Biology:Mask of la Roche-Cotard

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Mask of la Roche-Cotard

The Mask of la Roche-Cotard, also known as the "Mousterian Protofigurine", is an artifact dated to around 75,000 years ago,[1] in the Mousterian period. It was found in 1975[2] in the entrance of a cave named La Roche-Cotard, territory of the commune of Langeais (Indre-et-Loire), on the banks of the river Loire.[3][4]

The artifact, possibly created by Neanderthal humans,[2] 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]

In 2023 the oldest known Neanderthal engravings were found in La Roche-Cotard cave which have been dated to more than 57,000 years ago.[9][10]

See also

  • Art of the Upper Paleolithic
  • Art of the Middle Paleolithic
  • List of Stone Age art

References

  1. ↑ Marquet, Jean-Claude; Lorblanchet, Michel; Oberlin, Christine; Thamo-Bozso, Edit; Aubry, Thierry (2016-12-30). "New dating of the "mask" of La Roche-Cotard (Langeais, Indre-et-Loire, France)" (in en). PALEO. Revue d'archéologie préhistorique (27): 253–263. doi:10.4000/paleo.3278. ISSN 1145-3370. http://journals.openedition.org/paleo/3278. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 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. doi:10.1017/s0003598x00061627. ISSN 0003-598X. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/abs/neanderthal-face-the-protofigurine-from-la-rochecotard-langeais-indreetloire-france/3B7E2027D59AEAEE0E1DF8EAE231C85A. 
  3. ↑ 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. 
  4. ↑ Palmer, Douglas (6 December 2003). "Neanderthal art alters the face of archaeology". New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18024241.300-neanderthal-art-alters-the-face-of-archaeology.html. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
  5. ↑ Bahn, Paul (23 August 2003). "A bone to pick". New Scientist (2409). https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17924095.600-a-bone-to-pick.html. 
  6. ↑ Pettitt, Paul B (April 2003). "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. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20111002180404/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 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. 
  9. ↑ Sample, Ian (21 June 2023). "French cave markings said to be oldest known engravings by Neanderthals" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jun/21/engravings-french-cave-oldest-known-neanderthals-scientists. 
  10. ↑ Marquet, Jean-Claude; Freiesleben, Trine Holm; Thomsen, Kristina Jørkov; Murray, Andrew Sean; Calligaro, Morgane; Macaire, Jean-Jacques; Robert, Eric; Lorblanchet, Michel et al. (2023-06-21). "The earliest unambiguous Neanderthal engravings on cave walls: La Roche-Cotard, Loire Valley, France" (in en). PLOS ONE 18 (6): e0286568. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0286568. ISSN 1932-6203. PMID 37343032. 

Further reading

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

[ ⚑ ] 47°20′12″N 0°25′34″E / 47.33667°N 0.42611°E / 47.33667; 0.42611



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