Gueillet linear engravings
Three pages have been elaborated to support this presentation:
- a general presentation (this page)
- a discussion concerning lienar art in the south of Europe
- some recall concerning the first millenary history
- finally a conclusion on the Gueillet engravings
1- Location
It is prospecting in the cliffs of Gueillet, in search of other paintings (that those of the decorated shelter), that we discovered, at the bottom of a small cliff, on the pediment of a shelter, fine carvings, credibly made with a very fine awl, among which the aspect and the feature reminded the linear carvings which we can find in the BEGO area. It is this resemblance which decided us to make it a "exhaustive" survey, with the aim of clarifying, can be, the "sacred" character which surrounded this site.
The shelter is approximately four hundred meters of the slightly higher and previous shelter, in the foot of the cliff. Big stones are, in this place, slept in the direction of the steepest hillside, what made easily recognizable the site.
2- Aspect of the carvings
They appear of a clearer tint than the general color of the cliff and have a rather shallow depth; moreover, the aspect of the furrow varies largely from a carving to the other one, and often even for an identical carving (concretions of a hardness superior to that of the cliff), what makes rather difficult the work of plotting which often requires the help of a good magnifying glass. Finally the variations of aspect of the furrow, from a carving to the other one, would let think that they are due to a difference of age, what would confer to this site a long duration of use.
The used surface is about fifty centimeters by four meters, and is very unevenly occupied; certain zones being overloaded (we find there even overlapping) whereas the others are practically abandoned. No order or logical arrangement were able to be put in evidence and the variety of the represented subjects is more important than for the paintings of the cliff of Gueillet.
3- Plotting of the carvings
For more convenience, we separated carvings in two zones, and for some, motives " out of a specific zone " the copy of which appears below. (It is about motives 31-39). We reproduced at first by transparency of carvings on film of plastic. Then, we draw it on white paper using Indian ink (reference document); finally, copies were made, from these documents, to make working documents.
We make below a presentation of both zones and " motives out of a specific zones "; we find in the chapter which follow a sketch of the zone 1 (freehand and scale 1/2), a plan of the zone 2 (scale 1/1) and the motives arranged by kinds.
Carvings are arranged within 6 different kinds:
1- Human-like
2- Tree-like
3- Cross-bow-like
4- Pentacles and triangles
5- Geometric figures
6- Animal-like
As it is obvious that certain assignation of a given figure to one of the kind can be tatally arbitrary, in some cases, the same figure will be classified under two different types.
4- Zone 1
It is the zone situated on the right side of the cliff, and contains 21 figures.
For this internet version of the document, zone 1 is presented in three parts, each one being accessible by a click on one of the following pictures here below.
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Human-like figures : There are figures 6, 7, 17, 18, 2O partly). No general style can be deducted from a general analysis of the figure; we find very "realistic figures' as number 17 and 7, and some very stylisized figures as number 18.
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Tree-like figures: there are figures 12, 13, 14, 15 and 21. They are very similar to the one found in the valley of Miracles, near the BEGO mountain.
Cross-bow-like figures : Two figure already described, 6 and 14, can categorized as cross-bow-like" because it is very difficult to decide between the two possibilities. It is interesting, once more, to remark their similitude to the Mount BEGO figures.
Pentacles and triangles:
Pentacle 19 (p3)
Triangles 2O (p3), 1, 4
Geometric figures: In this category, we found all the other figures: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 et 11.
We find very noticeable carvings, which interpretation is difficult as numbers 5 and 16. "the ladder" 9 is remarquable for its delicacy of execution.
5- Zone 2
For this internet version of the document, zone 1 is presented in two parts, each one being accessible by a click on one of the following pictures here below.
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Pentacles and triangles : We find here only one jude star.
Geometric figures : numbers 22, 23, 25, 26, 27 and 29.
Each one of these figure is quite interesting :
22 : Disq which is divided by 8 beams, and which is drawn close to the figure numbered 23 -see p6).
23 : This figure seems to be a representation of the sun, containing another figure similar to horn-shaped signs in its middle, and several beams with an axis dividing the sign in two parts.
27 (p7) : This sign recall the pattern-like figures of the Miracles Valley "vallée des merveilles".
25 : This sign would seems to be a tree-like figure whose branch would be joined at their extremity.
29 : A set of lines with no apparent pattern or signification.
Animal-like figures:
These are the most interesting and achieved figures of the site; they are numbered 24 and 28. For each one of these figure, one will remark the numerous "details" which have been added to the main shape, and the resulting symbolism.
28 :seems to represent A bird (hurt neck, head ending in beak, a wing folded in two as if it flew) which would carry a human person, stylized extremely: trunk and upper limb and a sun sign (encircle with median lineand 4 lobes of rosette).
The motive 24 would seem to carry too, near the horned head, a sun sign. It is much bigger than 28 and possesses paws which give an impression of movement for fore-paws and an impression of immobility for rear-paws . Its body is bizarrely decorated and seems to carry something on its back.
6- Figures "out of a specific zone"
31: circle with three feet included in a pattern-like figure
33: start of a non completed pentacle?
34: Human figure, perfectly drawn, with head, body, arms, legs and sex
35 : Complex assembling of different figures in which we could distinguish a human being squatted or in knees
36 : Succession of saw teeth of different sizes, and which seems to represent a scythe.
37: Symbolic figure which meaning is difficult to grasp; we distinguish, on the left side, a kind of ladder.
38: We could classify this figure in the tree-like figures, even if it do not have all the characteristics of this class.
39 : Very long figure, built with squares, triangles and rhombus linked by curved lines.
7.
"Miracles valley"
linear engravings
As we have already discussed it during the presentation of the Valley of the Miracles, the cliffs of the mountain BEGO are covered with a multitude of linear engravings among which some are owed to the herdsmen and the travelers who of any time crossed the Valley of the Miracles, but the majority of which seem to be a part of an important group characterized by the style of the engravings, the represented motives and the associations selected. This group, which we overall name linear carvings to differentiate it from all the carvings staked out during the bronze age, seems to be of a quite other essence that common graphites and shows certainly of practices and religious faiths still long-lived in the populations of the Alpes-maritimes, first centuries following J.C.
The dating of these carvings was made possible by evolved techniques for the analysis of steppings, applied for example to the stepping of a Roman carving dated from the beginning of the Christian era by a branch of an tree-like figure.
The subjects represented in the Valley of the Miracles are relatively less numerous, and carvings are very stylized. We can distinguish nevertheless some groups of iconographic subjects:
- Tree-like figures
- Arrows
- Cross-bows
- Hopscotch
- Zig-zag signs
- circular motives
- Human-like figures
- Animal-like figures
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As we see, would it be only for the names used to qualify the various type of figures and on the general views which follow, this art has a lot of resemblance with the motives discovered on the cliff of Gueillet; furthermore, J. Abelanet discovered in the Pyrenees numerous " written stones " (peijra escrita of forniguéres, peijra escrita of Olorgues) whom we can date the same period (with nevertheless a superior limit of 942 after J.C.) and which are ornate with linear carvings similar to those about whom we have just spoken. We are thus confronted with a linear simplistic art extending the Alps of the North to Pyrenees which we discuss in the following page.
