The author thanks Dr. B. Stoll-Tucker of the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt for the photos of portable art objects of Saxony-Anhalt. N. Seeländer of the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt thankfully made the two maps.
Dr. A. Endrigkeit from the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Thüringen kindly provided me with photos of the Thuringian objects and Dr. R. Reiss from the Landesamt für Archäologie Sachsen with the photos of the engraved schist plaquette from Groitzsch.
Finally I want to thank C. Boussat of Paleo and Ph. Jugie for the redaction of this article.
1Numerous Upper Palaeolithic portable art objects were found in different parts of Germany (fig. 1).
Figure 1 - Distribution of the known Upper Palaeolithic sites in Germany with portable art ■ = Aurignacian (cave site) ○ = Gravettian (open air site) ● = Gravettian (cave site) ▲ = Magdalenian (open air site) ▼ = Magdalenian (cave site) 1 Vogelherd, 2 Hohlenstein-Stadel, 3 Geissenklösterle, 4 Hohle Fels, 5 Hohle Fels, 6 Brillenhöhle, 7 Mainz-Linsenberg, 8 Weinberghöhlen, 9 Gönnersdorf, 10 Andernach-Martinsberg, 11 Niederbieber, 12 Petersfels, 13 Hohler Fels, 14 Kleine Scheuer, 15 Schussenquelle, 16 Obere Klause, 17 Mittlere Klause, 18 Hohlenstein, 19 Bonn-Oberkassel, 20 Balver Höhle, 21 Nebra, 22 Saaleck, 23 Kniegrotte, 24 Oelknitz, 25 Teufelsbrücke, 26 Bärenkeller, 27 Urdhöhle, 28 Lindenthaler Hyäenenhöhle, 29 Gera (different sites), 30 Groitzsch, 31 Poggenwisch. (Kartengrundlage: D 1000, Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie, Nr. 01/2002. © Mapping N. Seeländer, © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt).
Figure 1 - Répartition des sites connus du Paléolithique supérieur en Allemagne, dans lesquels des objets d’art mobilier ont été découverts. ■ = Aurignacien (site en grotte) ○ = Gravettien (site de plein air) ● = Gravettien (site en grotte) ▲ = Magdalénien (site de plein air)
▼ = Magdalénien (site en grotte) 1 Vogelherd, 2 Hohlenstein-Stadel, 3 Geissenklösterle, 4 Hohle Fels, 5 Hohle Fels, 6 Brillenhöhle, 7 Mainz-Linsenberg, 8 Weinberghöhlen, 9 Gönnersdorf, 10 Andernach-Martinsberg, 11 Niederbieber, 12 Petersfels, 13 Hohler Fels, 14 Kleine Scheuer, 15 Schussenquelle, 16 Obere Klause, 17 Mittlere Klause, 18 Hohlenstein, 19 Bonn-Oberkassel, 20 Balver Höhle, 21 Nebra, 22 Saaleck, 23 Kniegrotte, 24 Oelknitz, 25 Teufelsbrücke, 26 Bärenkeller, 27 Urdhöhle, 28 Lindenthaler Hyäenenhöhle, 29 Gera (different sites), 30 Groitzsch, 31 Poggenwisch. (Kartengrundlage: D 1000, Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie, Nr. 01/2002. © Cartographie N. Seeländer, © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt).
2In the following the most important regions of Germany with findings of portable art are briefly described. Thereafter the most well-known portable art objects of Central Germany and their sites will be presented.
3There are important sites of the older Upper Palaeolithic (Aurignacian) in the area of the Swabian Jura with famous portable art objects. These are fully plastic figurines, mostly representing animals, which were made in ivory. The sites are Vogelherd and Hohlenstein-Stadel in the Lone valley and Geissenklösterle and Hohle Fels in the Ach valley (see f.e. Bosinski 1982; Hahn 1986; Conard 2009; Conard et al. 2015; ).
