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Rock Art Studies:
News of the World VI
Edited by
Paul Bahn, Natalie Franklin & Matthias Strecker
Archaeopress Archaeology
Archaeopress Publishing Ltd Summertown Pavilion 18-24 Middle Way Summertown Oxford OX2 7LG www.archaeopress.com ISBN 978-1-78969-962-3 ISBN 978-1-78969-963-0 (e-Pdf) © the individual authors and Archaeopress 2021 Front cover: Engraving of a fish in a high contrast state, Withnell Bay, Burrup Peninsula (Photo by Natalie Franklin). Back cover: Yangjeon-dong style petroglyphs All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners. This book is available direct from Archaeopress or from our website www.archaeopress.com
Dedicated to the memory of Katja Devlet (1965-2018)
Contents
Contributors................................................................................................................................................................................ iii
Preface......................................................................................................................................................................................... vii
Paul Bahn, Natalie Franklin and Matthias Strecker
New Developments in Pleistocene Art (2015–2019)............................................................................................................1
Paul G. Bahn
Scandinavia and Northern Europe (2015–2019) ................................................................................................................18
Ulf Bertilsson, Christian Horn and Johan Ling
Archaeology of Late Prehistoric Images in Southern Europe: Research Agenda (2015-2019)...............................31
Primitiva Bueno Ramírez and Rodrigo de Balbín Behrmann
Rock Art Studies in the Alps (2015–2019)............................................................................................................................50
Claudia Defrasne
What’s New in the Sahara? (2015-2019)...............................................................................................................................63
Jean-Loïc Le Quellec
Rock Art Research in Southern Africa (2015-2019)...........................................................................................................79
Romain Lahaye
Rock Art Research in Arabia (2015-2019).............................................................................................................................90
Charly Poliakoff
The North-West, the Urals and the Far East of Russia....................................................................................................101
Elena Levanova, Alexander Pakhunov, Nadezhda Lobanova and Yuri Svoisky
Rock Art in Western Central Asia (2015-2019).................................................................................................................113
A. E. Rogozhinskiy
Rock Art Studies in Mongolia (2015-2019)........................................................................................................................126
Jamiyan-Ombo Gantulga and Tsagaan Turbat
Rock Art Research in India (2015-2019).............................................................................................................................137
James Blinkhorn
Recent Developments in Rock Art Research in Southeast Asia (2015-2019)............................................................146
Noel Hidalgo Tan and Victoria N. Scott
Recent Advances in China’s Rock Art Research...............................................................................................................157
Ge Chao and Anni Jin
The Discovery of New Rock Art in Korea and its Characteristics (2015-2019).........................................................165
Seog Ho Jang
What’s New in Research, Management and Conservation of Rock Art in Australia (2015-2019)........................174
Natalie Franklin
Pacific Rock Art from 2015-2019: Local Research Trajectories and Synergistic Regional Themes and
Trends.........................................................................................................................................................................................193
Rachel Hoerman
Recent Rock Art Studies in Canada.....................................................................................................................................205
Dagmara Zawadzka
Rock Art Research in North America (2015-2019)...........................................................................................................216
Angus R. Quinlan
Rock Art Research in Mexico (2015-2019).........................................................................................................................222
Alma Vega, Carlos Viramontes, María de la Luz Gutiérrez, Francisco Mendiola, Sandra Cruz and
Francisco Rodríguez (†)
i
New Rock Art Research in Central America and Maya Mexico (2015-2019).............................................................242
Martin Künne, Philippe Costa, Priscilla Molina Muñoz and Eric Gelliot
Caribbean Rock Art Research (2015-2019).........................................................................................................................255
Michele H. Hayward and Michael A. Cinquino
Advances In The Study Of Rock Art In Venezuela...........................................................................................................269
Pedro Rivas
Rock Art Studies in Brazil (2015-2019)...............................................................................................................................279
Andrei Isnardis and André Prous
Rock Art Research in Peru (2015-2019)..............................................................................................................................296
Rainer Hostnig and Liz Gonzales Ruiz
Rock Art Studies in Bolivia (2015-2019).............................................................................................................................309
Matthias Strecker and Freddy Taboada
New Rock Art Territories in Northern Uruguay (2015-2019).......................................................................................315
Leonel Cabrera Pérez
Looking Back to Move Forward: Rock Art Research in Argentina (2015-2019)........................................................325
Dánae Fiore and Mara Basile
Rock Art in Chile (2015-2019)...............................................................................................................................................340
Gloria Cabello, Daniela Valenzuela and Francisca Moya
iiContributors
Paul G. Bahn Gloria Cabello
428 Anlaby Road Instituto de Estética y Centro Interdisciplinario de
Hull HU3 6QP Estudios Interculturales e Indigenas (CIIR),
United Kingdom Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile,
pgbahn@anlabyrd.karoo.co.uk Santiago
Chile
Rodrigo de Balbín
gloria.cabello@uc.cl
Area de Prehistoria
Universidad de Alcalá de Henares Leonel Cabrera Pérez
c/ Colegios 2 Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas, Depto. de
28801 Alcalá de Henares Arqueología,
Spain Universidad de la República,
babubera@movistar.es Av. Uruguay 1695,
CP. 11200, Montevideo
Mara Basile
Uruguay
CONICET,
jesuscab33@cs.com
Museo Etnográfico-UBA,
leonelcabreraperez@gmail.com
J.B. Ambrosetti Moreno 350, Código Postal: C1091,
Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Ge Chao
Argentina School of Humanities,
