THE BIRTH OF THE ART BEGINS ON ROCKS
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It is in the middle-Neolithic that begin the first carvings on rocky supports. At first, they are the granite paving stones of
certain dolmens and menhirs of Brittany, Spain and Portugal which are engraved by geometrical motives as spirals, cups,
semicircles looking like fingerprints... These carvings meet throughout Europe themselves what well demonstrates the
distribution of the megalithic "religion" through the generalization of the megalithic graves and their rupestral carvings
which their are often dedicated.
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The carvings of Gavrinis dolmen in Brittany are certainly the most remarkable in the world. Then the other motives as axes,
"bosoms", heads of cattle and the other numerous often enigmatic motives appear. In it, the Britton and Irish dolmens
represent best this part of the megalithic art of the Neolithic.
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In Rouergue and Corsica, numerous statues - menhirs fix in the granitic stone or sandstone man representations by the
artists of time. In Languedoc, some statues - menhirs cut in the limestone sketch awkwardly the human being.
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Later, carvings outdoors on paving stones of schist of the Mountain Bégo in Provence mark a bend in the art of the French
and European Prehistory. So objects warlike as daggers or hatchets, but also cattle (or their horns, symbol of power) or
scenes of ploughing present us some aspects of the life to the recent Prehistory.
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Finally, cupmarks, sort of circular cups engraved in the cliff, were engraved on the European menhirs as well in the North of
Europe (Scotland) as in the South of France, in Galice or in Portugal. Big rocky blocks served also of supports. These
cupmarks were sometimes engraved with groups (Cevennes, France) or associated to cruciform motives, snake or bow
motives or anthropomorphs.
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Outside France, outside very beautiful representations are known in Ireland, Galice and Portugal. But it is in Malta that
concentrate the most magnificent and more old rupestral scenes (these unique archaeological details are
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presented to the museum of Valetta).
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