4The Altmühl valley near Essing in Bavaria is rich in palaeolithic sites, too. A bâton percé engraved with a head of an animal seen from the front – probably an aurochs – was found in the Mittlere Klause cave. A calcareous plaquette from the same site is engraved with several lines and a fragmentary figure of a horse. In the nearby Obere Klause cave there were found a flat piece of ivory with engravings of several mammoths and five painted stones. All these portable art objects of the Altmühl valley date to the Magdalenian (see f.e. Bosinski 1982; Albrecht 1987; Huber and Floss 2014).
5A lot of portable art objects were found in the two Magdalenian open air sites of Gönnersdorf and Andernach-Martinsberg near Neuwied (Rhineland-Palatinate). Primarily the numerous engraved schist plaquettes from Gönnersdorf are famous for their different animals, among them mammoths and horses dominate, as well as for numerous schematically depicted female representations. Besides these engravings of women there are female figurines made in ivory, bone or schist (fig. 2.1-8 and 2.9-12). This kind of female representation (engraved, painted or sculped) is called the type of Lalinde-Gönnersdorf also known from different regions of Europe in portable art and in cave art (see f.e. Bosinski et Fischer 1980; Bosinski 1982, 1996, 2007, 2008; Höck 1995; Bosinski et al. 2001).
Figure 2 - Schematic female figurines of the European Magdalenian. 1 Gönnersdorf, 2 Andernach-Martinsberg, 3 Fontalès, 4 Courbet, 5 Gourdan, 6 Mégarnie, 7 Hohlenstein, 8 Petersfels, 9 Monruz, 10 Bärenkeller, 11 Oelknitz, 12 Nebra, 13 Pekarna, 14 Bycí skála, 15 Mežirič, 16 Dobraničevka, 17 Mezin. (According to different authors, composed by Höck 1995).
Figure 2 - Figurations féminines schématiques du Magdalénien européen. 1 Gönnersdorf, 2 Andernach-Martinsberg, 3 Fontalès, 4 Courbet, 5 Gourdan, 6 Mégarnie, 7 Hohlenstein, 8 Petersfels, 9 Monruz, 10 Bärenkeller, 11 Oelknitz, 12 Nebra, 13 Pekarna, 14 Bycí skála, 15 Mežirič, 16 Dobraničevka, 17 Mezin. (D’après différents auteurs, composé par Höck 1995).
6In the north of Lake Constance, in the Hegau (Baden-Württemberg), the Magdalenian Petersfels cave site is located. Among the numerous portable art objects there are diverse engravings on bone, antler and a lot of schematic female figurines (fig. 2.19-37) (Peters 1930; Mauser 1970; Bosinski 1982; Albrecht 1987). The female figurines of Petersfels have good similarities with three objects which were found in Monruz near Neuchâtel in Switzerland (fig. 2.38) (Braun 2005, 2006, 2009c; Bullinger 2006).
7There has been no evidence of Upper Palaeolithic cave art in Germany. However, there is no reason why cave art should not have existed in Germany (Braun 2009a).
8Central Germany (in German: Mitteldeutschland) is the name of a region which consists of the federal states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony. This region is very rich in archaeological sites.
9Only portable art objects have been found in Central Germany (Bosinski 1982; Feustel 1987; Braun 2012) dating from the Magdalenian with one exception of the object of the site of Breitenbach-Schneidemühle dating from the Aurignacian.
10Depictions of horses are dominant among the animals. According to Taute (1969) and Feustel (1987) the horse is the most hunted animal in this region in the Magdalenian.
11In the following the nine most important sites (fig. 3) with their best known portable art objects will be described.
Figure 3 - Distribution of the Upper Palaeolithic sites in Central Germany with portable art. ■ = Aurignacian (open air site) ● = Magdalenian (open air site) ▲ = Magdalenian (cave site) (© Mapping N. Seeländer, © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt).
Figure 3 - Répartition des sites du Paléolithique supérieur en Allemagne centrale avec des objets d’art mobilier. ■ = Aurignacien (site de plein air) ● = Magdalénien (site de plein air) ▲ = Magdalénien (site en grotte) (© Cartographie N. Seeländer, © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt).
12In 1925 a pupil discovered a mammoth bone in Breitenbach near Zeitz. In the following years several archaeological investigations were undertaken there. Besides other animal bones numerous stone tools and also some organic ones in bone, antler and ivory were found. There were also isolated perforated canines of the Arctic fox used as ornaments.
