A Comparison of "Scenes" in Parietal and Non-Parietal Upper Paleolithic Imagery: Formal Differences and Ontological Implications

Summary

Upper Paleolithic cave art is well-known for its skilled execution, specifically the use of shading, relief, and perspective to render life-like depictions of Pleistocene fauna. Cave art is equally well-known for a near absence of flora, humans, and scenes. In this regard, parietal imagery is distinct from "art mobilier," where these are more common. However, defining "scenes" as a graphic phenomenon can be problematic, and identifying them among superimposed and fragmented images more so. Definitions based on how scenes are perceived offer some guidance and include more imagery than previously recognized; frequencies allow the comparison of scenes from different contexts. This paper evaluates differences in the nature of scenes as depicted on rock walls and on objects in France from ~40-11 kya. Differences in the frequency, in the types and range of constituent elements, in the degree of detailing or conceptual ambiguity, and in the type and extent of audience engagement with scenes are all considered. Emphasis is placed on the potential social consequences of scenes from different contexts. Consequently, while exploratory and qualitative in nature, the analysis points to avenues through which ontological differences in the production, use, and sociocultural role of Upper Paleolithic imagery can be specified.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Not Just Good to See: Global Perspectives on Scenes in Rock Art

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16625