mara_basile@yahoo.com.ar Minjiang University,
C-519, Fu Wan Lou Bldg, No. 200, Xiyuangong Road,
Ulf Bertilsson
Minhou County,
Swedish Rock Art Research Archives
Fuzhou City,
Institutionen för Historiska studier
Fujian Province,
Göteborgs universitet
China
Box 200
chaogemanu@163.com
405 30 Göteborg
Sweden Michael A. Cinquino
ulf@shfa.se PCI, Buffalo Branch Office,
ulf.bertilsson@archaeology.gu.se 2390 Clinton Street,
Buffalo
James Blinkhorn
NY 14227
Pan-African Evolution Research Group,
USA
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History,
mcinquino@panamconsultants.com
Jena, Germany
Centre for Quaternary Research, Philippe Costa
Department of Geography, Royal Holloway CNRS-Université Paris I,
University of London Maison de l’Archéologie et de l’Ethnologie,
Egham 21 Allée de l’Université,
United Kingdom 92023 Nanterre
blinkhorn@shh.mpg.de France
costa.philippe14@gmail.com
Primitiva Bueno Ramírez
Area de Prehistoria Sandra Cruz
Universidad de Alcalá de Henares Av. Rómulo Escobar Zerman, núm. 126,
c/ Colegios 2 Colonia Industrial, C.P. 07800
28801 Alcalá de Henares Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero,
Spain Ciudad de México,
mimibueno@movistar.es Mexico
scruzf@yahoo.com.mx
iiiClaudia Defrasne Michele H. Hayward
EDYTEM, PCI, Buffalo Branch Office,
UMR5204 2390 Clinton Street,
Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Buffalo
CNRS NY 14227
73000 Chambéry USA
France mhayward@panamconsultants.com
claudia.defrasne@univ-smb.fr
Rachel Hoerman
Dánae Fiore Dept. of Anthropology,
CONICET - AIA - UBA 2424 Maile Way,
Bartolomé Mitre 1131 7 “G” Saunders Hall 346,
(1036) Buenos Aires, University of Hawai’i at Manoa,
Argentina Honolulu,
danae_fiore@yahoo.es HI 96822
USA
Natalie R. Franklin
rbhoerman@gmail.com
Honorary Senior Research Fellow,
School of Social Science, Christian Horn
University of Queensland, Institute of Historical Studies,
Brisbane Gothenburg University,
QLD 4072 Gothenburg
Australia Sweden
n.franklin@uq.edu.au christian.horn@gu.se
Jamiyan-Ombo Gantulga Rainer Hostnig
Department of Bronze and Iron Age Urb. Magisterio, 1a etapa,
The Institute of Archaeology Calle Osvaldo Baca 106,
Mongolian Academy of Sciences Cusco
Jucov street-77, Ulaanbaatar-51 Peru
Mongolia rainer.hostnig@gmail.com
ganuudg@gmail.com
Andrei Isnardis
Eric Gelliot Setor de Arqueologia pré-histórica
INRAP – Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Museu de História Natural da Universidade Federal de
Préventives, MInas Gerais (UFMG)
Direction Interrégionale Grand Est Nord, Rua Gustavo da Silveira 1035
Bureau d’Etude Topographique, 31080-010 Belo Horizonte
12 rue de Méric, Brazil
CS 80005 – 57063 Metz Cedex 2 isnardis@gmail.com
France
Seog Ho Jang
eric.gelliot@gmail.com
Honorary Research Fellow,
Liz Gonzales Northeast Asian History Foundation,
Calle Apu Pachatusán C-13, Imgwang Bldg.,
APV-Tambillo, CP. 08003 81 Tongil-ro,
Cusco Seodaemun-gu,
Peru Seoul
liz.gonzales.ruiz@gmail.com Republic of Korea 120-705
baigrim@hanmail.net
María de la Luz Gutiérrez
pisanitcha@nahf.or.kr
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Baja
California Sur Anni Jin
Legaspy 1637, Colonia Los Olivos, School of Humanities,
La Paz, Baja California Sur, CP. 23000 Minjiang University,
Mexico C-530, Fu Wan Lou Bldg, No. 200, Xiyuangong Road,
lukerotres@gmail.com Minhou County,
Fuzhou City,
Fujian Province,
China
Sagapo330@163.com
ivMartin Künne Priscilla Molina Muñoz
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Museos del Banco Central de Costa Rica,
Institut für Archäologie und Kulturanthropologie, Museo del Oro Precolombino,
Abteilung für Altamerikanistik, Plaza de las Tres Culturas,
Oxfordstr. 15, San José de Costa Rica
53111 Bonn Costa Rica
Germany molinamp@bccr.fi.cr
kuenne@zedat.fu-berlin.de
Francisca Moya
Romain Lahaye SERP/Facultat de Geografia i Història,
Doctorant en Histoire, Anthropologie et Archéologie, Universitat de Barcelona,
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (IMAF), Barcelona,
3 allée Saint-Gildas, App. 9583, Spain
35700 Rennes franmoya.c@gmail.com
France
Alexander S. Pakhunov
romain-lahaye@laposte.net
Institute of Archaeology,
Jean-Loïc Le Quellec Russian Academy of Sciences,
Brenessard Dm. Ulianova St. 19,
85540 St Benoist sur Mer 119076 Moscow
France Russia
jllq@rupestre.on-rev.com alexander.pakhunov@u-bordeaux.fr
Elena Levanova Charly Poliakoff
Candidate in History, Doctorant,
Institute of Archaeology, Université de Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne ED112,
Russian Academy of Sciences UMR 7041 ARSCAN
Dmitry Ulianova St. 19, Paris
117292 Moscow France
Russia charly.poliakoff@gmail.com
maraveriza@gmail.com and paleoartlab@gmail.com
André Prous
Johan Ling Setor de Arqueologia pré-histórica
Swedish Rock Art Research Archives Museu de História Natural da Universidade Federal de
Institutionen för Historiska studier MInas Gerais (UFMG)
Göteborgs universitet Rua Gustavo da Silveira 1035
Box 200 31080-010 Belo Horizonte
405 30 Göteborg Brazil
Sweden aprous80@gmail.com
johan.ling@archaeology.gu.se
Angus Quinlan
Nadezhda Lobanova The Nevada Rock art Foundation,
Karelian Research Centre, P.O. Box 2082,
Russian Academy of Sciences. Sparks,
Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History, Nevada 89432-2082
Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of USA
Sciences, arquinlan@nvrockart.org
ul. Pushkinskaya, 11,
Pedro Rivas
185910 Petrozavodsk
Instituto Caribe de Antropología y Sociología,
Republic of Karelia
Fundación La Salle de Ciencias Naturales,
Russia
Av. Boyacá (con Maripérez), Distrito Capital,
hopelob@yandex.ru
Caracas
Francisco Mendiola Galvan Venezuela
Centro Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, pedrorivasg@gmail.com
Puebla
Avenida Ejército de Oriente s/n,
Colonia Centro Cívico 5 de mayo,
Zona de Los Fuertes, C.P. 72270
Puebla,
Mexico
panchomendiola@yahoo.com.mx
vFrancisco Rodríguez Noel H. Tan
Calle Venus 122, SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts
Ciudad del Sol. C.P. 59310 (SPAFA),
La Piedad, 81/1 Si Ayutthaya Road,
Michoacán, Dusit,
Mexico Bangkok 10300
paczoolookologie@gmail.com Thailand
noel@seameo-spafa.org
Alexei Rogozhinskiy
Researcher, Institute of Archaeology, Tsagaan Turbat
Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Department of Bronze and Iron Age
Kazakhstan, The Institute of Archaeology
Almaty, Mongolian Academy of Sciences
Kazakhstan Jucov street-77, Ulaanbaatar-51
alexeyro@hotmail.com Mongolia
turbat.tsagaan@gmail.com
Victoria Scott
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Daniela Valenzuela R.
10 Thornhaugh Street, London, Depto. de Antropología,
United Kingdom WC1H 0XG Universidad de Tarapacá,
Vs8@soas.ac.uk Arica,
Chile
Matthias Strecker
dvalenzu@academicos.uta.cl
Sociedad de Investigación del Arte Rupestre de Bolivia
(SIARB), Alma Vega
Pamirpampa No. 100, Achumani Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosi,
La Paz Mexico
Bolivia alma.vega.barbosa@gmail.com
strecker.siarb@gmail.com
Carlos Viramontes Anzures
Yuri Svoyski Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Querétaro
Remote Sensing and Spatial Data Analysis Laboratory Andrés Balvanera 2, Centro Histórico
(RSSDA), Querétaro
Moscow Qro, CP. 76000
Russia Mexico
rutil28@gmail.com cviramontes@hotmail.com
Freddy Taboada Dagmara Zawadzka
Sociedad de Investigación del Arte Rupestre de Bolivia Université du Québec à Montréal,
(SIARB), 802-1819 Boulevard de Maisonneuve W.