13The presence of typical stone tools, as for instance carinated end scrapers, shows that the findings of Breitenbach date to the Aurignacian. With Lommersum in the Rhineland (North Rhine-Westphalia), Stratzing/Krems-Rehberg and Willendorf II in Lower Austria the site of Breitenbach belongs to the large known Aurignacian open air sites of Central Europe (Porr 2004; Jöris et al. 2017). A bone already found in 1927 got a 14C age of 29’650 ± 280 BP (OxA-21089). In 2009 new archaeological investigations at the site started by the MONREPOS Archäologisches Forschungszentrum und Museum für menschliche Verhaltensevolution in Neuwied (Germany), the Archaeological Faculty of Leiden (Netherlands) and the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie of Saxony-Anhalt (Jöris et al. 2017).
14A fragment of a rib which shows several regular parallel engraved lines (fig. 4) was the oldest decorated object of Saxony-Anhalt before the new investigations (Porr 2004). Among the new findings there are two important objects: two polished worked fragments of ivory which are about 2 cm long. According to Jöris et al. (2017) they can fit well in the area of the thigh of the female figurine of the Hohle Fels in the Swabian Jura which is dated to the Aurignacian, too (Conard 2009). Therefore they are the first evidence of Aurignacian ivory figurines outside of the Swabian Jura (Jöris et al. 2017).
Figure 4 - Breitenbach (Saxony-Anhalt). Fragment of a rib with several regular parallel engraved lines.(© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták).
Figure 4 - Breitenbach (Saxe-Anhalt). Fragment de côte avec plusieurs lignes gravées parallèles régulières (© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták).
15The first Palaeolithic findings were discovered in the area “Die Altenburg” in the north of Nebra in the 1930s. The site is located high above the Unstrut valley. First archaeological excavations were undertaken between 1962 and 1969 when the area was under construction (Mania 1999, 2004a). In a depression a Magdalenian settlement was excavated which was partially destroyed by later settlements in the Bronze Age and in the Middle Ages (Mania 2004a). Interesting is the existence of different Magdalenian pits in and outside of the settlement. Some of them are interpreted as rubbish pits with broken animal bones (probably leftovers), others as pits with personal contents, f.e. with different stone artefacts (Mania 1999, 2004a).
16Of particular and great significance are three strongly abstracted female figurines of the Lalinde-Gönnersdorf type which were made in ivory and in antler (fig. 5a,b). One complete, two nearly complete and a basal fragment of female figurines were found. They were found in different pits. The biggest is 6,6 cm in length and was made in ivory. It has a bar-shaped upper part of the body and an accentuated posterior (fig. 5.1) (Bosinski 1982). The second female figurine with well carved out breast and a drawn-out bar-shaped upper part of the body is made in antler (fig. 5.3) (Bosinski 1982). Finally the third female figurine, made in ivory, has a peaked upper part of the body and indicated breast (fig. 5.2) (Bosinski 1982). This figurine has good similarities with a finding of Andernach-Martinsberg (fig. 2.11). Of a fourth one made in ivory, too, only the characteristic base is conserved (Mania 1999). In an outline shape of ivory, Mania (1999) suspects an anthropomorphic figure whose sex is undefinable (fig. 6a). It does not show any toolmarks. Furthermore there is a sandstone pebble whose shape looks similar to the female figurines (fig. 6b). With modification, scrapping and grinding, this pebble was reworked. (Mania 1999, 2004a).
Figure 5 - a - Nebra (Saxony-Anhalt). Three schematic female figurines. (© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták). b - Nebra (Saxony-Anhalt). Drawing of the three schematic female figurines (Feustel 1970/71).
Figure 5 - a -Nebra (Saxe-Anhalt). Trois statuettes féminines schématiques. (© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták). b - Nebra (Saxe-Anhalt). Relevé des trois statuettes féminines schématiques (Feustel 1970/71).
Figure 6 - a - Nebra (Saxony-Anhalt). Outline shape of ivory which resembles an anthropomorphic figure. b - Nebra (Saxony-Anhalt). Modified sandstone pebble whose shape looks similar to a female figurine. (© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták).
