Decorated Azilian Pebble
Ritual use
Azilian
Around 11 500 years
Painted and engraved pebbles are not unique to Western European prehistory.
J. Perrot, Paléorient. C.N.R.S. 1986.
Commentary :
At the beginning of the European Mesolithic, some 11 500 years ago, a series of small decorated pebbles, are the final testimony of an artistic expression, that reached its peak much earlier, in the Magdalenian.
Carefully selected for their flattened shape and fine grain, these river pebbles are painted or engraved with geometric motifs.
The regularity of the sequences and rhythm of the traces, suggests they represent a codified practice, shared by several cultural groups.
These decorated Azilian pebbles, may bear calendrical notations, or be objects used in magical or religious rituals.