Edif. Pucara, Depto. 402, Montreal,
Miraflores, calle Nanagua No. 1805, Quebec
La Paz H3H 1K1
Bolivia Canada
taboadatellez@yahoo.com dagmaraz@gmail.com
viPreface
Paul Bahn, Natalie Franklin and Matthias Strecker
This volume is the sixth in the series ROCK ART STUDIES: congresses, new techniques of recording and analysis
NEWS OF THE WORLD which started in 1996, partly based such as DStretch and Reflectance Transformation
on a symposium held at the News95 International Rock Imaging (RTI), as well as Geographical Information
Art Congress. In the Preface to Volume 1, the editors Systems (GIS), and application of archaeometry, for
pointed out the constant expansion and acceleration example analysis of pigments (FRX and others) and
of research in this field, as well as the proliferation production processes; dating, including of the pigments
of literature on the subject which make it extremely used to make motifs and/or of surface accretions
difficult to keep up with interesting developments and underlying or overlying rock art; conservation and
discoveries around the world. management, incorporating increasingly scientific
methods for intervention and monitoring, as well as
25 years later we are able to envision the progress made techniques for visitor management and studies of
in rock art studies (research, recordings, presentation, visitor behaviour at rock art sites.
conservation and administration of sites), as well as
the importance of publishing overviews on what is On the other hand, rock art studies are now underway
happening in this respect worldwide. in all continents and most countries though in different
degrees of professional approaches. The list below
Some trends in the last decades are: the inclusion of rock reveals the worldwide coverage in the six volumes
art in archaeological and anthropological projects and published in this series.
Region Vol. 1 Vol. 2 Vol. 3 Vol. 4 Vol. 5 Vol. 6
Pleistocene rock art worldwide p. 1-14 p. 1-11 p. 1-15 p. 1-17 p. 1-17 p. 1-17
Northern Europe p. 16-28 p. 12-24 p. 16-36 p. 18-44 p. 19-31 p. 18-30
Iberian Peninsula p. 29-40 p. 25-35 p. 37-51 p. 45-59 p. 33-42 p. 31-49
Alps, Italy, Balkans p. 41-58 p. 36-44 p. 60-64 p. 43-53 p. 50-62
Northern Africa and Sahara p. 59-70 p. 44-73 p. 52-96 p. 65-98 p. 55-74 p. 63-78
Southern and Tropical Africa p. 71-84 p. 74-81 p. 97-111 p. 99-112 p. 75-87 p. 79-89
Angola p. 85-94
Arabian Peninsula, Levant and Anatolia p. 95-104 p. 82-87 p. 112-119 p. 113-123 p. 89-95 p. 90-100
Northern Eurasia p. 105-125 p. 88-118 p. 120-137 p. 124-148 p. 97-126 p. 101-112
Siberia and Central Asia p. 105-125 p. 88-118 p. 138-178 p. 149-163 p. 127-150 p. 113-125
Mongolia p. 164-195 p. 151-154 p. 126-136
p. 157-164,
Far East p. 127-132 p. 119-122 p. 179-184 p. 207-214
165-173
India p. 133-140 p. 123-126 p. 196-206 p. 155-162 p.137-145
South-East Asia p. 141-144 p. 127-132 p. 207-214 p. 163-186 p. 146-156
Australia and New Guinea p. 145-162 p. 133-146 p. 185-212 p. 215-234 p. 187-204 p. 174-192
Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia p. 163-172 p. 147-164 p. 213-225 p. 235-243 p. 205-213 p. 193-204
p. 226-234, p. 205-214,
North America p. 173-184 p. 165-177 p. 244-263 p. 215-243
235-240 215-221
p. 241-255, p. 222-241,
Mexico and Central America p. 185-202 p. 178-213 p. 264-309 p. 245-284
256-273 242-254
South America p. 203-206
Caribbean islands p. 207-214 p. 310-318 p. 285-294 p. 255-268
Colombia p. 214-220 p. 319-328
Ecuador p. 274-279 p. 295-302
Venezuela p. 329-337 p. 269-278
viiRegion Vol. 1 Vol. 2 Vol. 3 Vol. 4 Vol. 5 Vol. 6
Brazil p. 215-220 p. 231-241 p. 294-308 p. 338-348 p. 303-313 p. 279 -295
Peru p. 221-226 p. 280-282 p. 355-363 p. 315-322 p. 296-308
Bolivia p. 221-224 p. 227-230 p. 289-293 p. 349-354 p. 323-328 p. 309-314
Uruguay p. 315-324
Argentina p. 225-229 p. 242-251 p. 309-319 p. 364-385 p. 329-347 p. 325-339
Chile p. 386-398 p. 349-364 p. 340-353
In the past five years, some innovative approaches have impossible to obtain texts from one area which these
been pioneered, especially in the fields of dating and the volumes normally cover (Siberia). We would like to give
archaeology of rock art sites. In Australia, for example, particular thanks to Charly Poliakoff and Gus Quinlan
this has included “archaeomorphology”, an approach for stepping into the breach at short notice to replace
that attempts to reconstruct the geomorphological other contributors who dropped out.
histories of sites to determine when rock surfaces
that now bear rock imagery were formed, providing IN MEMORIAM
maximum possible ages that can then be correlated with
evidence from archaeological deposits. Such efforts Each volume in this series has paid tribute to rock art
have confirmed a Pleistocene antiquity for some sites specialists who have passed away during the five years
in the north of Australia, as would be expected from in question. The period covered by the present volume
recent dates of at least 40,000 years for rock imagery in has seen the departure of an unusually great number of
Island Southeast Asia, on a route presumably taken by valued colleagues and friends:
early migrants out of Africa and across into Australia.