Figure 6 - a - Nebra (Saxe-Anhalt). Forme de contour de l’ivoire qui ressemble à une figure anthropomorphe. b - Nebra (Saxe-Anhalt). Galet de grès modifié dont la forme ressemble à celle d’une figurine féminine. (© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták).
17There is an engraving of an animal head on a flat limestone pebble which is hardly visible. According to Mania (1999) it could eventually be a head of a reindeer.
18A fragment of a limestone bowl was found in one of the pits. Mania (1999, 2004a) interprets it as a lamp shell. A double lined lattice design was finely engraved in the convex inner surface (fig. 7a,b). The total length of the object is 11 cm.
Figure 7 - a - Nebra (Saxony-Anhalt). Fragment of a bowl of limestone with a double lined lattice design engraved in the convex inner surface. (a: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták, b: Mania 1999).
Figure 7 - a - Nebra (Saxe-Anhalt). Fragment de cuvette en pierre calcaire à double treillis gravé sur la surface intérieure convexe. (a: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták, b : Mania 1999). b - Nebra (Saxe-Anhalt).
19Finally there are discs. Only one is almost complete and perforated (fig. 8). It is made in antler, the surface is smoothed and its diameter is 3,2 cm. The others are made in antler, sandstone and ivory. (Mania 1999, 2004a).
Figure 8 - Nebra (Saxony-Anhalt). Perforated disc in reindeer antler. (© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták).
Figure 8 - Nebra (Saxe-Anhalt). Rondelle perforée en bois de renne. (© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták).
20The Magdalenian site Saaleck is located near Bad Kösen in the loop of the Saale river below the Rudelsburg. The site is particularly known for surface findings, but there were also archaeological excavations between 1931 and 1932. The great amount of stone tools shows that this is an important site. A specialized hunting of horses is interpreted by the dominance of bones of this animal (Bosinski 1982; Grünberg 2004).
21Two radiocarbon dates got an age of 15’246 ± 264 calBP (OXA-11890) and 15’751 ± 399 calBP (OXA-11891) (Uthmeier et al. 2017). These two dates are uncalibrated 12’780 ± 60 BP (OXA-11890) and 12’945 ± 60 BP (OXA-11891) (Grünberg 2004).
22Two slate plaquettes made this site very well-known. The first was put together of different pieces. On it a horse head with erected mane, an elongated muzzle and with swollen nostrils is engraved (fig. 9a,b). The expression of the head suggests that the artist wanted to depict a stallion in rut which follows a female horse wanting to mate (Bosinski 1982). Unclear is whether it is an isolated depiction of a horse head or only the part of a former engraving of a complete horse.
Figure 9 - Saaleck (Saxony-Anhalt). Slate plaquette with an engraving of a horse head (a: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták, b: Bosinski 1982).
Figure 9 - Saaleck (Saxe-Anhalt). Plaquette de schiste avec une gravure de tête de cheval. (a : © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták, b : Bosinski 1982).
23The second slate plaquette (fig. 10a to 10d), also put together with different pieces, shows on one side an animal head, too, and numerous engraved lines (fig. 10a, b). According to Taute (1969) it is a head of a horse, too, and not of a reindeer or deer. He concludes that because the reindeer and the deer are not represented in the faunal remains of the Magdalenian sites in contrast to the horse which is very well known in the faunal remains. The other side is decorated with four parallel zigzag lines (fig. 10c, d) (Bosinski 1982).
Figure 10 a, b - Saaleck (Saxony-Anhalt). Slate plaquette with an engraving of an animal head (probably of a horse) on one side. (a: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták, b: Taute 1969 modified by Weiss 2016) ; c, d - Saaleck (Saxony-Anhalt). Other side of the slate plaquette with four parallel engraved zigzag lines (c: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo: Juraj Lipták, d : Bosinski 1982).
Figure 10 a, b - Saaleck (Saxe-Anhalt). Plaquette de schiste avec une gravure de tête animal (probablement un cheval) sur une face. (a : © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták, b : Taute 1969 modifié par Weiss 2016) ; c, d - Saaleck (Saxe-Anhalt). L’autre face de la plaquette de schiste avec quatre lignes parallèles en zigzag gravées. (c : © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo Juraj Lipták, d : Bosinski 1982).
