PERSONAL ORNAMENTS OF THE SWABIAN AURIGNACIAN

Sibylle WOLF, Nicholas J. CONARD

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Abstract

In the caves of the Swabian Jura (Southwest Germany) excavators found numerous mammoth ivory remains, which date to the Aurignacian. Among them were at least 600 beads. These beads come from the well stratified layers of Hohle Fels cave in the Ach Valley, while others derive from the backdirt in front of the Vogelherd cave in the Lone Valley, which was completely emptied during the excavation 1931. We give an overview about the variety of forms of the personal ornaments, although the double perforated bead dominates the inventories. This special bead form gives evidence of identity formation of the Aurignacian people.

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THE OLDEST PORTABLE ART:

the Aurignacian Ivory Figurines
from the Swabian Jura (Southwest Germany)

Harald FLOSS

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Abstract

Four cave sites in the Swabian Jura have yielded a spectacular array of portable art: Hohle Fels, Geißenklösterle, Vogelherd, and Hohlenstein-Stadel. Some of these ivory figurines are well known, and others less so. In all, about fifty such objects or fragments of objects are known from the region. They occur in the same archaeological levels where have been found musical instruments (flutes) and early examples of painting. Drawing on recent research as well as archival records from earlier excavations, this contribution chose a simple question-and-answer format in order to revisit issues of the interpretation of Aurignacian portable art objects, which constitute some of the earliest known representational artifacts in Europe, and perhaps the world. Subjects addressed include informations about raw materials, iconography, dating, context and the possible social foundations underlying the production and use of these objects.

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FROM GESTURE TO MYTH:

Artists’ techniques on the walls of Chauvet Cave

Carole FRITZ, Gilles TOSELLO

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Abstract

The walls of the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc Cave are decorated with charcoal drawings dated to an average of 36000 cal BP, red paintings, engravings, and finger-traced designs, all grouped in distinct panels. Examination of the ¹⁴C dates, which are increasingly revealed to be of great antiquity, dating to the Early Aurignacian, allows for more precise modeling of human use of the cave. The attribution of certain components of the parietal art to the Gravettian, based on directly dated torch-marks on the walls and charcoal on the cave floors, remains secure. A survey of the techniques employed, organized around the three colors used (white, black, red), reveals formal diversity in the site, and at the same time confirms multiple points of convergence and commonality in terms of the themes and composition of the panels, which underline the homogeneity of the works as an ensemble. Ethology and the theme of cave lions on the hunt hold a central place in the inspiration of the artists at Chauvet; through their spectacular frescos, these artists have provided us a point of access to their symbolic vision of the world and an element of their myths.

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ANIMATION AND GRAPHIC NARRATION IN THE AURIGNACIAN

Marc AZÉMA

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What was the purpose of the images conceived and produced by prehistoric groups? Our research into the animation of these images leads us to propose a new method of analysis that shows their primary function to be narrative. The identification of mechanisms for graphic narration can help to decipher the exact content conveyed by these messages beginning as early as the Aurignacian. The main images from two parietal art caves from this period, Chauvet-Pont d’Arc and Baume Latrone in the South of France, provide a remarkable example of the different animation processes and sequencing underlying these first Aurignacian stories.

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EVALUATING AURIGNACIAN ART IN IBERIA…

If it Really Exists

Diego GARATE, Olivia RIVERO, Joseba RIOS-GARAIZAR

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Abstract

Recent discoveries over the past years have confirmed the existence of figurative art from the very beginning of the Upper Paleolithic. Researchers have focused on the identification of this phenomenon in some regions (Dordogne, Ardeche or Swabian Jura), whereas in others, such as the Iberian Peninsula, have been somewhat neglected. After a thorough analysis of the Iberian artistic record, we are now in a position to characterize the early stages of figurative art (both portable and rock art), which was mainly concentrated in the northern region of the Iberian Peninsula. This concentration corresponds to the dense distribution of archaeological sites attributed to the Aurignacian culture. Although the existing literature is at times incomplete or somewhat inconclusive, we consider an attribution to Aurignacian art to be possible in certain cases.

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EARLY UPPER PALEOLITHIC PARIETAL ART:

Shared Characteristics and Different Symbolic Traditions

Stephane PETROGNANI

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What symbolic traditions can be defined at the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic? Can we characterize specific Aurignacian, Gravettian or Solutrean approaches? This thematic-stylistic analysis applied to a sample of 2 000 representations in nearly 110 caves provides some partial answers to these questions and reveals continuity in the “artistic traditions” of early Upper Paleolithic groups. Other observations show the complexity of artistic representations through time-bound and location-bound “traditions” and speak to the plurality of symbolic behavior in prehistoric societies.

We highlight a decrease in the diversity of stylistic resources used by Paleolithic groups throughout the Upper Paleolithic. Graphic standards imposed by the group tend to become more rigid, limiting the scope of the prehistoric artist and leading to a set repertoire of certain formal graphic representations. Due to this decrease in the “freedom” of iconographic codes, which become increasingly standardized, the role of the Paleolithic artist in society is reconsidered and appears to reflect social changes.

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IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME.
DATING METHODS FOR PREHISTORIC ART:

the Example of Aurignacian Sites

Georges SAUVET

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Abstract

The need for an accurate chronological framework is particularly important for the early phases of the Upper Paleolithic, which correspond to the first works of art attributed to Aurignacian groups. Carbon-14 is the only method used for the direct dating of organic pigments, but indirect methods are used to date subsequent deposits on rock art (thermoluminescence, OSL, Uranium/thorium, etc.). All these methods are based on hypotheses and present interpretative difficulties, which form the basis of the discussion presented in this article.

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MARINE RESOURCE EXPLOITATION DURING
THE MIDDLE AND EARLY UPPER PALEOLITHIC IN EUROPE:

Overview of the Available Evidence

Esteban ÁLVAREZ-FERNÁNDEZ

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In this article, we propose a critical analysis of the available information relating to the first evidence of marine resource consumption in European Pleistocene sites, with particular focus on the existing data for the Mousterian and the Aurignacian. This review concentrates on different aspects, such as the identification and quantification of remains, as well as taphonomic characteristics. In spite of the rarity of the available remains, we consider that mollusks, mammals, crustaceans, echinoderms, fish and birds play a secondary role in the diet of both Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans.

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