Welcome #EUC11

Logics of spatial distribution of

engravings in mont Bego

archaeological area

Geo-statistical approaches of engraved rocks

by cost-distances means

Thomas Huet*, Gourguen Davtian**, Didier Binder***

* PhD, CEPAM-CNRS UMR 6130, Nice Sophia Antipolis

** Research Engineer, CEPAM-CNRS 6130, Nice Sophia Antipolis

*** Research Director, CEPAM-CNRS 6130, Nice Sophia Antipolis

Introduction

Understand distribution of engraved rocks and engravings...

Statuette of a household god with libation cup

(picture of the swiss exhibition “Futur antérieur”)

Usually, when archaeologist don’t

reach the function of an objet they

class it as cultual.

This is the most common hypothesis to

explain Mont Bego’s engravings

concentrations (our subject), but this is not

a proved hypothesis...

Introduction

Understand distribution of engraved rocks and engravings...

• « The mountain is the sanctuary, the sacred

place. The distancing of figures from its summit

indicates it was treated with awe and reverence.

Their distribution confirms a religious

interpretation. »

• « The mountain was not sacred. The distancing

of figures from its summit indicates there was

nothing special about the mountain that would

draw the figure-markers towards it. Their

distribution confirms a secular interpretation. »

Chippindale, 1988

Lumley, Echassoux, 2011

Bicknell, 1913

Proposition 1

Proposition 2

Chippindale, 1988

Site presentation

Localisation

Site presentation

Localisation

Distribution of engraved rocks

Site presentation

A view of the Pic des Merveilles and

the Grand Capelet in Les Merveilles

archaeological aera

Mont Bego site is the second most

engraved site in Europe. It counts

around 20 000 figuratives

engravings displayed on 4281

engraved rocks

Engraved rocks

Site presentation

Pic des Merveilles 2659 m

Grand Capelet 2935 m

Site presentation

Engravings

Photo D. Ponsard, Musée de l’Homme

Horned figures

Geometrics

Weapons

Antrhopomorphs

20 571 figuratives

Anthropomorphs

Horned figures

Geometrics

Weapons

Groups of Irregular

Peckings 15 115 unfiguratives

Engravings

Site presentation

Which factors are able to

explain such concentrations

of engravings ?

- geological ?

-proximity to geographical

elements ?

-shapes or orientations of

the engraved rocks ?

- others ?

Understanding spatial distribution of engravings

How engravings and engraved rocks are related to geographical elements

(summits, passes, streams, etc.) ? How these relations are significant ?

Summits

Lakes

Streams

Passes

Altare Rock Roche de l’Autel

Methodology

GIS – cost-distance path

Inclinaison of the

slope Cost Unit

0 - 12° 1

12 - 22° 2

22 - 30° 3

30 - 40° 4

40 - 45° 6

45° - 50° 10

50° and more impassable

Model parameters

Walk speed: 5 km-1

Methodology

GIS – cost-distance path

?

Shorter path ?

Possible path ?

Referential

construction

Methodology

GIS – cost-distance path

Cost-distance

calculation

Methodology

Bonferonni/Dunn test on cost-distances

The Bonferonni / Dunn test is a non-parametric multiple

comparaison test based on sequences of comparaison

between pairs. Its statistic is establish on the differences

between the sum of the ranks to the theorical average. The

result is a classification of the populations in groups.

