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== Petroglyphs == |
== Petroglyphs == |
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There are two kinds of drowings: |
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* dépression made by percuttion aged back to the Bronze Age. |
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the elements of this group are composed of shape with horns, weapons(daggers, halberds and axes), géométrical shapes. The interpretation of these signes is not easy but should be of religious origin. |
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* the linear one graved with iron tools from the middle age ([[fibula]]?) and after. |
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[[File:RocheDeLEclat2.jpg|thumb|left|One of the graved rock. "The rock with one burst"]] |
[[File:RocheDeLEclat2.jpg|thumb|left|One of the graved rock. "The rock with one burst"]] |
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[[Image:Vallée des Merveilles 101.jpg|thumb|right|The chief of the tribe]] |
[[Image:Vallée des Merveilles 101.jpg|thumb|right|The chief of the tribe]] |
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The petroglyphs (rock engravings), located on stone outcrops within the valley, were first identified by British amateur archaeologist [[Clarence Bicknell]] in 1881. Between 1897 and 1902, Bicknell copied and cataloged more than 10,000 drawings. |
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Discovered at the end of the XIXth century, the petroglyphs are on Rocky outcrops or erratic blocks. |
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Recent studies directed by Henry de Lumley offer a first result according the understanding and the social and cultural organisation of the people of the Mediterranean Bronze Age. |
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Beginning in 1967, an extensive study of the petroglyphs was begun by French archaeologist [[Henry de Lumley]]. Lumley and a team of his postgraduate students classified the petroglyphs in the 40 km2 area, with the greatest concentration in a 14 km2 archaeological site on the slope of [[Mount Bégo]]. the engravings display objects like daggers, axes, and scythes. Suns, stars and spirals are represented. Ovals with crisscrossed lines may represent land or the earth. Some anthropomorphic figures have been found. The most common drawings are of horned animals.<ref>{{cite news | title=Hiking a Valley of Marvels in France | first=Marcia | last=Lieberman | newspaper=New York Times | date=5 April 1992 | url=http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/05/travel/hiking-a-valley-of-marvels-in-france.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm | accessdate=2011-9-23}}</ref> |
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Studied for more than 30 years by the team of Henry de Lumley, the site is visited by students of art histoy, archeology and geology from around the world. |
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Lumley has theorized the petroglyphs are the work of a Mediterranean bronze age people who worshiped the bull and for whom Mount Bego was a sacred site.<ref>{{cite news | first=Stella | last=Hughes | title=Cave cult stirs passions of pre-historians | newspaper=Times Higher Education | url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=102142§ioncode=26 | date=7 Fevruary 1997}}</ref> |
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The Musée des Merveilles at [[Tende]] houses numerous castings of the petroglyphs. |
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More than 30000 petroglyphs are recorded since the systematical copying since 1967 by a collaboration of universitys, museums, scientific institutions financed by the French culture ministry and conseil général des alpes Maritimes. |
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Copyed and identified since the XVIIth century, the petroglyphs were only studied in 1897 by the British [[Clarence Bicknell]], then the sculturer [[Carlo Conti]] from 1927 to 1942. Today [[Henry de Lumley]] had classified the petroglyphs on a area of 14km2 |
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Most of the petroglyphs are around the Mount Bégo, witch let suppose to some scientist that this mount was sacred. half are in the vallée des merveilles and the other half in the vallée de Fontanalbe west of the mount Bégo. |
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Fewer petroglyphs can be found in : |
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* Valaurette area |
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* col du Sabion |
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* Saint Marie lake |
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* Valmasque |
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* Vei Del Boud lake (Italia) |
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All the petrogriphs are unequally spread on a area of 40Km2. |
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[[Image:Vallée des Merveilles 103.jpg|thumb|left|The sorcerer]] |
[[Image:Vallée des Merveilles 103.jpg|thumb|left|The sorcerer]] |
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The petroglyphs are a testimony of the beilives of agricultural people of the Bronze Age. For some scientifics the mount Bégot would have been divinized for the water which flow from it and the terrible and frequent storms. The most frequent theme is the animal with horns (bull? cow? goat?). Harnessed animals to plough testify of agricultural practice. Géométrical shapes (réticulés) should be look as fields or enclosures. The weapons are also well represented. Unnumbered are antropormophique shapes which were given more or less flateing names: |
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The sorcer, the christ, the chief of the tribe, the man with flash light harms. Some more enigmatic autorise alll interptetations as the tree of live of Fontanalbe. |
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== Geographical location == |
== Geographical location == |
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Revision as of 18:44, 23 September 2011
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2011) |
La Vallée des Merveilles (French for "Valley of Marvels") is a part of the Mercantour National Park in southern France. It holds the largest quantity of open-air Bronze Age petroglyphs in Europe, which is given special note for the area's inclusion for the European Diploma of Protected Areas.[1]
Petroglyphs
The petroglyphs (rock engravings), located on stone outcrops within the valley, were first identified by British amateur archaeologist Clarence Bicknell in 1881. Between 1897 and 1902, Bicknell copied and cataloged more than 10,000 drawings.
