INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATION OF AZERBAIJAN HISTORY'S
RESEARCHERS
UNOCAL KHAZAR, LTD. THE OIL COMPANY (USA)
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF THE AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC
AZERBAIJAN
IN THE INTERNATIONAL
MULTILATERAL
INTERCOMMUNICATIONS
THE SECOND BAKU INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
(BIS-95)
22-24 November, 1995
The Summary is completed by R. A. Radjabov
BAKU-ELM- 1997
DOCTOR
TÜBINGEN UNIVERSITY (STUTTGART, GERMANY)
THE SPANISH LEVANTE ROCK-ART COMPARED TO THE
GOBUSTAN ART
The present
paper is divided into two parts: the first one deals with the main
characteristics of the Levante rock shelter art including a glance to the
preceeding Paleolithic Franco-Cantabrian cave-art. The second part tries to establish differences from and similarities
with the Gobustan rock-art.
The Levante
rock-shelter art differs from the Franco-Cantabrian art in many aspects the
most important of which are the following:
The
drawings of the Levante art are found on steep rock-shelters exposed to the sun
whereas the Franco-Cantabrian art is always located in caves mostly far inside
and well hidden from sun and weather.
Another
important different lies in the subject matters - those of the cave-art are
with the exception of some "shamans" and hand-printings, huge
animals, whereas in the Eastern Spanish rock-shelter art human figures and
their activities are the most important subjects.[1]
Lastly
there is it great diffrence in size in both kinds of art: the drawings of the
Paleolithic art are mostly huge while those of the Levante art are very small:
5 mm- 1.15 m.[2]
The Levante
rock-shelter art is due to the following influences: the Mediterranian sea, the
coastal mountains, the "Meseta" and the outskirts of the Pyrenees.
The
altitude of the rocks is mostly about 1000 m.
The Levante
art is divided into two zones: the northern one reaches from the region of
Colungo to that of Villar del Humo. The
southern part is extended from the region of Don Aguas to Cadiz.[3]
As to the chronology
of the Levante-art only a relative one is possible, based on superpositions.
Today most
of the prehistorians place the beginning of the Levante-art in the
Mesolithic. It continues in the
Neolithic and ends at the Bronze Age.[4]
The
following styles characterise the development of the rock-sheiter art:
Style I.
Archaic. It begins approximately about
the 12th millenium B.C.
Only huge
animals are depicted whereas human figures are absent.
Style
II. Classic. Its end is about the 9th mill.
B.C.
The first human
figures appear, but they are generally in static positions.
Style
III. It is the period of great scenes
and lasts till about 6.000-5.500 B.C.
Human
activities, mostly hunting in groups, are depicted. Besides bulls and deer the hunted animals are wild bears.
Style
IV. The triumph of movement. It ends about 4000 B.C.[1]
Of special
interest are battle scenes indicating conflicts between respective groups.
New motives
are domestic scenes as well as the representation of primitive farming tools.[6]
Of striking
interest is the transition to purely abstract and schematic art. Human figures are represented as the
so-called "Strichmannachen".[5]
The
comparison of the Levante rock-shelter art with the Gobustan art will begin
with the differences between them.
One of
those differences is the dating: though both regions of art begin in the
Mesolithic, the Gobustan art lasts longer - untill the 2nd mill. B.C. A proof of it are the numerous horses
with riders.
49
Another
difference consists in the size of the drawings - the Gobustan representations
are much bigger.[7]
Besides the
artists of the Levante rock-shelter art not only use engravings but also, and
even mostly, printings in brown, black and red colours. Whereas the Gobustan artists prefer engravings
- thin white lines.
Because of
the lack of information available it can’t be assured if the compositions
typical of the Levante art like hunting in groups, war scenes with arrows and
bows and the depicting of farming also exist in the Gobustan art.
The same
thing is true concerning disguised hunters and figures with rituall
character.[5]
Which are
the similarities of the art dealt with?
First of all it must be mentioned that both are drawn on rock-shelters,
mostly exposed to the sun.
Another,
very striking similarity, is the superpostion of the various drawings.
Similar are
also the ritual dances.[1]
As to the
representation of single human figures, another interesting likeness can be
stated: many of them are drawn in an exagerated way, the so-called
“plumstyle”.[1]
Similarities
can also be detected in the man's trousers with decorations.[3]
It is
worthwhile to emphasize that also the Gobustan art reveals a transition to the
abstract and schematic drawings.[7]
Another
striking similarity are the magical signs which are alike waves. Some of the Spanish scientists explain them
as water. But in my opinion they have
connection with hunting-magic because the Levantine-hunters arc disguised by
such "waves".
At last the
ressemblence in the drawing of deer should be mentioned. After enumerating the similarities between
both regions of art the question concerning the reason of the likeness should
be posed.
Due to the
great distance between the two regions dealt with the fact that similar
rock-art was discovered also in other places of the earth, an influence between
the Levante and the Gobustan art should be excluded.
The most
credible suggestion is the fact that art already from its beginning belongs to
the mankind. The creative power is
strongly interrelated with the development of its civilisation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
[1] Dams L.
"Les peintures rupesircs du Levant espagnol", Paris, 1984.
[2] Almagro
Gorbea M. 1972. "Nuevas ferchas para la prehistoria v
arqueilogia peninsular", Trabajos de Prehist. 28, Madrid, 228-242.
[3] Beltran A.
1968. "Arte rupestre
Levantino", Monogr. Arqueol. 4,
Zaragoza.
[4] Bosch-Gimpera
P. 1968. "La chronologie de l'art rupestre
seminaturalist et schematique de la peninsula iberique", in:
Prehisto. Problemes et tendances,
C.N.R.S: Paris, 71-75.
[5] Leroi-Gourhan
A. 1968. Préhistoire de l'art Occidental, Mazenod, Paris.
[6] Jorda Cerda
F. 1974. "Formas de vida economics en el arte rupestre
Levantino", Zephyrus XXV, Salamanca, 219-226.
[7] Jafarzade N.M. Gobustan. Baku, 1973.
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