Jean Abélanet (1925-2019), a specialist in the rock art of
In this volume, the reader will encounter the usual the French Pyrenees, and discoverer of the open-air
array of new discoveries – including a host of decorated Ice Age art of Fornols;
Ice Age caves, primarily in Spain but also, for the first Daniel Arsenault (1957-2016), a specialist in
time, in Croatia. There are also some major surprises, archaeological and cultural rock art landscapes of
such as the painting of a Bactrian camel in Russia’s the Canadian Arctic;
Kapova Cave. Technology plays an ever-greater role Rick Bury (1946-2019), one of the very greatest
in the study of every kind of rock art – for example, photographers of rock art, specializing in that of
3D scanning (see e.g. Northern Europe) and even 4D California;
scanning (on the megalithic art of Southern Europe). A John Coles (1930-2020), who produced studies of
wide range of digital analytical techniques for colour Swedish rock art of major importance;
enhancement and for recording are being applied – Jean Combier (1926-2020), the foremost specialist in the
in Chile or the Alps, for instance, where portable XRF Ice Age art of SE France;
(X-ray fluorescence) technology is allowing detailed Pat Helvenston (1940-2019), the eminent
analysis of pigments. In Canada, on the other hand, neuropsychologist who did so much to combat and
Highlight-Reflectance Transformation Imaging of demolish the fallacies frequently presented about
petroglyphs has proved to be a useful new tool. trance and entoptics in rock art;
Dirk Huyge (1957-2018), the specialist in Egyptian rock
Another aspect of rock art research, which has art, who rediscovered and studied the petroglyphs
long been of importance in places like Australia, is at Qurta and produced the first proof of Pleistocene
consultation with local Indigenous peoples to ascertain rock art in Africa, and who also contributed to
what they can tell us about the imagery, what it means volumes II and III in this series;
to them and how rock art might be managed. This has José Antonio Lasheras (1956-2016), director of the
now become an important approach in Venezuela and Altamira Museum and a leading specialist not only
parts of Brazil as well. However, the texts in this volume in Ice Age cave art but also the rock art of Paraguay;
on the latter two countries make clear the difficult Georgia Lee (1926-2016), the pre-eminent expert on the
challenges currently posed to rock art research by their rock art of Easter Island, as well as that of Hawaii,
political and academic situation. who contributed to volume I;
Elspeth Parry (1932-2019), the foremost specialist in
We are grateful to all the contributors to this volume, Zimbabwean rock art;
who produced their texts in the course of the most Jakov Sher (1931-2019), doyen of Siberian rock art
bizarre and stressful year that any of us has ever researchers, who also contributed to the first
lived through. Indeed the events of 2020 made it volume in this series; and
viiiJack Steinbring (1929-2019), doyen of Canadian and US this volume to her. In addition, in 2019 a magnificent
rock art researchers, who contributed to volumes III book was published in honour of Katja’s memory, filled
and IV in this series. with photographs of her, as well as reminiscences and
tributes by friends and colleagues:
Finally, a whole series of scholars in Peru also passed
away, to whom tribute is paid in the chapter by Hostnig M. A. Devlet (ed.) 2019. Iconographic and Technological
& Gonzales in the present volume. Traditions in Early Forms of Art (2). Occasional
Publications of the Siberian Association of Prehistoric
However, perhaps the most grievous loss was that Art Researchers, vol. XII. Kuzbassvuzizdat Publishing
of our friend Katja Devlet (1965-2018), the great Press: Moscow/Kemerovo (in Russian).
Russian rock art expert, who had not only contributed
to several books in this series (III, IV, V), but who As the book went into production we learned the sad
also made it possible for the previous volume to be news of the death of Luis Briones (1939-2021), Chile’s
published, thanks to a financial contribution from her foremost specialist in geoglyphs. A full tribute will be
Institute. She was our co-editor of that book, and her paid to Luis in the next volume in this series.
input has been greatly missed this time. We dedicate
ixx
New Developments in Pleistocene Art
(2015–2019)
Paul G. Bahn
Introduction The present author published (Bahn 2016) an entirely
revised and updated edition of his book, the only
As in the previous five-year period, the years 2015–2019 volume available which covers every aspect of all
saw some new discoveries of Ice Age art – albeit with kinds of Ice Age imagery; a book written with Michel
few finds of enormous importance. One noteworthy Lorblanchet (Lorblanchet & Bahn 2017) which focuses
development was the confirmation, from new calcite on the earliest imagery; and a new, updated edition of
dates in three Spanish caves, that Neanderthals the guidebook to all the decorated Ice Age caves open to
produced a variety of cave markings. The Uranium/ the public (Bahn 2018).
Thorium dating of calcite formations has also produced
further early results from caves in Indonesia. But The most important publication, however, was
where dating is concerned, the elephant in the room undoubtedly a new, enlarged edition of Lorblanchet’s
remains the age officially attributed to Chauvet cave’s major opus, which originally appeared in 2010, and
imagery – despite continued published critiques, the which constitutes the greatest contribution to the
research team simply refuses to discuss or debate the subject since Leroi-Gourhan (Lorblanchet 2018).
issue. Every valid criticism is met with silence. The
application of new technology continues to make an Several other general books on Ice Age cave art also
ever-growing contribution to the study of both portable appeared – most notably Groenen (2016), as well as
and wall art, with software such as DStretch producing volumes by Clottes (2016), Rigal (2016), Delluc & Delluc
important results. Very little new interpretation of (2017) and Paillet (2018). A massive tome on prehistoric
any importance has been presented. As usual, this art (Fritz 2017) contains some fine photographs of Ice
paper cannot cover all of the very numerous books and Age imagery.
papers which appeared during those five years, but
it will highlight what are considered to be the most A number of important collections of papers also
important. appeared: for example, in volumes dedicated to
Rodrigo de Balbín (Bueno-Ramírez & Bahn 2015) and
New publications to the late Norbert Aujoulat (Hommage 2016). Other
general collections include Pastoors et al. (2017), Garate
Historical studies in Palaeolithic art included a new & Unzueta (2017), White & Bourrillon (2015), Papeles
volume about the life and work of Hermilio Alcalde (2019), Domingo & Palomo (2020) and a special issue
del Río, on the 150th anniversary of his birth (Pérez of the journal Les Nouvelles de l’Archéologie (2018). All
Avellaneda 2017); an exhibition catalogue about of these works contain interesting texts on Ice Age
Léopold Chiron (Girard & Combier 2016); a study of imagery.
Leroi-Gourhan’s alleged structuralism (Moro Abadia
& Palacio-Pérez 2015); an examination of the tracing Several studies appeared on different parts of Europe:
methods of Léon Pales (Welté 2016); and an excellent for example, on Iberia as a whole (Straus 2018), on
general history of the study of Palaeolithic art (Palacio- Aurignacian art in Iberia (Garate et al. 2015), on the
Pérez 2017). A historical analysis focusing on some Cantabrian caves (Ochoa 2017), on the Basque country
recent researchers such as Marshack can also be highly (Garate 2018), on Bizkaia (Garate 2017), on Asturias
recommended (Cooper 2020). (Menéndez 2014), and on the final Palaeolithic imagery
of Mediterranean Iberia (Domingo & Roman 2020).
Where portable art is concerned, the acts have appeared There were also valuable new volumes on Ice Age
of a major conference (Cleyet-Merle et al. 2016). There imagery in Italy (Martini 2016), Romania (Cârciumaru &
have also been studies of objects in St Petersburg’s Mitu 2018), and Central Europe (Floss & Pastoors 2018).
Kunstkamera (Chlopachev 2016), of the finds from
the Swabian Jura (Conard et al. 2015; Wolf 2015; Wolf One of the most important general studies published
et al. 2018; Conard & Kind 2019), and those from the was a monumental catalogue of every Palaeolithic
Aude (Sacchi 2015). D’Errico & Vanhaeren (2015) hand stencil in Spain (Collado 2018). There were also
presented a survey of the jewellery found in Upper interesting surveys of rare animals in the imagery
Palaeolithic burials, showing different chronological (Cretin & Madelaine 2019), of canids (Lombo 2018),
and geographical patternings. reindeer (Martin 2016), bears (L’Ours 2016), and humans
Rock Art Studies: News of the World VI, Archaeopress 2021: 1–17Rock Art Studies: News of the World VI
(Welté 2015). The Dellucs provided useful studies of eye therefore inevitable that this period saw a whole series
depictions (Delluc & Delluc 2016), and imagery showing of new publications on both caves. Where Chauvet is
human hair and teeth, etc (Delluc & Delluc 2017a). concerned, there was a new account by the discoverers
Lbova (2016) has attempted to recognise clothing and (Brunel et al. 2015), as well as other popular works (e.g.
backpacks on the human figurines from Mal’ta; while Huguet 2015), and also the first official monograph –
Lombo (2017) has presented evidence for humour in Ice the vast and unwieldy Atlas (Delannoy & Geneste 2020).
