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
References
- ISSN 1145-3370.
- ^ S2CID 162609308.
- ^ Amos, Jonathan (2 December 2003). "Neanderthal 'face' found in Loire". BBC News. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
- ^ Palmer, Douglas (6 December 2003). "Neanderthal art alters the face of archaeology". New Scientist. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
- ^ Bahn, Paul (23 August 2003). "A bone to pick". New Scientist (2409).
- ISSN 1476-4261. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2011-10-02.
- ISBN 9780387305127.
- S2CID 149146480.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the originalon 21 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- 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)