24These two engraved slate plaquettes from Saaleck show good similarities with those found in Gönnersdorf. Some of those are also engraved with depictions of horses. (Bosinski and Fischer 1980).
25In 2016 M. Weiss published a third engraved fragmented slate plaquette which was found by D. Mania during field surveys in the 1970s/1980s. According to Weiss (2016) the engraved lines are part of a horse, too, with the mane and parts of the thorax.
26The Magdalenian site of Bad Kösen-Lengefeld is located near the Saaleck site, however above the Saale river. The similarities between the stone tools suggest that these two sites existed simultaneously even though there are no direct datations yet of the site of Bad Kösen-Lengegfeld (Uthmeier et al. 2017). Besides stone tools there are two engraved stone plaquettes. One of them, a probable female figure of Lalinde-Gönnersdorf type, was very finely engraved and is hardly visible. The second plaquette shows numerous engraved lines, some of them in parallel order (Mania 2004b; Uthmeier et al. 2017).
27The Kniegrotte belongs to the most important Magdalenian cave sites of Central Germany. The site is located 4 km east-south-east of Pössneck and 600 m eastward of the small village Döbritz in eastern Thuringia (Höck 2000). The findings are different tools in stone, bone and antler and were excavated by M. Richter between 1930 and 1938. The finding material was first analysed and published in a monograph by Feustel (1974) and later in her doctoral thesis by Höck (2000). Two radiocarbon dates got an age of 13’585 ± 165 BP (Bln 1564) and 10’230 ± 90 BP (GrnN 6649) (Djindjian et al. 2009).
28In this article only the most important portable art objects are presented (see also Bosinski 1982; Feustel 1974, 1987; Höck 2000). Some of them are unique and do not have similarities with other European Magdalenian portable art objects.
29A chisel made in reindeer antler, shows a complete engraving of a horse on one side (fig. 11a,b) (Feustel 1974, 1987). The horse has an erected ear and a tail extended backwards.
Figure 11 - a, b - Kniegrotte (Thuringia). Chisel with engraved horse figure (a: © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold, b: Höck 2000).
Figure 11 - a, b - Kniegrotte (Thuringe). Ciseau avec une gravure d’un cheval (a : © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold b : Höck 2000).
30Another chisel, made also in antler, is decorated with an engraving, too. According to Bosinski (1982) and Feustel (1974) it could be a female figure with the probable indication of the head, trunk, arms and legs (fig. 12). An enigmatic object in ivory (fig. 13) which is decorated on both sides, with a thickness of 0,4 cm, is named according to its form as sole of a foot symbol by Feustel (1974). It is often considered as an amulet because of its four perforations at the ends from which two are broken out. In contrary Mania (2004b) interprets this object as an owl seen in the front view with its plumage. Fact is, however, that this object has until today no other parallels and that its significance remains unclear.
Figure 12 - Kniegrotte (Thuringia). Chisel with engraved probable female figure (© Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo B. Stefan).
Figure 12 - Kniegrotte (Thuringe). Ciseau avec figure féminine probable gravée (© Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo B. Stefan).
Figure 13 a, b, c, d - Kniegrotte (Thuringia). Richly engraved enigmatic object in ivory on both sides (a and b: © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold, c and d: Jelinek 1988).
Figure 13a, b, c, d - Kniegrotte (Thuringe). Objet énigmatique richement gravé en ivoire des deux côtés (a et b : © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold, c et d : Jelinek 1988).
31Another decorated object, resembling a harpoon, is made in ivory, too. It is decorated on both sides with an engraving like a taping (fig. 14) (Bosinski 1982). The exact function of this object also remains unclear.
Figure 14 - Kniegrotte (Thuringia). Decorated object resembling a harpoon made in ivory (Jelinek 1988).
Figure 14 - Kniegrotte (Thuringe). Objet décoré ressemblant à un harpon en ivoire (Jelinek 1988).
