Museum of: Berlin
    Name of the artefact: Engraving of a horse head
   
The rib of a reindeer or am antelope with the depiction of a horse was found in 1928 in the cave of La Roche in the Southwest of France. The horse is one of the most popular motives of the Upper Paleolithic period.
                                 
 
WHERE IS IT AND MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
  
STATE
Department:
Museum for Pre- and Early History
Preservation:
 Very good
Inventory number:
Va 7216
Restauration:
 Restored
Name of the artefact:
Engraving of a horse head
Completeness:
 Complete
Object type:
Animal figurine
  
Material:
Bone
Methof of manufacture:
Engraving
Decoration type:
Incision
Distinctive mark:
-
DIMENSIONS
  
PERIOD OF USE
Length (mm):
60
Epoque:
Paleolithic
Heigth (mm):
-
Culture:
Magdalenien
Diameter (mm):
-
Period:
Upper Paleolithic
Width (mm):
17
Face:
-
Thickness (mm):
-
Absolute chronology:
15000 BC
Weight (g):
-
DISCOVERY
Date:
1928
Country:
France
District:
Dep. Dordogne
Town hall affiliation:
-
Village:
Lalinde
Discovery findspot:
La Roche
Condition of discovery:
Chance Discovery
Discovery type:
Dwelling
 
ANALYSES – DETERMINATIONS
 
FILLED IN BY
Type:
-
Name:
Dr. Manfred Nawroth
Laboratory:
-
Institution:
Museum for Pre - and Early History
No./Code:
-
Date:
20/09/2005
 
DEEPENINGS

Morphology of the object:
The fragment of a rib of a ruminant like reindeer is characterised by rounded edges, which are typical for antique breaks. Their surface is covered by reddish substrate.

Decoration:
The incision of a horse head is made of fine, sharpened lines. This is typical for the preparation of a bone from an animal hunted urgently. A lot of parallels are known from the Paleolithic period for the technical style of the decoration.

Inscription:
-

Analogies:
The most popular motifs of the “Ice Age Art” are women and animals. For example the wild horse, which was a popular animal for hunting in the Upper Paleolithic, is often depicted by incision of bones, ivory or stone as well as in the cave painting art of Southwest France.

Interpretation:
Apart from the spoken word the prehistoric art is a kind of communication. So complex contexts could be produced and understood on an abstract level. Mankind started to demonstrate his ideas and central themes of his environment.
Bibliography:
-