Human representations in the Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic art of north-western Europe

Abstract

Anthropomorphic motifs in Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic art of north-western Europe are extremely rare. In this article they are reviewed and discussed from the perspective of style and narrative character. Most of the anthropomorphic images were engraved on various materials - antler, bone or stone; a much less common technique of portraying the human figure was by drilling small holes. Quite often these representations appear in company with other motifs, mostly geometrical. Late Palaeolithic human images are rather diverse in their style: next to the semirealistic style, the geometric style is much in evidence. The latter becomes widespread during the Mesolithic, occurring in various conventions: linear geometrical (the human figure is built by lines, strokes or drilled dots), figural geometrical (the figure is built by geometric figures or densely engraved lines) and with an exaggerated face. The style of these representations becomes particularly heterogeneous during the late Mesolithic, possibly as a result of increasingly sedentary mode of life and the rise of many local variants of the artwork styles. Most of the anthropomorphs under discussion are portrayed in action: dancing, carrying various objects, engaged in rituals. However, the nature of these activities is difficult to fathom due to the geometricised, often quite spare style of these anthropomorphic representations.