Beginning in 1967, an extensive study of the petroglyphs was begun by French archaeologist Henry de Lumley. Lumley and a team of his postgraduate students classified the petroglyphs in the 40 km2 area, with the greatest concentration in a 14 km2 archaeological site on the slope of Mount Bégo. the engravings display objects like daggers, axes, and scythes. Suns, stars and spirals are represented. Ovals with crisscrossed lines may represent land or the earth. Some anthropomorphic figures have been found. The most common drawings are of horned animals.[2]
Lumley has theorized the petroglyphs are the work of a Mediterranean bronze age people who worshiped the bull and for whom Mount Bego was a sacred site.[3]
The Musée des Merveilles at Tende houses numerous castings of the petroglyphs.
Geographical location
The merveille conpound is situated in the eart of the external cristalin of the alps massif from Argentera-Mercantour.
How to visit the sites?
- A pedestrian way go through the Valley. Some of the petroglyphs are visible from this path which is forbidden to leave without an approuved guide.
- The Musée des merveilles in the town of Tende.
Beware: the petroglyths are far from roads so you have to consider:
- a guide to bring you with a 4x4 ( about 1 H 30). Or
- 3 to 4 hours walking to access to the entrance of the valley from the lac des meches(EdF dam) in Saint-dalmas de Tende (in direction of Casterino). A night in the "refuge du CAF" (Club Alpin Français). Hard to do the walk up, the visit and the walk down the same day. Or
- 3 hours walking to reatch the site of the petroglyphs from pont du Countet situated over the roud of la gordolasque (haute Vésubie). A night in the "refuge du CAF" (Club Alpin Français). Hard to do the walk up, the visit and the walk down the same day.
References
- ^ Bauer, Francoise (2002). "The European Diploma of Protected Areas" (PDF). Parks. 12 (3). The World Conservation Union. Retrieved 2011-9-23.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Lieberman, Marcia (5 April 1992). "Hiking a Valley of Marvels in France". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-9-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Hughes, Stella (7 Fevruary 1997). "Cave cult stirs passions of pre-historians". Times Higher Education.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
External links
- Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead. Mount Bego prehistoric rock carvings by Nicoletta Bianchi
- Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead. Official site of marvels museum from Tende
- Template:Fr Entretien avec la directrice du Musée des Merveilles
- Template:Fr Les sites et gravures de la vallée des Merveilles sur le site officiel du ministère français de la Culture
- Template:Fr Stèle pour stèle dans la Vallée des Merveilles Film en ligne de Robert Field, 1989, 12 minutes. Production SFRS/CERIMES.
- Template:Fr La Vallée des merveilles - Les gravures rupestres de l'âge du bronze Film en ligne de Henry de Lumley, 1971, 21 minutes. Production SFRS/CERIMES.
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Petroglyphs -
A plough, two animals and a man
44°4′34″N 7°26′18″E / 44.07611°N 7.43833°E
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