Age imagery. Jouve (2020) showed clearly that this cave originally
had more than one entrance. There were also some
Where “signs” are concerned, Madariaga de la Campa decidedly offbeat contributions, such as a bizarre
(2014) interpreted those in Cantabria very literally, interpretation of the cave’s supposed therianthrope
while Sauvet et al. (2018) pondered the function of (Ubick & Thackeray 2016), and a ludicrous claim that
the quadrilateral signs of Cantabria. Vázquez Marcos the cave contains a depiction of a volcanic eruption
(2014) studied the “M” sign on horses’ flanks, finding (Nomade et al. 2016)!
that there are very few examples in Iberia (mostly in
Ekain and Siega Verde). There was also a popular book As for Lascaux, several general accounts appeared (e.g.
on the subject which, alas, contained very little new Newton 2015; Dossiers 2016; Pigeaud 2017), but the
information (Von Petzinger 2016). most important was a major volume which was the first
to reveal who caused the terrible damage to the cave
Medina-Alcaide et al. (2018) provide a list of the many in 1999 (Chassain & Tauxe 2016). Two invaluable small
different kinds of evidence in caves that should be studies also appeared, which traced the numerous
included in any cave art study, but Lorblanchet (2016) different interpretations of the enigmatic “shaft
actually provides concrete examples from the Quercy scene” (Le Quellec 2018) and of the equally enigmatic
caves – such as markings, finger traces, retouches, ex- “unicorn” (Tauxe 2019).
votos, removal of material, etc. Medina-Alcaide et al.
(2018a) have also proposed that some red marks in caves One noteworthy event was the completion of the trilogy
may have been left accidentally on walls by people with of magnificent volumes on the Volp caves – after Le Tuc
painted bodies. Where pigment is concerned, Lbova d’Audoubert (2009) and Les Trois Frères (2014) we now
& Volkov (2017) have examined coloured decoration have a remarkable work on Enlène (Bégouën et al. 2019).
of the anthropomorphous figurines of Siberia, finding A critique appeared of Breuil’s famous but erroneous
traces of red, green, blue, etc. interpretation of an engraving in Les Trois Frères as a
figure playing a musical bow (Bahn 2015). Also in the
Finally, Apellániz presented further work on identifying Pyrenees, there were short new studies of the cave art
authorship in Palaeolithic imagery (Apellániz & Amayra in Le Mas d’Azil (Le Guillou 2017), Marsoulas (Fritz &
2014); Fazenda et al. (2017) presented work on the Tosello 2017), Isturitz (Garate et al. 2016), as well as a
acoustics of decorated caves; Hodgson (2019) explored major survey of the three Arbailles caves (Garate &
the neurological roots of early art; Pettitt (2016) wrote Bourrillon 2017). An important but extremely narrow
about shadows, art and ritual in the caves; de la Rasilla and low engraved gallery was discovered in the cave of
& Duarte (2018) presented a new study confirming Alkerdi (Garate & Rivero 2015).
the probable links between some decorated caves and
thermal/medicinal springs in northern Spain; In the Dordogne, more papers have at last begun to be
published on the remarkable Gravettian engraved cave
Ruiz-Redondo (2016) surveyed late Palaeolithic art, of Cussac (e.g. Jaubert et al. 2017; Ledoux et al. 2017;
highlighting some similarities in composition and Jouteau et al. 2019; Feruglio et al. 2019). A new volume
layout between, for example, the caves of Candamo appeared on the Abri du Poisson and Cap Blanc (Cleyet-
and Covaciella; while Sauvet (2019) emphasised the Merle 2016), and traces of some hitherto undetected
dominance of the horse throughout cave art. Garate engravings were found on the ceiling of the Abri du
et al. (2020) presented a predictive model for finding Poisson (Zotkina & Cleyet-Merle 2017). Some new
decorated caves, with Northern Spain as an example of painted figures were also detected in Les Combarelles
its application. through use of DStretch (Man-Estier et al. 2015), while
a study at last appeared of the engravings found at the
New studies of known caves far end of the cave some years ago (Cleyet-Merle et al.
2016a). New Aurignacian engravings were uncovered
These five years saw the opening of two major cave at the Abri Blanchard (Bourrillon et al. 2018) and
facsimiles (see Bahn 2018) – in April 2015 that of Abri Cellier (White et al. 2018), and a new account of
Chauvet, in which the main decorated panels are Villars was presented (Delluc et al. 2016). Recent work
artificially compressed into a smaller space than in Fronsac and Teyjat was also published (Paillet et al.
in the original cave; and in December 2016, that of 2018, 2020).
Lascaux IV which presents almost the whole cave. It is
2Paul G. Bahn: New Developments in Pleistocene Art (2015–2019)
For the rest of France, Pinçon’s doctoral dissertation In Asturias, these years saw the 50th anniversary of
(2020) on Angles-sur l’Anglin has at last given that the discovery of Tito Bustillo (Alvarez-Fernández &
major site the study it deserves; there was also a Jordá 2018), the centenary of that of Buxu (Menéndez
popular book on the site (Pinçon et al. 2016), as well as 2016), as well as the centenary of that of Candamo
a study of its human depictions (Fuentes 2017). A new (Corchón et al. 2017) – a few new engravings were
book on the Ardèche caves focused on conservation also reported in Candamo (Corchón et al. 2015). New
and damage (Gély et al. 2019), while a thorough study volumes appeared on Les Pedroses (Martínez-Villa
of the Grotte aux Points appeared (Monney 2018/19). 2019), Coimbre (Alvarez-Alonso & Yravedra 2017;
The story of the finding and exploitation of Pech-Merle see also González-Pumariega 2020), and Las Caldas
was published by the daughter of its art’s discoverer (Corchón 2017) – the latter presents the site’s hundreds
(M. David 2018). New studies were published of the of Magdalenian engraved plaquettes, as well as other
rock art of the Fontainebleau area (Bénard 2018), and portable art). The cave of Covaciella was the subject of
of an engraved fish in the Grotte Margot (Berrouet et an important volume (García-Diez et al. 2015) as well as
al. 2014). The Grotte des Gorges was the subject of an a paper (García-Diez et al. 2016). There were also new
exhibition (S. David 2018). Finally, a ridiculously ill- studies of the sites of La Viña (González-Pumariega et al.
informed paper questioned the authenticity of the 2017) and of the Cueva de Las Mestas, where a figurative
engraved plaquettes of La Marche (Sandström 2015), engraving was only identified as such, decades after the
but was rapidly dismissed with an excellent response discovery (González-Pumariega et al. 2018).
(Delage 2016).
In other parts of the Iberian Peninsula, a new study of
In Spain, in the Basque country, Ekain was celebrated the horse figure in Atapuerca’s Cueva Mayor concluded
with a new popular book (Ekain 2019), as well as studies that its Palaeolithic age is still extremely uncertain
of some important new digital figures discovered in (Fernández Moreno et al. 2019). The art in the cave of El
the cave (Vigiola-Toña et al. 2017; Ochoa et al. 2018, Morrón (Jaén) was examined afresh (Sanchidrián et al.
