Mask of la Roche-Cotard

Mask of la Roche-Cotard

The so-called Mask of la Roche-Cotard, also known as the "Mousterian Protofigurine", is a purported artifact dated to the Mousterian period, 33,000 years ago or earlier, found in 1975[1]} in the entrance of a cave named La Roche-Cotard, territory of the commune of Langeais (Indre-et-Loire), on the banks of the Loire River.[2][3]

The artifact, possibly created by Neanderthal man,[4] is a piece of flat flint that has been shaped in a way that seems to resemble the upper part of a face. A piece of bone pushed through a hole in the stone has been interpreted as a representation of eyes. Paul Bahn has suggested this "mask" is "highly inconvenient", as "It makes a nonsense of the view that clueless Neanderthals could only copy their cultural superiors the Cro-Magnons".[5] Though this may represent an example of artistic expression in Neanderthal humans,[6] some archaeologists question whether the artifact represents a face,[7] and some suggest that it may be practical rather than artistic.[8]

References

  1. ^ Marquet, J C; M Lorblanchet (2003). "A Neanderthal face? The proto-figurine from La Roche-Cotard, Langeais (Indre-et-Loire, France)". Antiquity 77. 
  2. ^ Amos, Jonathan (2 December 2003). "Neanderthal 'face' found in Loire". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3256228.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
  3. ^ Palmer, Douglas (6 December 2003). "Neanderthal art alters the face of archaeology". New Scientist. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18024241.300-neanderthal-art-alters-the-face-of-archaeology.html. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
  4. ^ Marquet, Jean-Claude; Lorblanchet, Michel (1 December 2003). "A Neanderthal face? The proto-figurine from La Roche-Cotard, Langeais (Indre-et-Loire, France)". Antiquity 77 (298): 661–670. ISSN 598X 0003 598X. http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/Ant/077/Ant0770661.htm. 
  5. ^ Bahn, Paul (23 August 2003). "A bone to pick". New Scientist (2409). http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17924095.600-a-bone-to-pick.html. 
  6. ^ Pettitt, Paul B (2003/4). "Is this the infancy of art? Or the art of an infant? A possible Neanderthal face from La Roche-Cotard, France". Before Farming (Western Academic & Specialist Press) 11 (3). ISSN 1476-4261. http://www.waspress.co.uk/journals/beforefarming/journal_20034/news/BF3-4_11_NewsPettitt.pdf. 
  7. ^ Chase, Philip G (2006). The emergence of culture: the evolution of a uniquely human way of life. Birkhäuser. pp. 217. ISBN 0387305122, 9780387305127. 
  8. ^ "But is it art?". Science (AAAS) 302 (5652): 1890. 12 December 2003. doi:10.1126/science.302.5652.1890a. http://www.scienceonline.org/cgi/content/summary/302/5652/1890a. 

Further reading

  • M. Lorblanchet, La naissance de l'Art. Genèse de l'art préhistorique, Errances, 1999
  • Marquet J.-C., Lorblanchet M: Le "Masque" moustérien de La Roche-Cotard, Langeais (Indre-et-Loire). Paléo 2000, 12:325-338
  • Laurence Nicoud: L'art néandertalien: réalité et énigme. Archéologia (Paris): 407:6, January 2004
  • The Mousterian Protofigurine from La Roche-Cotard (France)

See also

  • Art of the Upper Paleolithic
  • Art of the Middle Paleolithic

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Character mask — Part of a series on Marxism …   Wikipedia

  • Prehistoric art — Ceramic stirrup spout vessel representing a crustacean. Moche Culture, Peru, 100 BCE to 700 CE …   Wikipedia

  • List of years in art — This page indexes the individual year in art pages; see also Art periods. This is a list of the Visual Arts only; for Music see Timeline of musical events. NOTOC 2000s 1990s 1980s 1970s 1960s 1950s 1940s 1930s 1920s 1910s 1900s 1890s 1880s 1870s… …   Wikipedia

  • 2002 in archaeology — ExplorationsExcavationsFinds* Mask of la Roche Cotard. * 3,500 year old human remains found in the Citadel of Damascus. * June: Newport ship.Publications* Thebes tabletsMiscellaneous* Brief reappearance and study of Seaton Carew Wreck… …   Wikipedia

  • French art — For practical purposes, the history of French art has been divided into a series of separate articles accessible through the template to the right. The template also gives direct access to French art category indexes, such as alphabetical lists… …   Wikipedia

  • Prehistoric France — is the period in the human occupation (including early hominins) of the geographical area covered by present day France which extended through prehistory and ended in the Iron Age with the Celtic La Tène culture .The PalaeolithicLower… …   Wikipedia

  • Timeline of archaeology, 2000s — 2000= ExcavationsPublicationsFinds*On Nelson s Island off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, Italian archaeologist Dr. Paolo Gallo uncovers a group of graves dating from the 1798 Battle of the Nile. The graves contain the remains of British Royal… …   Wikipedia

  • 40,000 BC in art — involved some significant events.EventsArtMask of la Roche Cotard created by neanderthal Pre Estuarine Tradition begins at Ubirr in northern AustraliaBirthsDeaths …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”