UNIVERSITY OF MALTA THE INTERPRETATION OF UPPER PALAEOLITHIC PARIETAL PAINTINGS BY: SARAH BUSUTTIL APRIL 2002 DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICS AND ARCHAEOLOGY, FACULTY OF ARTS IN PART FULFILLMENT OF A B.A. (Hons.) DEGREE IN ARCHAEOLOGY I PREFACE. Aii is one of the factors of human life that fall under the category of symbolism. In my study I will focus on the paintings of Upper Palaeolithic Western Europe that are found in the Franco-Cantabrian caves. My interest in this study was triggered off in my search for the first tangible and intensely manifested fonn of art that the Homo Sapiens Sapiens has produced. In fact, the Franco-Cantabrian caves attest to the grandest form of symbolism of our human ancestors. It is through this same symbolism that man has managed to pass on some of his intrinsic beliefs in a simplified pictorial way. Yet, it is these 'simplified' messages that have proved so difficult for scholars to read what our primitive ancestors wanted to say. This has all resulted from the fact that we are studying a stage from prehistory. Since the time of the first discoveries of these paintings, controversies have been rampant as to how we could interpret such a heritage. In order to try and get a good stronghold on the wide picture, my aim was to follow the development of the theories that have been proposed up to now, together with a concise resume of the paintings themselves. The biggest question ever that continues to elude scholars is the meaning of these widely acclaimed painted canvases. In fact, this topic will be wrapping up our observations, with the debate of the widely speculated answers. I will try my best to reach my aims by immediately passmg on to an abridged introduction on art - its significance, origins and the problems of its interpretation due to the fact that no documentation supports it. My introduction will end with a concise geographical and sociological background to the Upper Palaeolithic cave paintings. What will follow is a general summary of the parietal paintings found inside the caves of the Frnnm-<:1:mtl'.lhri1::m region Th011gh very mrn~h restrir.tP-cl hy spar.e, T will try to e;ive the reader a small picture of the various, though homogeneous, types of drawings and techniques used by the painters. The various trends of interpretation of the drawings and the disadvantages of the same study itself will ensue. The paramount importance of this study is due to the fact that cognition is the basis of the interpretation of visual images, which come up to us without II commentary. Still, this fascinating subject, with all its difficulty due to the immense lack of tangibility, leads scholars to try to get to the meaning of these mural depictions, This is not an easy task, yet its importance lies in the fact that it also manages to elucidate us on the beliefs of the Upper Palaeolithic people, their identity and environment - a holistic enterprise. In trying to read the paintings, all these factors are coming to light and some of them, with the basic focus on the literal interpretation of the drawings, will be discussed in chapter 4. I will have to warn the reader though, that regrettably I did not have the chance to visit these vestiges in first person. My studies were carried out solely on photos taken by various established scholars. It was the interest triggered off by these same photographs that urged me to delve into this writing, my aims being to elucidate amateurs like me on this amazing subject. Thus hoping that my lack of first hand evidence will not impede the coherence, intelligibility and interest of my text. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My first and foremost acknowledgements go to my tutor and Head Of Department, Profs. Anthony Bonanno for guiding me throughout the whole project with his professional help and advise. Further thanks go to Dr. Nicholas Vella. He made it possible for me to bring infonnation from abroad and for always being there. I am also most grateful to my proofreader, Mrs. Sammut Tagliaferro for her help, generosity and continuous support, always with a smile. Her help was vital in accomplishing my task. Lastly, my most heartfelt thanks go to my dear family, together with Lailla and Owen, for plenty of support, help and encouragement. IV CONTENTS Pg. Preface II Acknowledgements IV Contents v List Of Figures VII List Of Tables x List Of Appendices XI Chapter 1: Upper Palaeolithic Parietal Paintings: Their Study 1.1 - Introduction 1 1.2 - Art and its Significance 3 1.3 - The Origins of Art 5 1.4 - Taphonomy and its problems 8 1.5 - The Artists, Their Society and Their paintings 10 Chapter 2: Parietal Paintings: A Resumel 2.1 - Introduction 14 2.2 - Compositions 14 2.3 - Confronted animals 19 2.4 - Equivocal Factors in the Style of Painting 22 