2019). A monograph appeared on the cave of Praeleaitz 2017), and the imagery in Gibraltar’s Gorham’s cave was
(Peñalver et al. 2017), and a study of possible late presented (Simón-Vallejo et al. 2018). A new article was
Magdalenian female depictions in Santimamiñe and La published on the portable art of Estebanvela (Segovia)
Pasiega (González Sainz 2016-17). (García-Diez & Cacho 2015).
In Cantabria, two major new volumes on the Monte In the field of open-air art, a new book appeared on Siega
Castillo caves appeared (Groenen & Groenen 2015; Verde (Vázquez & Angulo 2019); the Côa Valley was the
García Diez et al. 2018). One study (Groenen & Groenen subject of a number of new papers (Aubry et al. 2014; Luis
2015a) showed that some black marks in El Castillo were et al. 2015; Baptista 2016; Fernandes et al. 2017), as well
not torch wipes but deliberately made markings. A new as a major new discovery at Fariseu (Aubry et al. 2020a,
study of the hitherto much neglected cave of El Salitre 2020b) [Figure 1], while Germany’s Hunsrück site was
was carried out (Salazar et al. 2019). also presented (Welker 2015, 2016). A new study of the
Figure 1. Huge male aurochs figure, over 3.5 m long, pecked into a rock at Fariseu, Côa Valley,
and highlighted in white on the photo (Photo: T. Aubry).
3Rock Art Studies: News of the World VI
female figures at Qurta, Egypt, was published (Huyge New discoveries
2018). Claims have been made (Molodin et al. 2019) that
some petroglyphs in Mongolia and neighbouring areas As always, portable art has continued to be found:
of Siberia – including mammoths, horses and a possible e.g. some new Magdalenian pieces from Bourrouilla
rhino -- may be Palaeolithic in age, but this is by no (Pyrénées-Atantiques) (Plassard et al. 2018); the
means sure, especially as mammoths persisted long remarkable engraved schist plaquettes from the late
into the Holocene. Magdalenian at Le Rocher de l’Impératrice in Brittany
(Naudinot et al. 2017); and a highly unusual bird figure
Elsewhere in Europe, major publications appeared in sunken relief on flint, from the Aurignacian of
on Russia’s Kapova cave (Kotov 2019; Svoyski et al. Cantalouette II, which looks natural rather than man-
2018; Shirokov 2018; Ruiz-Redondo et al. 2020; see made (Ortega et al. 2015). However, the most startling
also Levanova et al, this volume). Recent studies here finds in France have been unearthed at Amiens-
found flat pieces of limestone with remains of ochre, Renancourt, where no less than 15 female figurines
like painters’ palettes, and accumulations of pigment (of Gravettian style) carved in chalk have been found,
hidden in hollows between big blocks (Kotov 2016, suggesting that this site was a production centre for
2019). However, the most astonishing discovery in the them; jewellery has also been found here (Paris et al.
cave was a painting of a bactrian camel, that had lain 2017, 2019).
concealed under calcite, apart from its hind-leg which
had been thought to be an anthropomorph (Devlet et al. Special mention should also be made of the huge
2018, 2018a). number of engraved plaquettes recovered from the
small part of the open-air site excavated at Foz do Medal
Finally, a new study compared Gönnersdorf ’s animal in north-east Portugal (de Figueiredo et al. 2016, 2020),
depictions with the site’s fauna (Bosinski 2016). The as well as the engraved and painted stones from the
art of Sicily’s Levanzo Cave was the subject of a new final Palaeolithic at Fariseu in the Côa Valley (Santos et
study (di Maida et al. 2018); one of its deer engravings al. 2018).
was reinterpreted as a horse (di Maida 2016). The art
of Italy’s Romito shelter was also re-examined in detail Where new decorated caves are concerned, there have
(Sigari 2020). In Romania, a new account of Coliboaia been a whole series of additions to the corpus during
cave (Gély et al. 2018) had many of its claims rebutted, the five years in question, once again primarily in the
especially those concerning dating, identifications, and Spanish Basque country – most notably Atxurra (Garate
comparisons with other caves, most notably Chauvet et al. 2016b; 2020a; Arriolabengoa et al. 2020) [Figure
(Cârciumaru et al. 2019). 2], where studies have shown that the Magdalenian
engravers deliberately sought areas that were very
Figure 2. Two horses scraped and engraved in the cave of Atxurra, 65 cm and 109 cm in length
(Photo D. Garate).
4Paul G. Bahn: New Developments in Pleistocene Art (2015–2019)
Figure 3. Bison head, engraved, carved and natural, in La Marche (Photo S. Konik, MCC/Centre National
de Préhistoire).
difficult to access – these have the greatest densities of In France, decoration was reported in Bourgogne, in
engravings, whereas places easy to reach have fewer or the Grottes Agneux I and II (Floss et al. 2018, 2018a).
none. Art has also been found at Armintxe (González New discoveries were also made in what were hitherto
Sainz & López Quintana 2018), Morgota (López 2015; thought to be undecorated rock-shelters. In the
Garate et al. 2015a), Danbolinzulo (Ochoa et al. 2020), Dordogne’s famous Cro-Magnon shelter, traces of red
Ondaro (Garate et al. 2016/17), Baltzola (Intxaurbe et marks including a possible figure have been detected
al. 2019, 2020), and San Pedro (Intxaurbe et al. 2020a). (Bougard 2019); while at the equally famous La Marche
Alkerdi 2 (Alvarez et al. 2016; Garate et al. 2017) is a shelter in Vienne, a bison head in relief and engraving
Gravettian cave with an engraved bison as well as red was discovered, along with other engraved lines and
signs. However, some of the most interesting finds have some traces of red ochre (Bahn 2016a, 2017) [Figure
been made in several of the Aitzbitarte caves (Garate et 3]. This case somewhat resembles that of Parpalló in
al. 2016a, 2020b, 2020c), especially Aitzbitarte IV (Garate Spain – both sites contained hundreds of decorated
et al. 2018; 2020d) with its astonishing figures drawn in plaquettes, but both were thought devoid of parietal
clay on the walls in a fantastically inaccessible gallery. imagery. At least one parietal figure is now known in
each.
In Cantabria there have also been a number of new finds
– Auria (Ontañon et al. 2018), Cueto Grande (Muñoz et Elsewhere in Europe, an unusual engraving of what
al. 2015), Cudón (Montes et al. 2015), Solviejo (Montes seems to be a bison in a rock shelter at Allerberg (Lower
et al. 2017) and a series of six minor decorated caves Saxony, Germany) perplexes specialists who have so far
(Ontañon et al. 2019). been unable to determine its age (Grote et al. 2018); on
the other hand, there is no doubt that a Palaeolithic
Elsewhere in Spain, a new cave was discovered in the decorated cave, Romualdova Pecina, has now been
Zaragoza region – the Cueva Hermosa contains clusters discovered in Croatia (Ruiz-Redondo et al. 2019). In stark
of small red dots (Bea et al. 2019). At L’Espluga de Francolí, contrast, claims that some animal engravings in Crete
Tarragona, numerous engravings have been found are of Palaeolithic age (Strasser et al. 2018) are almost
(https://www.elperiodico.com/es/videos/sociedad/ certainly erroneous, in view of the style of the figures.
santuario-paleolitico-espluga-francoli/4766562.shtml).
