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. 2020 Aug 19;15(8):e0236875.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236875. eCollection 2020.

Artists on the edge of the world: An integrated approach to the study of Magdalenian engraved stone plaquettes from Jersey (Channel Islands)

Silvia M Bello  1 , Edward Blinkhorn  2 , Andrew Needham  3 , Martin Bates  4 , Sarah Duffy  5 , Aimée Little  3 , Matt Pope  2 , Beccy Scott  6 , Andrew Shaw  7 , Mark D Welch  1 , Tim Kinnaird  8 , Lisa Millar  8 , Ruth Robinson  8 , Chantal Conneller  9
Affiliations

Artists on the edge of the world: An integrated approach to the study of Magdalenian engraved stone plaquettes from Jersey (Channel Islands)

Silvia M Bello et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The Upper Palaeolithic is characterised by the appearance of iconographic expressions most often depicting animals, including anthropomorphic forms, and geometric signs. The Late Upper Palaeolithic Magdalenian saw a flourishing of such depictions, encompassing cave art, engraving of stone, bone and antler blanks and decoration of tools and weapons. Though Magdalenian settlement exists as far northwest as Britain, there is a limited range of art known from this region, possibly associated with only fleeting occupation of Britain during this period. Stone plaquettes, flat fragments of stone engraved on at least one surface, have been found in large quantities at numerous sites spanning the temporal and geographical spread of the Magdalenian, but they have been absent so far from the archaeological record of the British Isles. Between 2015 and 2018, ten fragments of stone plaquettes extensively engraved with abstract designs were uncovered at the Magdalenian site of Les Varines, Jersey, Channel Islands. In this paper, we report detailed analyses of these finds, which provide new evidence for technologies of abstract mark-making, and their significance within the lives of people on the edge of the Magdalenian world. These engraved stone fragments represent important, rare evidence of artistic expression in what is the far northern and western range of the Magdalenian and add new insight to the wider significance of dynamic practices of artistic expression during the Upper Palaeolithic.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Location and archaeological context of Les Varines site.
A. Location of Jersey (Channel Islands). Map data ©OpenStreetMap contributors (www.openstreetmap.org). B. Location of Les Varines site in Jersey (Reproduced under a CC BY license, with permission from Digimap (Jersey) Ltd). C. Aerial view of the site. D. Plan of excavations.
Fig 2
Fig 2. OSL-dated sequence from trench 10.
Section of trench 10 (an ortho-rectified image generated using photogrammetry) showing location of OSL samples. LVE3-5 are positioned within interdigitating layers of redeposited loess [4] and granitic sand [5]. LVE1 and 2 sample yellow colluvium [3]. LVE3 and LVE5 have low numbers of aliquots and should be used only as a gauge.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Spatial distribution of excavated plaquettes in the main area of the site (upper field).
Fig 4
Fig 4
A. Geological map of Jersey (modified from Brown et al. 1990. p. 195) with location of the Magdalenian site of Les Varines. B. Photo of Plaquette 1 (LVE 4394, 4395 and 4607) and C. detail of blue-grey and white aplite rock type and lightly-weathered surface.
Fig 5
Fig 5. SEM images indicating features typical of incisions by a stone tool.
A. overlapping of incisions produced in succession and with different orientations (black arrows). B. Internal microstriations (white arrow); C. Hertzian cones (white arrows). D. Alicona photo image of a portion of plaquette LVE 4394 and details of E. Single stroke incisions (red profile) and F. Double stroke incisions (blue profile).
Fig 6
Fig 6. Plaquette 1.
A. Photo and B. drawing of plaquette 1 (LVE 4394, 4395, 4607a, b and c). C. drawing of plaquette 1 distinguishing straight incisions (blue lines) from sinuous incisions (orange lines). SEM images of interrupted incisions at the edge of (D) LVE4607a and (E) LVE4607b. 3D Alicona images of two different areas on LVE 4395. White arrows (F) show examples of bifurcation of the final portion of some straight incisions; black arrows (D) show examples of sinuous incision overlapping straight incisions. The overlapping of sinuous incisions over straight incisions is also visible in (H) a SEM image of fragment LVE 4607b and (I) an Alicona 3D image of fragment LVE 4394.
Fig 7
Fig 7. LVE 4395.
A: Photo of fragment LVE 4395 showing red stain patches on the engraved surface and on the breakage surface with fragment LVE 4394. B: 3D Alicona images of patches of reddish stain on LVE 4395. C. Macro-image of stain patches from photogrammetry image set. D Impact of D-stretch filtering in highlighting stain patches. E-F SEM images of stain patches. The red patches appear in lighter (whiter) grey tone.
Fig 8
Fig 8. Plaquette 1.
A. Photo and B. drawing of plaquette 1 (LVE 4394, 4395, 4607a, b and c). Drawings separating the sequence of engraving: C. straight lines (blue lines) and D. superimposed sinuous incisions (orange lines). E. Tentative interpretation of some possible zoomorphic features (red lines) present on plaquette 1.
