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New
research in 2004 at Creswell Crags has revealed the World's most
elaborately carved cave ceiling dating to around 13,000 years
old according to the research team who have been studying the
art. The specialist team, comprising Dr Sergio Ripoll, Dr Paul
Pettitt, Dr Paul Bahn, and Dr Francisco Muñoz, have made
extraordinary new discoveries during two further research episodes
this year. Following the initial discovery of 12 engraved figures
depicting birds and a deer (first thought to be an ibex) among
other animals in April 2003, findings which took the archaeological
world by storm, now further research, again funded by English
Heritage, indicates the presence of in excess of 80 engraved figures
in the soft limestone rock of Church Hole cave, Creswell Crags
(Nottinghamshire).
Dr
Sergio Ripoll explained that 'The good natural light both in April
and June of this year, and the realisation that the Ice Age artists
who were visiting Church Hole were actually modifying the natural
shapes in the limestone, has enabled us to see many new animal
figures including representations of bison, deer, bears, plus
two or three species of bird including a beautiful and unique
depiction of a bird-head with a long curved bill'.
Dr
Paul Bahn added, 'The sunny mornings especially provided an opportunity
to see the cave illuminated by a brilliant reflected light, presumably
how our Ice Age ancestors meant for the art to be experienced,
conditions which revealed a number of bas-relief figures carved
into the soft and very sandy Magnesian limestone.' Dr Bahn went
onto explain that, 'bas-reliefs on cave ceilings are extremely
rare even on the continent (the single depictions in the Abri
Pataud and the Abri du Poisson, France come to mind), it is obvious
that Church Hole possesses the most richly carved and engraved
ceiling in the whole of cave art.'
During
the most recent recording work at Church Hole at the beginning
of July the research team were pleased to welcome Michel Lorblanchet,
the leading European cave art specialist from the National Centre
for Scientific Research, France. Dr Lorblanchet commented that,
'This is a discovery of huge importance which is something new
and highly original not only in its geographical location, which
shows that cave art extends over a much vaster area than we thought,
but also in the themes and techniques displayed in Church Hole'.
Dr Lorblanchet added that, 'This will cause specialists to rethink
many things about the cave art on the continent'.
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Dr
Paul Pettitt, one of the research team added that, 'The art, like
the objects from the Ice Age occupations in the Creswell caves,
shows striking similarities to what is found in continental Europe.
As Britain was connected to the Continent across the North Sea
at the time, this emphasises the intimate connection between the
Creswellian hunters and their European neighbours. The art can
be seen as one part of a Europe-wide hunter-gatherer culture'.
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Biographies
of the research team:
Dr Paul Pettitt is Lecturer in Human Origins, The University of
Sheffield. He has been a scientific consultant for Creswell Crags,
and researches the archaeology of the Ice Age.
Dr
Sergio Ripoll is Reader in Prehistory at UNED, Madrid (Spain's
Open University) and is one of Spain's foremost authorities on
cave art. He has been a member of several international cave art
commissions, including those of Chauvet Cave, Portugal's Côa
Valley, and the French site of Angles-sur-l'Anglin.
Dr
Francisco Muñoz is Lecturer in Prehistory at UNED, Madrid
(Spain's Open University). He is a specialist in the Upper Palaeolithic
and Palaeolithic art, and has taken part in the study of numerous
archaeological sites of the Late Upper Pleistocene.
Dr
Paul Bahn is Britain's leading Ice Age art specialist. He is a
freelance writer, editor and translator of archaeology books,
including Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice with Colin
Renfrew. He has been a member of several international cave art
commissions, including those of Chauvet Cave, Portugal's Côa
Valley, and the French site of Angles-sur-l'Anglin.
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