32A fragmented piece of reindeer antler with unknown function, is perforated in its longitudinal direction (fig. 15a) (Feustel 1987). It is decorated with several engravings (fig. 15b). There are a rhinoceros with its two horns, an animal which is interpreted as a young musk ox (fig. 15c and 15d) (Braun 2016; Braun and Zessin 2016; Höck 2000), different lines, semi-circular curves and short notches. Rhinoceroses and musk oxen are rarely depicted in the Upper Palaeolithic art (Braun 2016; Braun and Zessin 2009, 2016). There is a well-known sculpture of a musk ox head in reindeer antler from the Swiss Magdalenian site Kesslerloch (Merk 1875; Bosinski 1982; Braun 2005, 2006, 2009c, 2016; Braun and Zessin 2016).
Figure 15 - a- Kniegrotte (Thuringia). Perforated piece of reindeer antler with numerous engravings and with unknown function (Höck 2000). b - Kniegrotte (Thuringia). Unwinded engravings of the perforated reindeer antler (Höck 2000).
Figure 15 - a - Kniegrotte (Thuringe). Pièce perforée en bois de renne avec de nombreuses gravures et dont la fonction est inconnue (Höck 2000). b - Kniegrotte (Thuringe). Déroulé des gravures relevées sur le bois de renne perforé (Höck 2000).
33Finally there is a piece of haematite which is decorated with engravings on both sides and lateral notches (fig. 16). This object has no other parallels, too. (Höck 2000).
Figure 16 - Kniegrotte (Thuringia). Decorated and notched piece of haematite (Höck 2000).
Figure 16 - Kniegrotte (Thuringe). Pièce d’hématite décorée et dentelée (Höck 2000).
34Located south of Jena in the Saale valley the Magdalenian site of Oelknitz was first excavated by G. Neumann and later by G. Behm-Blanke between 1957 and 1967. Several settlement structures were discovered and the finding material is highly considerable (Bosinski 1982).
35Two radiocarbon dates gave an age of 12’350 ± 85 BP (Bln 1726) and 12’542 ± 79 BP (Bln 1565) (Djindjian et al. 2009).
36In this article only the published (Bosinski 1982; Feustel 1987) portable art objects can be presented.
37A slate pebble with a length of 9,6 cm shows a nearly complete engraving of a horse (fig. 17) (Feustel 1987). In contrary to the horse engraving on the chisel of the Kniegrotte this horse has a tubular head without indication of an ear.
Figure 17 - Oelknitz (Thuringia). Engraved horse on a pebble (Schüler 1999).
Figure 17 - Oelknitz (Thuringe). Cheval gravé sur un galet (Schüler 1999).
38Two female figurines made in ivory are similar to those of Nebra (Mania 1999, 2004a; Braun 2012), Gönnersdorf and Andernach-Martinsberg (Braun 2012; Höck 1995). The first, 4,7 cm long, has a slightly curved bar-shaped upper part of the body with indication of the breast, a widely overhanging triangular posterior and legs bent backwards (fig. 18a,b). The second one, 3,6 cm long, is only figured with its widely overhanging posterior, the short indication of the upper part of the body and the legs (fig. 18b). Its shape is astonishingly similar to a figurine of Andernach-Martinsberg (fig. 2.10).
Figure 18 a, b - Oelknitz (Thuringia). Schematic female figurines (a: © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold), b: Jelinek 1988). c - Oelknitz (Thuringia). Two pebbles modified to schematic female figurines (Jelinek 1988).
Figure 18 a et b - Oelknitz (Thuringe). Statuettes féminines schématiques (a: © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold), b: Jelinek 1988). c - Oelknitz (Thuringe). Deux galets modifiés en statuettes féminines schématiques (Jelinek 1988).
39Three pebbles were modified by knapping to abstract female figurines (fig. 18c) like in Nebra (Mania 1999, 2004a). They can be compared to some schist plates from Gönnersdorf which were made by knapping to outlines of female bodies (fig. 2.6-8) (Höck 1995).
40On a rectangular sandstone block with a lateral length of 48 cm and a width of 21,8 cm a deep engraved representation of a vulva was placed (fig. 19a) (Feustel 1987).
