa nd b ,

P late

4 .

augerie B asse a . L olombiere b . La C c . Lourdes

p .

p . 4 4

7

M ontastruc, B runiquel

P late

5 .

aa nd b , L augerie B asse

P late

6 .

a . M ontastruc, B runiquel b . L a M arche

P late

7 .

p .

8

1 0

p. 5 5

a . L a M adeleine b . Laugerie B asse

p . 8 5

P late

8 .

a , ba nd c , G ourdan

p .118

P late

9 .

a . G ouy b . Bedeilhac

p .122

P late

P late

1 0.

1 1.

P late

1 2.

P late

1 3 .

P late

P late

P late

P late

P late

1 4.

1 5.

1 6.

1 7.

1 8.

a . L a R oche, L alinde b . P echialet

p.142

a . L augerie B asse b . L imeuil

p.151

L augerie B asse

p .153

a . R ochereil b . Abri M orin

p .157

a . G ourdan b . Lourdes

p .171

a . B edeilhac b . Mas d 'Azil

p .177

a . I sturitz b . Paloma

p .202

a . S aut du-Perron b . La C olombiere

p .206

C epoy

p .211

L IST O F F IGURES

F igure

1 . M ontastruc,

B runiquel

P .

25

2

F igure

2 . M ontastruc, B runiquel,

a ,

p .

4

b , ca nd d .

p .

5

p .

6

F igure

3 . L ourdes

F igure

4 . M ontastruc,

F igure

5 . C astillo

p .

5 2

F igure

6 . A bri M orin

p .

5 3

F igure

7 . R ochereil

p . 5 9

F igure

8 . aa nd b , G ourdan , c . B eaeilhac

p . 6 3

F igure

9 . aa nd b , L a V ache

p .

B runiquel

p . 4 3

6 4

F igure 1 0. M ontastruc, B runiquel

p . 6 7

F igure 1 1. R ochereil

p .

7 3

F igure 1 2. L abastide

p .

7 6

F igure 1 3 . M ontastruc, B runiquel

p . 8 6

F igure 1 4 . L imeuil

p . 8 8

F igure 1 5. L imeuil

p . 8 8

F igure 1 6 . M onastruc, B runiquel

p . 9 3

F igure 1 7. L a C olombiere

p .

F igure 1 8. U rtiaga

p .114

F igure 1 9. P uy-de-Lacan

p .144

F igure 2 0 . L imeuil

p .145

F igure 2 1. L a M arche

p .146

F igure 2 2. L a M arche

p .147

F igure 2 3 . L a M arche

p .149

F igure 2 4 . L augerie B asse

p .150

F igure 2 5. A bri M orin

p .152

F igure 2 6 . M ontastruc, B runiquel

p .154

F igure 2 7. F ontales

p .158

F igure 2 8 . F ontales

p .159

F igure 2 9. G ourdan

p .165 2 36

9 6

F igure 3 0. G ourdan

p .167

F igure 3 1. L orthet

p .168

F igure 3 2. L orthet

p .168

F igure 3 3. E spalungue, A rudy

p .169

F igure 3 4 . L ourdes

p .172

F igure 3 5. L ourdes

p .173

F igure 3 6 . B edeilhac

p .174

F igure 3 7. B edeilhac

p .174

F igure 3 8 . B edeilhac

p .175

F igure 3 9. M as d 'Azil

p .178

F igure 4 0 . M as d 'Azil

p .179

F igure 4 1. M as d 'Azil

p .181

F igure 4 2. L a V ache

p .182

F igure 4 3 . L a V ache

p .183

F igure 4 4. L e T uc D 'Audoubert

p .184

F igure 4 5. L abastide

p .185

F igure 4 6. E nlene

p .190

F igure 4 7. L abastide

p .190

F igure 4 8 . C astillo

p .195

F igure 4 9 . A ltamira

p .195

F igure 5 0 . I sturitz

p .196

F igure 5 1.

I sturitz

p .197

F igure 5 2. I sturitz

p .199

F igure 5 3. a a nd b ,

I sturitz

p .200

F igure 5 4. P aloma

p .201

F igure 5 5. a , ba nd c , S aut du-Perron

p .205

F igure 5 6. a a nd b , L a C olombiere

p .208

L IST O F M APS

M ap 1 .

S ites i n S outh-West F rance, S panish C antabria a nd o utside t he F ranco-Cantabric r egion.

p .138

M ap 2 .

S ites i n t he v icinity o f L es E yzies.

p .140

M ap 3 .

S ites i n t he P yrenees.

p .162

M ap 4 .

S ites i n t he B asque P rovinces a nd S panish C antabria.

p .193

2 38