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. 2017 Mar 3;12(3):e0173037.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173037. eCollection 2017.

Divergence in the evolution of Paleolithic symbolic and technological systems: The shining bull and engraved tablets of Rocher de l'Impératrice

Nicolas Naudinot  1 , Camille Bourdier  2 , Marine Laforge  3   4 , Céline Paris  5 , Ludovic Bellot-Gurlet  5 , Sylvie Beyries  1 , Isabelle Thery-Parisot  1 , Michel Le Goffic  6
Affiliations

Divergence in the evolution of Paleolithic symbolic and technological systems: The shining bull and engraved tablets of Rocher de l'Impératrice

Nicolas Naudinot et al. PLoS One. .

Erratum in

Abstract

The development of the Azilian in Western Europe 14,000 years ago is considered a "revolution" in Upper Paleolithic Archaeology. One of the main elements of this rapid social restructuring is the abandonment of naturalistic figurative art on portable pieces or on cave walls in the Magdalenian in favor of abstract expression on small pebbles. Recent work shows that the transformation of human societies between the Magdalenian and the Azilian was more gradual. The discovery of a new Early Azilian site with decorated stones in France supports this hypothesis. While major changes in stone tool technology between the Magdalenian and Azilian clearly mark important adaptive changes, the discovery of 45 engraved schist tablets from archaeological layers at Le Rocher de l'Impératrice attests to iconographic continuity together with special valorization of aurochs as shown by a "shining" bull depiction. This evidence suggests that some cultural features such as iconography may lag far behind technological changes. We also argue that eventual change in symbolic expression, which includes the later disappearance of figurative art, provides new insight into the probable restructuring of the societies.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Location of Le Rocher de l’Impératrice rock-shelter (Europe map from Geoatlas, Brittany and local maps L. Quesnel (CNRS)).
Fig 2
Fig 2. Summary cross section of the central area of the rock-shelter.
US- 101: Humic horizon on silty-clayey colluvium and modern anthropogenic filling. US-108: Scree of quartzite boulders in silty-clayey colluvium. US-104: Strongly developed colluvium (Bt horizon). US-102: Solifluction layer made of reworked lœss and small cryoclastic quartzite boulders and gravels. US- 103: Lightly reworked lœss (M. Laforge & S. Sorin).
Fig 3
Fig 3. Projectile points from Le Rocher de l’Impératrice (drawing F. Blanchet).
1–8: bipoints; 9–11: regular monopoints (11: Grundy point); 12–13: irregular monopoints (13: Grundy point); 14–15: different stages of bipoints preforms.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Domestic tools from Le Rocher de l’Impératrice (drawing F. Blanchet).
1–5: flat retouched blades; 6–8: burins; 9–10: end-scrapers; 11: borer.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Selection of engraved pieces from Le Rocher de l'Impératrice (photos N. Naudinot; sketch C. Bourdier).
Fig 6
Fig 6
Tablet 741 with bifacial ornamentation: side A) complete horse; side B) a special composition of two horses complete horses in axial symmetry–one complete and one headstock—and together with a small horse restricted to its head and neckprotomé by the hind legs (photos N. Naudinot; sketch C. Bourdier).
Fig 7
Fig 7
Fragment 317 with a bifacial ornamentation: side A) head of aurochs surrounded by radiating lines; side B) head of aurochs (photos N. Naudinot; sketch C. Bourdier).
Fig 8
Fig 8
Engraved mobile art from the Early Azilian (8–11) and the Upper/Final Magdalenian (1–7): 1) Le Morin (P. Laurent in [47]); 2) Villepin (G. Tosello in [48]); 3–4) La Madeleine (G. Tosello in [48]); 5) Limeuil (G. Tosello in [48]); 6) La Mairie cave (P. Paillet in [49]); 7) Rochereil (P. Paillet in [5]); 8–11) Murat rock-shelter (M. Lorblanchet in [25]).
Fig 9
Fig 9. Similarities of conventions in the formal rendering of the horse heads from Le Rocher de l'Impératrice and Pincevent (layer III.20) (photo N. Naudinot; tracing D. Baffier in [69]).
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