File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (17972671658).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo14amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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PALEOLITHIC ART IN THE AMERICAN MUSEUM 237 suggested by an incised line. Its direc- tion, neither forward nor backward, and the general attitude of the figure sug- gest repose. The length from ear to root of tail is twenty-three millimeters. The only uncertain stroke of the graver is to be seen in the region of the throat. The numerous nearly vertical and paral- lel fine lines on the neck and back may not be of human workmanship, as similar lines are to be seen at the extreme left of the bone fragment and apparently not related to any animal figure. The figure of a second horse following at a short distance the first described, has
Text Appearing After Image:
been lost with the exception of the two ears. Here again the left ear is turned so as to show the opening. This speci- men represents a late phase of Mag- dalenian art. Wherever possible it has been the policy of the French Government to set aside as national monuments all caverns and rock-shelters in which are examples of palaeolithic mural art. These will ever remain galleries of prehistoric art. Only in one or two rare instances have parietal engravings or frescoes been cut from their original places. Such a step should be resorted to only when not to remove the art works would be to invite certain destruction. Where works of this nature are accessible and can be permanently protected, there is as little sense in removing them as there would be in removing the frescoes of Michelangelo from the Sistine Chapel. The museums of this coun- try are not likely ever to possess typical original ex- amples of palaeolithic mural art. The American Muse- um has acted wisely there- fore, in transferring to the walls of its hall of European prehistoric archaeology cop- ies of some notable originals from the French as well as the Spanish caverns. Probably crude graving tools; at the left from rock-shelter No. 2 des Roches-de-Sergeac; at the right from Abri Blanchard. These gravers are large and heavy enough to have served to cut deep lines in limestone as shown on the preceding page

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