Framed Collection of Bone Artifacts
Upper Paleolithic (approx. 23,000-15,000 years ago), La Grotte de la Mouthe, Dordogne, France
No reserve
Auction Closed
July 14, 07:13 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 9,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Framed Collection of Bone Artifacts
Upper Paleolithic (approx. 23,000-15,000 years ago)
La Grotte de la Mouthe, Dordogne, France
Display measures 8 x 6⅝ x 1½ inches (20.3 x 16.8 x 3.8 cm), central canon bone measures 3⅝ inches (9.2 cm).
Collection of eleven bone artifacts displayed framed with old collection numbers labeled on each element. Each bone is fashioned by the hand of a human showing various incised markings, carvings, and drillings. The two teeth framing the central element may belong to a dog species. The drilled holes on these teeth suggest that may have been strung as ornaments. The largest artifact in the center is a canon bone, and the dark (upper left) is a toe bone (phalanx) positively from an artiodactyl species probably deer. The rest are unidentified bones manufactured into various shapes.
La Grotte de la Mouthe, Dordogne, France.
Likely once in the collection of M. Émile Rivière (1835-1922).
Formerly in the collection of Francois Bigot (1950-2009).
With CBC 231461 from the French Ministry of Culture permitting export, and EU license no. 2022DMF0773
Recovered from the celebrated site of La Grotte de la Mouthe in Dordogne, these reindeer bones preserve direct physical evidence of human activity during the Upper Paleolithic. Dating to approximately 23,000 to 15,000 years ago, they belong to a period in which anatomically modern humans occupied southwestern France and produced some of the earliest known cave art and worked organic material in Europe.
The present group bears visible cut marks and areas of modification created through contact with stone tools, preserving traces of butchery and processing carried out tens of thousands of years ago. Such marks provide rare and immediate evidence of the interaction between humans and animals during the Ice Age, documenting activities associated with hunting, food preparation, and the use of animal resources.
La Grotte de la Mouthe occupies an important place in the history of prehistoric archaeology. The cave became internationally known following the discovery of Paleolithic engravings and paintings in the late 19th century, helping to establish the authenticity of prehistoric cave art at a time when such discoveries were still hotly debated.
The group further benefits from early collection history, likely having belonged to the collection of the noted French archaeologist Émile Rivière (1835–1922), before entering the collection of François Bigot.