STATUE-MENHIRS. 



179 



leading into the tomb chamber of this same grotto, and again 

 within the tomb, are carved hafted stone axes with their 

 cutting edge towards the entrance. Another implement of 

 doubtful character, possibly intended to represent a club, 

 is also sculptured on the wall of the tomb. In the grotto 

 of Croiznard a human figure with a hafted stone axe is 

 sculptured on the left hand side of the entrance of the 

 tomb. In the same grotto is also the most perfect female 

 figure of the series, the centre bead of its necklace bearing 

 signs of having been coloured yellow, probably to represent 

 amber. The presence of these figures in the passages and 

 anti-chambers leading to these tombs seems to show that 

 they represent the guardian deities of the dead. 



At Collorgues, near Uzez (departement du Gard), 

 another type of these figures, sculptured on flat slabs of 

 stone, has been discovered in a dolmen built up with blocks 

 of stone. The first sculptured slab was found resting on 

 the top of the large stone covering the chamber. It is 

 very rudely carved with a female figure much resembling 

 those of the grottoes of the Marne, but in this case an 

 attempt has been made to represent the two arms, and 

 below them is an object supposed to represent an axe. A 

 second figure sculptured on a slab of stone in the passage 

 leading to the chamber of this dolmen is of the same type 

 but perhaps rather less rudely worked. A quantity of 

 worked flints and other Neolithic implements and fragments 

 of pottery were found dispersed on the surface of the ground 

 round the tumulus. Other very similarly carved stones have 

 been found at Castelnau-Valence, Foissac and Bragassargues, 

 all in the same neighbourhood. 



The next group consists of the statue-menhirs of the 

 Aveyron, Tarn and Herault, of which no less than 21 have 

 been discovered by 1'Abbe Hermet since 1892. Twelve were 

 found in the Aveyron, six in the Tarn and three in Herault. 

 In 1909 another was discovered in the Bouches du Rhone. 



The most perfect example of these statues is that of 

 Saint Sernin, Aveyron (Fig. 3). Its face resembles much in 

 character those of the figures of the Marne and Gard, and 

 round its neck is a necklace of several strings and an object, 

 not yet identified, which does not appear on any of the other 

 statues of the type. The lower part of the face is ornamented 

 with two groups of four straight lines, thought by Dechelette 

 to represent tattoo marks. The back of the statue is not 

 plain, like ours of the Catel, but is grooved in folds to repre- 

 sent a cloak or mantle. It has been questioned whether these 



