PREHISTORIC ART. 



395 



HEAD AND NECK OF 

 IBEX, ENGEAVED ON 

 reindeer's ANTLER. 



Laugerie Bnsse, Dor- 

 dogne. 



I.artct and Christy. '; nat- 



were engraved on harpoon or similar points of bone, liorn and ivory. 

 One on a reindeer antler represents Howers with eight and nine petals, 

 respectively,' There is a long branch with its leaves on the baton de 

 commandement on reindeer horn from the cavern at the foot of Mont 

 Saleve, Geneva, and the branches with their leaves 

 on the haton of Montgardier (fig. 34). 



Fig. 47 represents a truncated harj)oon or dart 

 from La Madelaine. In the center and lower part 

 are two representations of what are believed to have 

 been flowers, the npi)er one with nine petals. Nearer 

 the top is an animal form resembling the outstretched 

 skin of a carnivore with a narrow snout and thick 

 tail like the fox or some allied animal. On the oppo- 

 site side (not shown in the figure) are two horses' 

 heads placed back to back. This figure is taken from 

 "Eeliquite Aquitauicte,"^ Fig, 5 on the same plate ""''''^'^■ 



represents a similar implement, on which a horse is carved partly 

 on side and partly on edge, which is unusual in these objects. 



Marine animals. — Fig. 48 represents an engraving 

 found by M. Massenat at Laugerie Basse. It is on 

 bone and is rude and incomplete. It is supposed to 

 represent a whale. Fig. 49 shows a seal engraved 

 upon the canine of a cave bear. It is from Sordes 

 cavern (Landes) and belongs to the collection Chap- 

 lain-Duparc. Fig. 50 represents an ovibus (?), while 

 fig. 51 represents a fish. 



Some of the engravings found in these caverns, 

 while undoubtedly showing human intention and 

 handiwork, are difficult of identification. If we were 

 studying this from the view-points of a biologist or a 

 zoologist it might be necessary to use greater precaution in the naming 

 of the animals, but as they are here considered from 

 an artistic view-point, the special name of the animal 

 is not important. (Figs, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, and 58.) 

 Man. — The x)aleolithic artist was not so successful 

 in his representations of human kind as he was of cer- 

 tain animals. The figure of a man chasing an aurochs 

 (fig. 30) has been described. Fig. 59, on a beam of 

 reindeer horn, represents man, but not in an artistic 

 manner. He is in the midst of a line of horses with a 

 serpent or eel at his heels. It is the fragment of a 

 haton de commandement, was found by Lartet and Christy in the rock 

 shelter of La Madelaine, and is now in the Musee St. Germain. On 

 the other side are figured two calves' heads, one following the other, as 

 usual. Other representations of human form will be noticed in the 



Fig. 45. 



head of SAKiA (ANTE 

 LOPE) ON A FRAG 

 WENT OF BONE. 



Grotto of Gourdon . 



JiHlse I'ielte. ii natural size 



Fig. 46. 



HEAD OF WILD GOAT 

 ON REINDEER HORN. 



Laugerie Basse. 



Collection, Massenat. ,^ uat- 



1 Keliquise Aquitanicse, plate B, IX. 

 2 Page 70, B, plate IX, fig, 4, 