2.5 - Perspective 24 2.6 - Antropomorphic Representation 25 v Chapter 3: Development ofInterpretations 3.1 - Introduction 33 3.2 - The First Discoveries 34 3.3 -The Copying of Motifs 35 3.4 - The Challenge of Tradition 36 3.5 - Modem Interventions 40 Chapter 4: Meaning 4.1 - Introduction 44 4.2 - Early Developments 45 4.3 -French Structuralism Onwards 48 4.4 - Water Mythology 49 4.5 - Shamanism 51 Chapter 5: Conclusions 60 Figures 64 Tables 98 Appendices 103 Bibliography 107 VI LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Part of the Central Composition of te Rotunda of Lascaux. Figure 2A: One of the horses of Ekain. Figure 2B: One of the horses of Le Portel. Figure 3: Part of a panel from Tito Bustillo. Figure 4: A typical example of the Niaux/Le Portel type of stylisation. Figure 5: Frieze of the dotted horses of Pech Merle. Figure 6: The central composition found on the right-hand wall of the Axial Gallery of the Rotunda of Lascaux. Figure 7 A: The Altamira ceiling. Figure 7B: A close-up of one of the bisons from the ceiling of Altamira. Figure SA: The head of a bison found in the cave of Le Mas D' Azil. Figure SB: A bison from the cave of Les Trois Freres. Figure 9A: The Dotted Mammoth of Pech Merle. Figure 9B: Digital enhancing of the Dotted Mammoth. Figure lOA: The actual representation of the symbolic transition from bison to woman. Figure lOB: Digital enhancing of the panel 'bison/woman'. Figure llA: A group of three bisons found at Pech Merle. Figure llB: Digital enhancing of the three bisons of Pech Merle. Figure 12: Digital subtraction of the inline composition of confronted mammoths at Rouffignac Figure 13A: The ghost-like depictions of the human form as depicted in the cave of Cougnac, together with the 'unfinished' depiction of a stag. VII Figure 14A: A wounded man pierced by an arrow, found in a side chamber at Pech Merle. Figure 14B: Digital enhancing of the wounded man. Figure 15: Silhouette of a man in red. Figure 16A: Outline of a man pierced by lines together with the outlines of a brace­ shaped sign and part of another brace-shaped sign on top. Figure 16B: Digital enhancing of pierced man. Figure 17A: Man confronted by a bison found in the cave ofVillars. Figure17B: Digital enhancing of the same picture. Figure 18A: The specific imposition of bison on horse found at Pech Merle. Figure 18B: Digital enhancing of the superimpositions. Figure 19A: Intersecting quadrangular signs. El Castillo. Figure 19B: Intersecting rows of dots.El Castillo. Figure 20A: The scene of the 'Dead Man' of Lascaux. Fig. 20B: Digital enhancing of the 'Dead Man' scene. Figure 21: The unique composition that is found in a small chamber at Le Combel: a quadrangular sign made up of dots and another set of single dots. Figure 22: The panel of hinds, Covalanez. Figure 23A: Four negative hand prints of the Gargas cave. Figure 23B: One of the many "mutilated" hand depictions found in Gargas. Figure 23C: Red negative print, Gargas. Figure 24: Part of the panel of Quadrangular signs and dots found at Altamira. Figure 25: An example of brace-signs, Coucnac. Figure 26: An example of claviform signs accompanied by a black barbed sign. El Castillo. Figure 27: An example of a tectiform sign from Les Trois Freres. Figure 28: A panel made up solely of quadrangular signs found in a side gallery at Altamira. Figure 29A: Drawing of Le Sorcier. VIII Figure 29B: Le Sorcier. Figure 30: Elands. San African Rock Art. Figure 31: A panel of elands. San African Rock Ali. IX LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Some highlights of environmental conditions of the Franco-Cantabrian region during the Wurm Glacial Maximum. Table 2: Difficulties met with when interpreting Leroi-Gourhan's theory of cave organisation and that of sex classification. Table 3: Leroi-Gourhan's results derived from cave distribution of figures. Table 4: A list of motifs divided by their sex as attributed by Leroi-Gourhan. Table 5: Details of pigment preperation: Chemical Configuration of Pigment. Table 6: Details of pigment preperation: Working of Pigment-Examples. Table 7: Details of pigment preperation: Application of Pigment. Table 8: Cwes of the Frnnm-C:::mtrihri::m region thrit rire fmmrl neFtr writer somces. x LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1: Chronological list of the cultures and periods of the Upper Palaeolithic in which cave art flourished. Appendix 2: Case Studies. XI CHAPTER! UPPER PALAEOLITHIC PARIETAL PAINTINGS: THEIR STUDY 1.1 INTRODUCTION " ... the art stands in many ways as the most impressive and enduring testimony to the creativity of Upper Palaeolithic culture - not only in terms ofthe sheer skill and aesthetic flair ofthe artists themselves, but also in their capacity to convey highly sophisticated, symbolic messages in a remarkable variety offorms.