In the South, Las Ventanas was found in Andalusia Finally, new examples of open-air Palaeolithic
(Cortés-Sánchez et al. 2018), as was Los Marquez engravings continue to be found – most notably in the
(Medina-Alcaide et al. 2020). The Cueva de Las Estrellas Salamanca region (Reis & Vazquez 2015; Garate et al.
in Cádiz contains a group of hand stencils (Collado et 2016c; Vazquez & Reis 2019).
al. 2019).
5Rock Art Studies: News of the World VI
Ice Age art in other continents confirmed this even further with new and varied
evidence (e,g. Dayet-Bouillot & d’Errico 2016). The most
The petroglyphs of possible mammoths on the San Juan important data are results from calcite dating of cave
river in Utah (see previous volume) were presented markings in Spain (see dating section, below), but there
again in a new study (Malotki 2019), as were the are many others: e,g, evidence for the symbolic use of
indisputably Palaeolithic petroglyphs at El Hosh and seashells and mineral pigments by Iberian Neanderthals
Qurta along the Nile in Egypt (Huyge & Claes 2013- (Hoffmann et al. 2018); the use of a black pigment by the
15). Elsewhere in Africa, a new study appeared of the Neanderthals of Belgium’s Scladina Cave (Bonjean et al.
30,000-year-old portable art from Namibia’s Apollo 11 2015); and a decorated raven bone from Zaskalnaya VI
Cave (Rifkin et al. 2015). Neanderthal site in Crimea, dating to 38-43,000 years
ago, whose regularly spaced seven notches were made
However, the most important new work occurred in in one session with one tool, and are clearly symbolic
Australasia. In Australia itself (see also Franklin, this rather than butchery marks (Majkic et al. 2017).
volume), doubt has been cast on the interpretation of
some figures as Palorchestes, the extinct marsupiual Even farther back in time, a freshwater mussel shell
tapir (Welch & Welch 2015). Similarly, the claim (see from Trinil, Java, dating to at least 430,000 years ago,
previous volume) that a painted figure in Western bears geometric engravings which are thus attributable
Arnhem Land is an extinct bird, Genyornis, has been to Homo erectus (Joordens et al. 2015). In China, the
rendered highly unlikely by detailed geological and archaic hominin site of Lingjing (Henan Province) has
archaeological study of the site which showed that the yielded engraved bones (Li et al. 2019).
figure must be less than 13,000 years old (Barker et al.
2017; Gunn 2018). For recent work on possible images In Africa, Ethiopia’s Porc-Epic Cave produced evidence
of Australian extinct megafauna, see also Taçon & Webb of Middle Stone Age ochre processing (Rosso et al.
(2017) and Gunn (2018: 30-33). 2016), while Kenya’s Olorgesailie basin sites, likewise of
the Middle Stone Age (c. 320-295,000 years ago) have
Further work has been reported from sites in East Timor, yielded evidence of pigment use – red pigment was
most notably shell beads (Langley & O’Connor 2016) obtained from iron-rich rocks (Brooks et al. 2018). An
and a 42,000-year-old pigment stained Nautilus shell analysis was carried out of the personal ornaments
(Langley et al. 2016). New advances have also come from (Conus shells) from Border Cave, dating to c. 74,000 years
Indonesia (see Brumm et al. 2017 for a general study of ago (d’Errico & Blackwell 2016). And unsurprisingly
early human symbolic behaviour in the late Pleistocene Blombos cave continued to provide new finds – such
of Wallacea). A new series of calcite dates from several as an abstract drawing dating to c. 73,000 years ago
caves in Borneo has added to the earlier results from (Henshilwood et al. 2018).
Sulawesi (see previous volume) and shown that animal
figures as well as hand stencils were being produced Techniques
here in the Pleistocene (Aubert et al., 2018). Further
work in Sulawesi, at the cave of Leang Bulu’Sipong 4, As mentioned earlier, the new facsimile of Lascaux and
produced a calcite dating of at least 43,900 years ago the pseudo-facsimile of Chauvet were opened during
for motifs which have been interpreted – somewhat these years.
dubiously – as a hunting scene featuring a number of
possible therianthropes (Aubert et al. 2019; see also Tan The application of new technology to Ice Age imagery
& Scott, this volume). underwent further development: for example,
portable X-ray fluorescence analysis was applied, with
In China, an Upper Palaeolithic freshwater shell bead interesting results, at Rouffignac, La Garma and Font de
was reported from Shuidonggou 2 (Yi et al., 2016), while Gaume (Gay et al. 2016). Where the recording of cave art
a remarkable tiny carving in burned bone of what looks is concerned, 3D-modelling was applied at Marsoulas,
like a bird was reported from Lingjing (Henan), and so that tracings could be projected onto the cave’s
dates to c. 13,500 years ago (Li et al. 2020). modelled surfaces (Fritz et al. 2016); and also at Atxurra
where ultra-high resolution 3D models were produced
The earliest art for some thinly incised engravings (Rivero et al. 2019).
For a general survey of the earliest art, see Lorblanchet Many new analyses of pigments and other materials
& Bahn (2017); for a theoretical model of the origins of have been carried out: Raman spectroscopy was used
iconic depictions, see Hodgson & Pettitt (2018). on the haematite in several paintings in Altamira
(Gazquez et al. 2016), and the shell tools used for
It was pointed out in the previous two volumes in ochre-processing in the cave were also analysed
this series that the concept of Neandertal art had at (Cuenca-Solana et al. 2016), while d’Errico studied the
last come into its own, and the past five years have technology of Castillo’s paintings (d’Errico et al. 2016).
6Paul G. Bahn: New Developments in Pleistocene Art (2015–2019)
At Font de Gaume, portable X-ray fluorescence has
confirmed that its paintings comprise primarily iron
oxide and manganese, but has obviously provided far
more detailed information than was obtained from
the original analyses of 1902 (Reiche et al. 2020). The
charcoal (mostly pine) found in Nerja was analysed
as a means of exploring the context of the cave’s art
(Medina-Alcaide et al. 2015).
Rivero’s thesis (2015, 2016) was a major contribution in
its examination of the production of portable art, and
its emphasis on trying to assess the degree – or lack – of
expertise in engraving the figures.
Finally, further work was reported on the finger flutings
in different caves, highlighting the frequency with
which children were involved (Van Gelder 2015; Cooney
Williams & Janik 2018).
Dating
One collection of papers on dating has appeared
(Ontañon & Utrilla 2017), as well as a survey of the
chronology of Western Pyrenean cave art (Ochoa &
García-Diez 2015).
Simple stratigraphy was used at La Viña, to assess the Figure 4. Ladder-like motif in La Pasiega which calcite dating
has shown was made by Neanderthals (Photo J. Zilhão).
age of the engravings from their height in relation to
the occupation levels (González-Pumariega et al. 2017a).
In Rouffignac, by contrast, a relative chronology was
obtained for the figures on the Great Ceiling through not apply to those from Spain (see also the previous
chemical analysis, style and superimposition (Gay et al. volume). In 2018, new results were published from a
2020). No less than 44 of the 65 figures on the ceiling ladder-like motif in La Pasiega [Figure 4], a hand stencil
were tested, and 3 different manganese pigments were in Maltravieso and some red markings in Ardales – all
detected. The study showed that the ceiling was not a showed that the calcite started forming over these
single composition, but an accumulation of subgroups motifs at least 65,000 years ago, and hence the markings
of figures, probably by a very small number of artists. must have been made by Neanderthals (Hoffmann et al.