Fig 9
Fig 9. Plaquette 2.
A. Photo and B. drawing of plaquette 2 (LVE 9581A and LVE 9581B) C. drawing of plaquette 1 distinguishing straight incisions (blue and green lines) from sinuous incisions (orange and red lines). D. SEM images of interrupted incisions at the edge of (D) LVE 9581 B4607A. SEM (E) and Alicona 3D image (F) detailing the complex set of overlapping incisions. G. SEM image of interruption and resumption of an incision. (H) Overlapping incision forming an encircled cross.
Fig 10
Fig 10. Plaquette 2.
A. Photo and B. drawing of plaquette 1 (LVE 9581A and LVE 9581B). Drawings separating the sequence of engraving: C. straight lines (blue lines) and D. straight lines (green lines) perpendicular to the previous ones. E. Sinuous, semi-circular concentric incisions (orange lines) and F. sinuous large and deep incisions (red lines), the last one to have been engraved. Tentative interpretation of a possible bovid (G), a human face (H) and simplified zoomorphic features of a horse and 3 mammoths (I).
Fig 11
Fig 11. LVE 3249.
A. Photo and B. drawing of LVE 3249. C. Drawing distinguishing straight incisions (blue lines) and sinuous incisions (red lines). D. SEM and Alicona 3D images of interrupted incisions at the edge of the stone fragment. F. Alicona 3D image of sinuous engravings and G-H SEM image of barely visible straight engravings.
Fig 12
Fig 12. LVE 9327.
A. Photo and B. drawing of LVE 9327. C. Drawing distinguishing straight incisions (blue and green lines) and sinuous incisions (red lines). D. Alicona 3D images showing the un-even engraved surface. E-G SEM and Alicona 3D images of interrupted incisions at different edges of the stone fragment. H. SEM image of straight ‘green’ incisions overlapping the straight ‘blue’ incisions. I. SEM image of the sinuous orange incisions overlapping the straight ‘green’ incisions.
Fig 13
Fig 13. Fragment LVE 9327.
A. Photo and B. drawing of fragment LVE 9327. Drawings separating the sequence of engraving: C. straight lines (blue lines) and D. straight lines (green lines) perpendicular to the previous ones. E. Sinuous, semi-circular incisions (orange lines), the last to have been engraved. F. tentative interpretation (red lines) of the back, hindquarter and tail of a horse.
Fig 14
Fig 14. LVE 7979.
A. Photo and B. drawing of LVE 7979. C. Drawing colour-coding the different types of incisions. D and I. Alicona 3D images of interrupted incisions at different edges of the fragment of plaquette. E. SEM image of sinuous ‘orange’ incisions overlapping the straight ‘green’ incisions. F-G. SEM images of ‘blue’ incisions. H. SEM images of the deep straight ‘grey’ incisions.
Fig 15
Fig 15. Fragment LVE 7979.
A. Photo and B. drawing of fragment LVE 7979. Drawings separating the sequence of engraving: C. semi-parallel lines (blue lines), possibly the first to have been made and D. superimposing semi-straight lines (green lines) perpendicular to the previous ones. E. clusters of sinuous incisions (orange lines) and F. straight long crossing lines (red lines), probably the last one to have been engraved.
Fig 16
Fig 16. LVE 9458.
A. Photo and B. drawing of LVE 9458. C-E. Alicona 3D images of interrupted incisions at the edge of the fragment of plaquette. Alicona 3D images also show the un-even surface on which the engraving was produced. F-H. SEM image of the incisions on LVE 9458.
Fig 17
Fig 17. LVE5322.
A. Photo and B. drawing of LVE 5322. C. Drawing colour-coding the different types of incisions. D Alicona 3D images of the entire engraved surface. E-H. SEM and 3D Alicona images of complex overlapping of incisions not visible at the naked eye. I-J SEM and 3D Alicona images of interrupted incisions at one of the edges of the stone fragment.
Fig 18
Fig 18. LVE 4700.
A. Photo of fragment LVE 4700. SEM images and EDX analyses of selected areas on the stone fragment: (A) stained surface, (B) un-stained surface and (D) sediment still adherent on the surface of LVE 4700. E-F. 3D Alicona images of the stained area.
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Grants and funding

Excavations at Les Varines were funded by Jersey Heritage through the States of Jersey Tourism Development Fund (https://www.gov.je/Leisure/Events/TourismDevelopmentFundTDF/pages/abouttdf.aspx) in 2013-15 and in 2017 (BS received the funding), by the British Museum research fund in 2016-18 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/research) (Grant nos EC164/EC208) (BS received the funding), in 2016 by British Academy (https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk) small grant SG152868 (CC received the funding) and Society of Antiquaries (https://www.sal.org.uk/) Research Grants R121086 in 2017 and BH181355 in 2018 (CC received the funding). Funding from the Universities of Manchester, Southampton and UCL supported student training at the excavation. Silvia Bello’s work was part of the ‘Human Behaviour in 3D’ Project funded by the Calleva Foundation. Beccy Scott’s work was also supported by the Calleva foundation (Pathways to Ancient Britain project). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.