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Images of the Ice Age
Examines and analyzes the cave drawings of the Ice Age found in France and Spain, and explores their possible meanings and functions
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1989
About the author
Paul G. Bahn
126 books46 followersPaul G. Bahn is a British archaeologist, translator, writer and broadcaster who has published extensively on a range of archaeological topics, with particular attention to prehistoric art. He is a contributing editor to Archaeology magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 29, 2012
This work on the art of the European Ice Age (now some quarter of a century old) is an excellent example of how to provide information in an accessible way on a difficult subject.
Bahn is a sound scientific populariser. The book also acts as a tribute to the photographer Jean Vertut who died before the final publication of the book. The photography is generous, wide-ranging and attractive.
The book tells the story of the historic study of ice age art, its context, the necessity for caution over reproductions, speculations as to age, a description of forms, techniques and subject matter and a review of possible meanings.
It is in this last area that Bahn might have done himself no favours with career academics trying to move up the slippery pole with some theory of purpose. He is sceptical of what we can know about the meaning of this art when its production extended over such a large area of time and of place.
He reviews all the many theories behind the art but is rather good at standing back and questioning the degree to which the modern will to make sense of it all has directed both illustration and theory alike into untenable assumptions.
He certainly does a rather neat job in questioning the desire of modern man to insert a sexual content where none is to be found reliably and I found myself questioning even the received wisdom of it being hunting magic - maybe it is but how can we possibly know?
This is not a counsel of despair because (at the time of writing) there was much work to be done but he is probably right that any attempt to supply a universal theory of the palaeolithic mind might be better geared down to a regional or even site level.
There was one point where he had me smiling - we do not even know for certain if much of the art was produced by women rather than men and a plausible case (amongst so many plausible cases) could be made for menstrual ritual, especially given signs of use of a lunar calendar.
In short, my conclusion is that anyone who says they know very much about meaning and purpose is engaged in creative careerism or a-historical cultural polemic. No one knows - all surmise.
(Bahn does, however, open the crack in the door to let in serious consideration of the 'mind in the cave' thesis which links at least some of the imagery to consciousness studies in a plausible way).
What is more appealing are the facts on the ground - the book opens with two sets of children's footprints in different caves in the Ariege, one set deliberate and playful. Five little kids whose presence but not their mentalities are immortalised - who needs theory?
(Note that there is an updated version of this book with substantially the same text but with more photographs a decade later called 'A Journey Through the Ice Age' and this might be the preferred purchase)
Bahn is a sound scientific populariser. The book also acts as a tribute to the photographer Jean Vertut who died before the final publication of the book. The photography is generous, wide-ranging and attractive.
The book tells the story of the historic study of ice age art, its context, the necessity for caution over reproductions, speculations as to age, a description of forms, techniques and subject matter and a review of possible meanings.
It is in this last area that Bahn might have done himself no favours with career academics trying to move up the slippery pole with some theory of purpose. He is sceptical of what we can know about the meaning of this art when its production extended over such a large area of time and of place.
He reviews all the many theories behind the art but is rather good at standing back and questioning the degree to which the modern will to make sense of it all has directed both illustration and theory alike into untenable assumptions.
He certainly does a rather neat job in questioning the desire of modern man to insert a sexual content where none is to be found reliably and I found myself questioning even the received wisdom of it being hunting magic - maybe it is but how can we possibly know?
This is not a counsel of despair because (at the time of writing) there was much work to be done but he is probably right that any attempt to supply a universal theory of the palaeolithic mind might be better geared down to a regional or even site level.
There was one point where he had me smiling - we do not even know for certain if much of the art was produced by women rather than men and a plausible case (amongst so many plausible cases) could be made for menstrual ritual, especially given signs of use of a lunar calendar.
In short, my conclusion is that anyone who says they know very much about meaning and purpose is engaged in creative careerism or a-historical cultural polemic. No one knows - all surmise.
(Bahn does, however, open the crack in the door to let in serious consideration of the 'mind in the cave' thesis which links at least some of the imagery to consciousness studies in a plausible way).
What is more appealing are the facts on the ground - the book opens with two sets of children's footprints in different caves in the Ariege, one set deliberate and playful. Five little kids whose presence but not their mentalities are immortalised - who needs theory?
(Note that there is an updated version of this book with substantially the same text but with more photographs a decade later called 'A Journey Through the Ice Age' and this might be the preferred purchase)
June 1, 2020
Quite good.
main takeaway: as many fields, historically too dominated by the male perspective + humans get carried away with one interpretation and see things that are not necessarily there + we need to be careful assuming the same cultural and social elements were there 14000 or more yrs ago
the evidence we have is only what has survived and only what we have found
Favourite quote: „Beside there were inconsistenciessuch as the claviform which is thin but, as we have seen, was thought to be derived from a female silhouette - in the same way that the Coca-Cola bottle could be taken as a phallic symbol or a stylized female form according to ones preference!“
main takeaway: as many fields, historically too dominated by the male perspective + humans get carried away with one interpretation and see things that are not necessarily there + we need to be careful assuming the same cultural and social elements were there 14000 or more yrs ago
the evidence we have is only what has survived and only what we have found
Favourite quote: „Beside there were inconsistenciessuch as the claviform which is thin but, as we have seen, was thought to be derived from a female silhouette - in the same way that the Coca-Cola bottle could be taken as a phallic symbol or a stylized female form according to ones preference!“
November 16, 2020
The artwork in this book is fascinating! From the cave drawings to the petroglyphs to the carvings this was an amazing look into the past! 4.5 stars! Cheers everyone!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews