Figure Stones in England

Figure Stones in England

Richard Wilson Collection

Watford

Richard has started his own excellent website, well worth a look: http://www.palaeoart.co.uk

For several years, Richard has been investigating a surprisingly large concen- tration of Paleolithic artifact material appearing beneath the surface of his property in the Colne river valley. Much of this lithic material incorporates the classic simple zoo-anthropomorphic iconography characteristic of the European Paleolithic. He has carefully researched the geological stratigraphy of his site, which was initially thought to date from roughly 450,000 years BP. Recently, however, it seems plausible that this could be from nearly 900,000 years BP given that the venue apparently lies within the same early river system (proto-Thames) as the Happisburgh artifact finds from that earlier time period.

With the assistance of lithics experts - including professional geologists/petrol- ogists, actual physical scientists - Richard has demonstrated convincing evi- dence of human agency in material that was summarily dismissed by academic archaeologists. (This would suggest that, in distinguishing anthropogenically modified from naturally formed lithic material, British archaeologists are more or less on a par with their American counterparts.)

In September 2010 Richard presented a well received paper and lecture on his work at the IFRAO's Pleistocene Art of the World Congress in France. The paper can be read by following this link.

Richard and I have been in correspondence on both our projects since 2006 when he contacted me via this website, having noted the clearly not coincidental pre- dominance of apparently worked lithic bird forms in his assemblage. We have shared a lot of joy in the discoveries, as well as, of course, much amused frus- tration in dealing with the archaeological/academic "establishment".

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Above, classic flint birds, all from the same 1X1 m dig square.

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Above left, a "Stargazer", a primal image appearing fairly often in the Figure Stones, an open-mouthed quasi-human face staring upward at about a forty-five degree angle. Compare this with the figure on the right from Ursel Benekendorff's remarkable Paleolithic collection from northern Germany.

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Simon Parkes Collection

Clacton

Flint, putatively 125,000 - 200,000 years BP

Characteristic features: At left edge, face with round-faced bird over forehead, and apparent head emerging from mouth.

"Venus" figure in flint from deposits dated to ca. 425,000 years BP. Character- istic features: Apparent figure emerging from belly, and possibly one emerging egg-like downward from the posterior, both common at the Day's Knob site.

A flint blade in the "Venus" form.

Not much guesswork required with this image...

Basalt, estimated age 125,000 years BP.

A classic example of the polymorphism in Paleolithic imagery, this hand axe or chopper has the appearance of a bird-like face. But rotated clockwise, the figure presents a rather anthropomorphic profile, a grinning mouth being deeply flaked in juxtaposition with the naturally formed eye. A flaked mouth like this one appears frequently on such pieces - a fair amount of work serving no utilitarian purpose, but nonetheless deemed necessary.

Bird-form Clactonian flint tools from about 425,000 years BP, the longest being about 6.3 cm (2.5") in length.

Zoo-anthropomorphic Image about 30 cm (12") in length, age estimated at 200,000 years.

David King Collection

Near London

Sun Disk - David King Artifact Collection Sun Disk - Day's Knob Archaeological Site

A "Sun Disk", left, shown for comparison with one from the Day's Knob site. Note the small figure (bird?) emerging from the mouth on Mr. King's disk. This old Sun Disk motif covered a lot of territory...

Bird form?

Bird form.

'Venus" figures.

The one on the left is more or less the "classic". The other strongly incorporates the bird form, and here the new creature or spirit emerges from the posterior like an egg.