Figure 19 - a - Oelknitz (Thuringia). Engraved vulva in a sandstone block (Jelinek 1988). Oelknitz (Thuringe). b - Pebble modified to a phallus (Jelinek 1988).
Figure 19 - a - Vulve gravée dans un bloc de grès (Jelinek 1988). Oelknitz (Thuringia). b - Oelknitz (Thuringe). Galet modifié en phallus (Jelinek 1988).
41A thick greywacke pebble was engraved circularly on one end and is thus recognizable as a phallus (fig. 19b) (Feustel 1987). Similar phallus, but from the Gravettian, are known from the Hohle Fels in the Swabian Jura (Kölbl et al. 2005) and from Abri Pataud in Southwestern France (Delluc and Delluc 1998).
42This Magdalenian site, known also with the name Saalfeld, was discovered in the cave ruine “Teufelsbrücke” in 1960 and was excavated between 1970 and 1972 by R. Feustel (Bosinski 1982; Feustel 1980, 1987; Braun 2012). The results of this excavation were published in a monograph by R. Feustel (1980).
43Of particular importance is the fragment of a spear thrower end with a carved out hook (fig. 20a,b). Two ears are carved out at the end. Two circular lines are visible on both sides and represent the eyes. It is a depiction of a horse head. According to Bosinski the spear thrower end of Teufelsbrücke belongs to the group of spear throwers with “rudimentärem Pferdekopf” (Bosinski 1982 - p. 54) (rudimentary horse head) which are characteristic of the Middle Magdalenian. The nearest site with spear throwers of this group is the Kesslerloch (fig. 21) cave near Lake Constance in Switzerland (Bosinski 1982; Braun 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012; Guyan 1944). They have the biggest distribution along the French Pyrenees and in Southwestern France (Bandi and Delporte 1984; Bosinski 1982; Cattelain 1988, 2005; Garrod 1955; Stodiek 1993). There are some pieces representing the horse head in total, for example from Isturitz (Dép. Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France) (Saint-Périer 1936) (fig. 22). In other cases, for example from the Kesslerloch, the horse head was only reduced to the two ears (Bosinski 1982; Braun 2005, 2006, 2009c, 2012; Guyan 1944). For this reason the object of Teufelsbrücke is an element which links this site with the Magdalenian sites in the French Pyrenees.
Figure 20 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringia). Fragment of a spear-thrower with a rudimentary horse head (a: © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo B. Stefan), b: Feustel 1980).
Figure 20 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringe). Fragment de propulseur à tête de cheval rudimentaire (a : © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo B. Stefan), b : Feustel 1980).
Figure 21 - . Kesslerloch (Switzerland). Fragments of spear-throwers with rudimentary horse head (Guyan 1944).
Figure 21 - Kesslerloch (Suisse). Fragments de propulseurs à tête de cheval rudimentaire (Guyan 1944).
Figure 22 - Isturitz (France). Fragment of a spear-thrower with a rudimentary horse head (Stodiek 1993).
Figure 22 - Isturitz (France). Fragment de propulseur à tête de cheval rudimentaire (Stodiek 1993).
44Furthermore there are 20 pebbles and two slate plaquettes which are decorated with figurative and non-figurative engravings. These engraved stones were analysed by K. Wüst for her master thesis and published in 1998 (Wüst 1998).
45Only three of them will be presented which are - in my opinion - the most important ones (fig. 23 to 26).
Figure 23 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringia). Slate pebble engraved on both sides, the so called “sacred stone” by R. Feustel. (a: © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold, b: Wüst 1998).
Figure 23 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringe). Galet de schiste gravé sur les deux faces dite «pierre sacrée» selon R. Feustel (a: © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold, b : Wüst 1998).
Figure 24 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringia). Slate pebble engraved on both sides, the so called “sacred stone” by R. Feustel. (a: © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold, b: Wüst 1998).
Figure 24 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringe). Galet de schiste gravé sur les deux faces dite «pierre sacrée» selon R. Feustel (a: © Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar. Photo H. Arnold, b : Wüst 1998).
Figure 25 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringia). Slate pebble engraved on both sides (Wüst 1998).
