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. 2024 Nov 6;19(11):e0311302.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311302. eCollection 2024.

Upper Palaeolithic fishing techniques: Insights from the engraved plaquettes of the Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf, Germany

Jérôme Robitaille  1 , Lisa-Elen Meyering  2 , Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser  1   3 , Paul Pettitt  2 , Olaf Jöris  1 , Robert Kentridge  2
Affiliations

Upper Palaeolithic fishing techniques: Insights from the engraved plaquettes of the Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf, Germany

Jérôme Robitaille et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The ~15,800 year-old Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf, in Germany, has produced 406 engraved schist plaquettes which have been extensively studied in the past. The introduction of advanced imaging technologies, notably Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), has now precipitated a re-evaluation of these artifacts, uncovering nuanced depictions of fishing practices previously unrecorded for the Upper Palaeolithic. Our investigation harnesses RTI to elucidate fine engraving details on the plaquettes, revealing depictions of fish and accompanying grid motifs. The analytical process enabled by RTI has exposed an intricate link between the grid patterns and fish figures, showing that they were a deliberate combination portraying the use of fishing nets. This discovery posits a significant departure from earlier interpretations of the site's iconography, which predominantly emphasized more naturalistic representations of fauna. Furthermore, these findings illuminate aspects of Magdalenian cultural praxis, suggesting that representations of aquatic life and fishing technologies were not merely utilitarian in nature but were embedded within a broader symbolic framework. This study enhances our comprehension of Magdalenian peoples' interaction with the aqueous milieu, revealing a sophisticated symbiosis between ecological adaptation and artistic expression.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Plaquette 282, Gl 9:. d 117; Gö 50: d 160; Gö 50: d 106.
Dimensions of plaquette: 18cm (L) x 14.3cm (W) x 1.4cm (T); Dimension of fragment (Gö 9:. d 117): 9.5cm (L) x 7.5cm (W) x 1.4cm (T).
Fig 2
Fig 2. Plaquette 341, Gö 351::Pl.I/59.
Dimensions of plaquette: 13.5cm (L) x 6.5cm (W) x 1.4cm (T).
Fig 3
Fig 3. Plaquette 346, Gö 69’ c/46 Pl.I.
Dimensions of plaquette: 11.5cm (L) x 9.3cm (W) x 1.4cm (T).
Fig 4
Fig 4. Plaquette 347, Gö 350:’ Pl.I 33; Gö 350:’ Pl.I 30.
Dimensions of plaquette: 12.2cm (L) x 8.5cm (W) x 1cm (T); Dimension of fragment (Gö 350:’ Pl.I 33): 6cm (L) x 7cm (W) x 1cm (T).
Fig 5
Fig 5. Plaquette 355, Gö 356 St67 N.II/351.
Dimensions of plaquette: 9.7cm (L) x 8.5cm (W) x 1.4cm (T).
Fig 6
Fig 6. Plaquette 369, Gö 154 zp’’/380x.
Dimensions of plaquette: 7.6cm (L) x 5.4cm (W) x 0.8cm (T).
Fig 7
Fig 7. Plaquette 374, Gö 351:: PLI/85.
Dimensions of plaquette: 11cm (L) x 12.5cm (W) x 1.6cm (T).
Fig 8
Fig 8. Plaquette 402, Gö 68:: c/14 Pl.I z.
Dimensions of plaquette: 11cm (L) x 11cm (W) x 2.1cm (T).
Fig 9
Fig 9. Plaquette 282, Gl 9:. d 117; Gö 50: d 160; Gö 50: d 106.
Dimensions of engraving: 6cm (L) x 5cm (W); Location: Central part of a fragmented plaquette, flat surface; Fish: Fusiform shape, cranial, dorsal, and ventral sections, partial forked tail; Engraving: Fish first, followed by the net; fish at the center.
Fig 10
Fig 10. Plaquette 341, Gö 351::Pl.I/59.
Dimensions of engraving: 6cm (L) x 5cm (W); Location: Left-hand side of the plaquette, flat surface; Fish: Fusiform shape, cranial, dorsal, and ventral sections, tail not visible; Engraving: Fish first, followed by the net; fish at the center.
Fig 11
Fig 11. Plaquette 346, Gö 69’ c/46 Pl.I.
Dimensions of engraving: 3cm (L) x 3cm (W); Location: Border of the plaquette, flat surface; Fish: Fusiform shape, cranial, dorsal, and ventral sections, interlaced with diamond-shaped meshes; Engraving: Fish first, followed by the net; fish at the center.
Fig 12
Fig 12. Plaquette 347, Gö 350:’ Pl.I 33; Gö 350:’ Pl.I 30.
Dimensions of engraving: 3cm (L) x 2cm (W); Location: Edge of one plaquette fragment, flat surface; Fish: Fusiform shape, cranial, dorsal, and ventral sections, partial forked tail; Engraving: Fish first, followed by the net; fish at the center.
Fig 13
Fig 13. Plaquette 355, Gö 356 St67 N.II/351.
Dimensions of engraving: 5cm (L) x 5cm (W); Location: Center of the plaquette, flat surface; Engraving: Fish first, followed by the net; fish at the center.
Fig 14
Fig 14. Plaquette 369, Gö 154 zp’’/380x.
Dimensions of engraving: 4cm (L) x 4cm (W); Location: Left-hand side of the plaquette, flat surface; Fish: Fusiform shape, cranial, dorsal, and ventral sections; Engraving: Fish first, followed by the net; fish at the center.
Fig 15
Fig 15. Plaquette 374, Gö 351:: PLI/85.
Dimensions of engraving: 5cm (L) x 5cm (W); Location: Edge of the plaquette, flat surface; Fish: Fusiform shape, dorsal and ventral sections, interlaced with diamond-shaped meshes; Engraving: Fish first, followed by the net; fish at the center.
Fig 16
Fig 16. Plaquette 402, Gö 68:: c/14 Pl.I z.
Dimensions of engraving: 4cm (L) x 5cm (W); Location: Edge of the plaquette, flat surface; Fish: Fusiform shape, dorsal and ventral sections, interlaced with diamond-shaped meshes; Engraving: Fish first, followed by the net; fish at the center.
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References

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Publication types

Grants and funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (Germany) - AHRC (UK) Memorandum of Understanding Grant DFG-Projekt GZ: GA 683/13-1 (AOBJ: 647648); AHRC (UK) AH/V002899/1) Kunst und Haushalt im Paläolithikum: Psychologie im häuslichen Alltag vor 16.000 Jahren in Gönnersdorf (Rheinland). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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