Analyses

Cost distances from summits

Category Numbers S of ranks

Average

of ranks Groups

Anthropo. Horned Figures 11 143550.500 13050.045 A

Praying Figures 88 1314154.500 14933.574 A

Daggers 1003 ########## 15229.985 A

Yokes 371 5965582.500 16079.737 A

Halleberds 441 7109033.500 16120.257 A

Horned Figures 12673 ########## 16339.728 A

Groups of Irregulars Peckings 12045 ########## 17436.271 A

Geometric Shapes 935 ########## 17979.017 A

Human Figures 184 3317239.500 18028.476 A

"Figures à Franges" 83 1505850.500 18142.777 A

Axes 40 725967.500 18149.188 A

Lines 2755 ########## 18409.601 A

"Réticulés" 1079 ########## 19034.376 A

Regular Shapes 2003 ########## 19057.785 A

"Grands Anthropomorphes" 6 116213.500 19368.917 A

Topographics 584 ########## 20064.536 A

"Peaux" 164 3411469.000 20801.640 A

Bonferonni/Dunn test on cost-distances

Analyses

Cost distances from passes

Category Numbers S of ranks

Average

of ranks Groups

Anthropo. Horned Figures 11 151514.0 13774.0 A

Axes 40 554281.5 13857.0 A

Human Figures 184 2781034.0 15114.3 A

Daggers 1003 15166858.5 15121.5 A

Yokes 371 5686724.5 15328.1 A

Halleberds 441 7046126.5 15977.6 A

Regular Shapes 2003 33516416.0 16733.1 A

Groups of Irregulars Peckings 12045 203836772.5 16922.9 A

Horned Figures 12673 218272641.5 17223.4 A

Praying Figures 88 1536667.0 17462.1 A

Topographics 584 10254075.0 17558.3 A

Geometric Shapes 935 16496431.5 17643.2 A

Lines 2755 50644707.0 18382.8 A

"Grands Anthropomorphes" 6 115135.0 19189.2 A

"Figures à Franges" 83 1612533.5 19428.1 A

"Peaux" 164 3262102.0 19890.9 A

"Réticulés" 1079 23001325.0 21317.3 A

Bonferonni/Dunn test on cost-distances

Analyses

Cost distances from permanent streams

Category Numbers S of ranks

Average

of ranks Groups

"Figures à Franges" 83 871752.5 10503.0 A

"Peaux" 164 2086062.0 12719.9 A

"Réticulés" 1079 15254737.5 14137.8 A

"Grands Anthropomorphes" 6 100400.0 16733.3 A / B

Lines 2755 46240571.5 16784.2 B

Groups of Irregulars Peckings 12045 204529722.5 16980.5 B

Geometric Shapes 935 15927524.0 17034.8 B

Horned Figures 12673 216254369.5 17064.2 B

Daggers 1003 18028511.5 17974.6 B

Praying Figures 88 1582690.5 17985.1 B

Yokes 371 7111099.0 19167.4 B

Halleberds 441 8631642.5 19572.9 B

Regular Shapes 2003 39872134.0 19906.2 B

Topographics 584 12286741.5 21038.9 B

Anthropo. Horned Figures 11 237934.5 21630.4 B

Human Figures 184 3986663.0 21666.6 B

Axes 40 932789.0 23319.7 B

Bonferonni/Dunn test on cost-distances

Analyses

Cost distances from lakes

Category Numbers S of ranks

Average

of ranks Groups

"Figures à Franges" 83 973530.5 11729.3 A

"Peaux" 164 2121858.5 12938.2 A

Geometric Shapes 935 15095510.0 16144.9 B

Human Figures 184 3061765.0 16640.0 B / C

Regular Shapes 2003 34014716.0 16981.9 B / C

Groups of Irregulars Peckings 12045 206680571.5 17159.0 B / C

Lines 2755 47301197.5 17169.2 B / C

Horned Figures 12673 219041713.0 17284.1 B / C

Topographics 584 10129285.5 17344.7 B / C

"Grands Anthropomorphes" 6 104649.0 17441.5 B / C

Halleberds 441 7803932.5 17696.0 B / C

Daggers 1003 18144280.0 18090.0 C

Yokes 371 6739063.0 18164.6 C

"Réticulés" 1079 19903362.0 18446.1 C

Praying Figures 88 1766335.5 20072.0 C

Anthropo. Horned Figures 11 226362.0 20578.4 C

Axes 40 827213.5 20680.3 C

Bonferonni/Dunn test on cost-distances

Conclusion

« Figure à Franges » and Regular shape

“Figures à Franges” are the category of engraving the most related to some

geographicals elements : lakes and streams.

Conclusion

Studies of surimpositions of engravings seem to prove that “Figures à

Franges”, anthropomorphics figures, are within the most ancient pecked

engravings....

Considering the numerous lakes, the occupation of the region during early

Neolithic and the importance of water to growths plants, a non trivial

hypothesis is to link the meaning of “Figures à Franges” to the lakes and

streams.

In the next years, we will improve the DEM and also create routines of analysis to

better understand others relations between engravings and their environnement

Thank You