2018a). Both the method and the results were vigorously
At Lascaux – still a very poorly dated site – several new attacked by numerous researchers, for a wide variety
C14 dates have been obtained from reindeer bones from of reasons (e.g. Sauvet et al. 2017; Pons-Branchu et al.
different places in the cave, which all seem to centre 2020; White et al. 2020); but the specialists involved in
around 21,000 bp (calibrated) (Ducasse & Langlais the analyses, who, it must be said, are preeminent in
2019). Unfortunately, this does not necessarily date the their fields, have decisively rebutted all the critiques
art, or at least not all of its phases, which must have (Pike et al. 2016; Hoffmann et al. 2020), which were often
been multiple (see Bahn 1994). New 14C-AMS tests ill-founded and based on a lack of understanding of the
showed that some black figures in the Spanish cave of dating method (see also Zilhão 2020).
Ojo Guareña date back to c. 13,000 years ago (Ortega-
Martínez et al. 2020). Both calcite dating and radiocarbon were used in
Candamo Cave (Corchón et al. 2015), and found that
As mentioned above, Uranium/Thorium dates have figures in a newly discovered area were attributable
been obtained from calcite covering a variety of motifs to c. 21,000 years ago. Radiocarbon dating was also
in Indonesian caves (Aubert et al. 2018, 2019); and also presented for Cosquer Cave (Valladas et al. 2017), and
from the calcite over the newly discovered bactrian Cova Eirós (Steelman et al. 2017).
camel painting in Kapova – the layer formed between
36,400 and 14,500 years ago (Dublyansky et al. 2016). However, the major problem -- which still remains
unresolved -- is that of the true age of the art in Chauvet
Whereas the Indonesian results seem to have been Cave, as already highlighted in the previous two volumes
widely accepted without problem, the same does in this series. In the past five years there have been some
7Rock Art Studies: News of the World VI
significant developments, most notably the appearance while Testart (2016), in a posthumously published
of a paper (Quiles et al. 2016) which was meant to be – work, interpreted Palaeolithic signs as being parts of
and was widely considered – the last word on Chauvet’s females, and treated major caves like Lascaux as single
dating, and the confirmation of its Aurignacian age, compositions!
since it presented more than 350 dates. Unfortunately,
there are numerous problems – not least the fact that Where portable art is concerned, an engraving on a
the vast majority of these dates are from hearths, etc, stone from Molí del Salt, Spain, was interpreted – not
and have absolutely no connection with the art; and very convincingly, alas! – as a depiction of a hunter-
even today only the Gif laboratory has been allowed to gatherer campsite (García-Diez & Vaquero 2015). The
date the parietal figures (and remarkably few of them). famous ivory “lion-man” from Hohlenstein-Stadel,
This remains an unbelievably unscientific situation Germany, was thoroughly reassessed and reinterpreted
which should have been resolved long ago. Over the as a depiction of a standing bear (Clifford & Bahn 2020).
years, some of the Chauvet team’s dates for the art
have been rejected, others modified, and some simply Finally, Hodgson (2018) concurred with previously
omitted from this supposedly definitive account. published work by the Dellucs and by Bahn, and
The alternative chronology presented a few years interpreted some supposed vulva depictions as horse
ago (Pettitt & Bahn 2015) has never been discussed tracks; while McCauley et al. (2018) resurrected the
or debated, a situation which has persisted for many largely discredited theory that some hand stencils with
years, despite a long series of objections (see previous missing phalanges are best explained by amputations!
volume, and Jouve 2017; Bahn et al. 2019). A detailed
critique of the Quiles et al. (2016) paper has appeared Conclusion
(Jouve, Pettitt & Bahn 2020), but it remains to be seen
when (or whether) the dating of Chauvet will ever be As stated in the previous three volumes in this series,
properly assessed. the most important problem that remains to be resolved
is the true age of the art of Chauvet Cave.
Hand stencils have been the subject of two chronological
studies – García-Diez et al. (2015a) reassessed them in References
Europe in light of the implications of the early calcite
dates from El Castillo (see previous volume); Pettitt et Alvarez, I. et al. 2016. Estudio interdisciplinar del macizo
al. (2015) evaluated the existing data to produce a new kárstico de Alkerdi: rasgos geológicos, evolución
chronology. kárstica y contenido arquepaleontológico. Trabajos
de Arqueología Navarra 28: 197-232.
The ivory carvings of the Swabian Jura were reassessed Alvarez-Alonso, D. & Yravedra Sainz de los Terreros,
by Jouve (2017, 2019) who used the documentation of J. (eds) 2017. La Cueva de Coimbre (Peñamellera Alta,
the original discoverers to cast considerable doubt on Asturias). Fundación M. C. Masaveu Peterson:
the Aurignacian age of most of them, and showed that Madrid.
most are almost certainly Gravettian or even, in at least Alvarez-Fernández, E. & Jordá Pardo, J. F. (eds) 2018. El
one case, Magdalenian (see also Clifford & Bahn 2020). Poblamiento Prehistórico en el Valle del Sella. Asociación
Cultural Amigos de Ribadesella: Ribadesella.
Where other continents are concerned, in Australia Apellániz, J. M. & Amayra, I. 2014. La Atribución de
(see also Franklin, this volume) there have been la Autoría de las Figuraciones Paleolíticas. Avances
renewed attempts to date the early rock paintings of metodológicos desde la Prehistoria y la Psicología
the Kimberley. Ross et al. (2016) obtained a new OSL date Cognitiva. Universidad de Deusto: Bibao.
of 16,000 for a wasp nest overlying an elongated ‘yam- Arriolabengoa, M. et al. 2020. From cave geomorphology
like’ motif. Finch et al. (2020) dated 24 mud wasp nests to Palaeolithic human behaviour: speleogenesis,
above and below Gwion figures; one of them proved to palaeoenvironmental changes and archaeological
have a minimum age of 17,000 years, but most seem to insight in the Atxurra-Armiña cave (northern
have been produced around 12,000 years ago. Iberian Peninsula). Journal of Quaternary Science,
1-13. DOI: 10.1002/jqs.3225
Interpretation Aubert, M. et al. 2018. Palaeolithic cave art in Borneo.
Nature 564: 254-57.
As in the previous five years, there have been few Aubert, M. et al. 2019. Earliest hunting scene in
developments in interpretation, but mercifully the prehistoric art. Nature 576: 442-45.
“shamanism” hypothesis continues to be absent! Aubry, T., Santos, A. T. & Luís, L. 2014. Stratigraphies
du panneau 1 de Fariseu: analyse structurelle d’un
There have been a series of new and somewhat bizarre système graphique paléolithique à l’air libre de la
interpretations of cave art: for example, Guy (2017) vallée du Côa (Portugal), pp. 259-70 in (P. Paillet,
saw the imagery as heraldic emblems of a rich nobility, ed.) Les Arts de la Préhistoire: micro-analyses, mises
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