Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences· 2012Q1
Context and dating of Aurignacian vulvar representations from Abri Castanet, France
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- Q1SCImago
- 2012year
Short summary
Engraved vulvar representations on a collapsed ceiling block at Abri Castanet, France, are confirmed as Early Aurignacian, making them as old or older than Chauvet paintings.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Engraved vulvar representations were discovered on a collapsed ceiling block at Abri Castanet, France.
- The block's archaeological context confirms it was created by Early Aurignacian occupants.
- The artwork is ochre-stained and was in direct contact with the archaeological layer upon collapse.
- These representations are as old as or older than the Chauvet paintings.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
We report here on the 2007 discovery, in perfect archaeological context, of part of the engraved and ocre-stained undersurface of the collapsed rockshelter ceiling from Abri Castanet, Dordogne, France. The decorated surface of the 1.5-t roof-collapse block was in direct contact with the exposed archaeological surface onto which it fell. Because there was no sedimentation between the engraved surface and the archaeological layer upon which it collapsed, it is clear that the Early Aurignacian occupants of the shelter were the authors of the ceiling imagery. This discovery contributes an important dimension to our understanding of the earliest graphic representation in southwestern France, almost all of which was discovered before modern methods of archaeological excavation and analysis. Comparison of the dates for the Castanet ceiling and those directly obtained from the Chauvet paintings reveal that the "vulvar" representations from southwestern France are as old or older than the very different wall images from Chauvet.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012 · DOI ↗
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Field: Archeology (Social Sciences)
ArcheologySocial Sciences