Human and Animal Individuals in the Middle Magdalenian - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory Année : 2020

Human and Animal Individuals in the Middle Magdalenian

Résumé

The category of "animal species" is at the heart of traditional interpretations of Palaeolithic art. In this context, animal depictions have traditionally been conceptualized in terms of the "animal species" they are supposed to represent. Moreover, the relationships between humans and animals have been discussed in similar terms. In this paper, I examine some innovative ways in which this relationship can be considered. In particular, I explore the possibility of interpreting animal images as representations of individuals, rather than just of species. Focusing on a number of pieces of rock art and portable images, and examining other kinds of activities (animal butchery, body adornment, treatment of human corpses, etc.) from the Middle Magdalenian (19,000-16,000 cal BP), I seek to demonstrate how the concept of the "individual" offers a number of interpretive possibilities beyond the traditional category of "species". I argue that the focus on the head and face can reflect this interest in individualized animals. I also highlight the existence of practical techniques employed to create a relationship between human and animal individuals.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
birouste2020 JAMT.pdf (3.3 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine : Fichiers éditeurs autorisés sur une archive ouverte
Loading...

Dates et versions

hal-02984948 , version 1 (05-11-2020)

Identifiants

Citer

Clément Birouste. Human and Animal Individuals in the Middle Magdalenian. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 2020, 27, pp.607-630. ⟨10.1007/s10816-020-09475-6⟩. ⟨hal-02984948⟩
49 Consultations
235 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

Gmail Facebook X LinkedIn More