180 



STATUE-MENHIRS. 



marks really represent a cloak, as the figure seems nearly 

 naked, not only the breasts and legs in front being visible, 

 but also the shoulders at the back. 



The statue-menhir of Les Maurels, Tarn, (Fig 4.) the 

 two of Pousthomy, Aveyron, and that of Puech-Real, Tarn, 

 show no breasts, so it is difficult to determine their sex. Their 

 details also differ from those of Saint Sernin. On all of them 

 there seems to be a sort of band or baldrick across the 

 breast, and on it a circular ring to which appears to be 

 suspended an elongated triangular object. Dechelette queries 

 whether the latter may be intended to represent a poniard 

 or the other end of the band. A poniard in much the 

 same position appears on several similar statues in Italy. 

 In this case these statues probably represent male divinities. 

 On the breasts of each of them is carved a small object 

 to which various interpretations have been given. It has 

 been supposed by some to represent a small bow and arrow 

 and by others to be a metal fibula. Reinach who takes the 

 latter view also considers the curious marks at the back of the 

 statue of Les Maurels to represent part of a metal tore. 

 Whether this supposition is correct is questioned by Deche- 

 lette, who is inclined to think it improbable that any of these 

 objects represent metal, but at the same time he acknowledges 

 that our present knowledge of these statues is too limited to be 

 positive one way or the other. 



It is not necessary to go into details on the other statue- 

 menhirs, of which a list is given by Dechelette, but it may be 

 as well to mention in passing that lines of tattooing marks 

 similar to those on the face of the statue of Saint Sernin are 

 also to be seen on the faces of those of La Bessiere, Tarn and 

 Bragassargues. 



We have noticed that the sculptures of the valleys 

 of the Seine and Oise, and those of the grottoes of the Marne 

 and of the tumulus of the Grard were all associated with places 

 of burial, presumably as guardians of the dead. It has been 

 conjectured that the statue-menhirs of the Aveyron and 

 adjoining Departments were erected with a similar object. 

 The discovery of the statue-menhir of Le Mas d'Azais above 

 a stone kist containing human remains tends to confirm this 

 theory. 



Equally rude statue-menhirs have been discovered in 

 North Italy. Of these, nine were found in 1905 at Bacciari, 

 in the commune of Fivizzano, near Spezia, buried in a mound 

 of earth. They were, with the exception of one, found placed 

 in an alignment touching each other. No traces of bones or 