Figure 25 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringe). Galet de schiste gravé sur les deux faces (Wüst 1998).
Figure 26 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringia). Slate pebble with an engraved spiral (Wüst 1998).
Figure 26 - Teufelsbrücke (Thuringe). Galet de schiste avec spirale gravée (Wüst 1998).
46The first is a slate pebble with a length of 12,5 cm, a width of 4,2 and a thickness of 1,5 cm. It is engraved very intensely which makes its deciphering difficult (fig. 23a to 24b). Feustel (1974) called this object “sacred stone”. In the lower right part of the upper side (fig. 23a,b) of the picture a part of a mammoth is shown with an indication of the eye, the base of the trunk and a very pointed and high head. On the left side of the lower figure part there is a female silhouette of the Lalinde-Gönnersdorf type. The other lines are not clear. On the other side of this pebble (fig. 24a,b) a bird looking backwards to the left and four incompletely depicted horses and not figurative lines were engraved.
47The second slate pebble (fig. 25a), 10,4 cm long, 4,4 cm wide and 1,1 cm thick, shows on the upper side a clear outline of a rhinoceros. On the other side (fig. 25b) there are engravings which are similar to the so-called claviforme signs in some caves with cave art in the French Pyrenees. Wüst (1998), however, interprets them as extremely schematic depictions of women, surely by comparing them to engravings on a bone from Petersfels which are female silhouettes according to G. Albrecht and H. Berke (1980). There are also other not interpretable engraved lines.
48Finally the third slate pebble (fig. 26) with a length of 15,6 cm, a width of 3,3 cm and with a thickness of 0,7 cm shows an engraved spiral.
49It is a cave located southwest of Königsee. It was excavated between 1961 and 1969 under the direction of R. Feustel (Feustel et al. 1970/71; Bosinski 1982). The only portable art object is a carving in ivory (fig. 27). It probably represents a very strongly schematic female figurine of Lalinde-Gönnersdorf type. According to Bosinski (1982) it differs from the common forms.
Figure 27 - Bärenkeller (Thuringia). Very schematic female figurine (Feustel 1970/71).
Figure 27 - Bärenkeller (Thuringe). Statuette féminine très schématique (Feustel 1970/71).
50Situated south of Leipzig this Magdalenian site comprises four closely located sites which were excavated between 1952 and 1961 by H. Hanitzsch (Hanitzsch 1972). With two portable art objects Groitzsch is until now the only site with portable art in Saxony.
51The first object is a fragmented small schist plaquette and is 5,2 cm long, 3,2 cm wide and with a thickness of 0,7 cm (fig. 28a,b). On one side there is an engraving of an incompletely depicted, but very realistic horse head looking to the left (fig. 28b). The eye is clearly visible. The other side (fig. 28a) shows a horse head, too, with indication of the throat. It is less realistic.
Figure 28 - Groitzsch (Saxony). Small slate plaquette with engraved horse heads on both sides. (© Landesamt für Archäologie Sachsen. Photo J. Lipták).
Figure 28 - Groitzsch (Saxe). Petite plaquette de schiste avec têtes de cheval gravées des deux côtés (© Landesamt für Archäologie Sachsen. Photo J. Lipták).
Figure 29 - Groitzsch (Saxony). Piece of silicified wood with engraved zigzag line (Hanitzsch 1972).
Figure 29 - Groitzsch (Saxe). Pièce de bois silicifié avec ligne en zigzag gravée (Hanitzsch 1972).
52The second portable art object is a piece of silicified wood (fig. 29). It is decorated with a zigzag line on one side. (Hanitzsch 1972; Feustel 1987).
53Although there are not many portable art objects in Central Germany they are manifold and impressive. The female figurines of Nebra and Oelknitz integrate well in the female representations of the Upper Magdalenian in the rest of Europe. Among the animal representations horses dominate which obviously played an important role as a hunting animal as the horse bones in numerous sites show. The spear thrower end with the rudimentary horse head of Teufelsbrücke has its parallels to findings in Kesslerloch cave in Switzerland and along the French Pyrenees and in south-western France. However, there are also unique objects without parallels to the rest of the Magdalenian Europe.