Our third 'Patrimoine' visit of the weekend was to the 'Roc Aux Sorciers' at Angles-sur-l'Anglin. A place we'd often thought we should visit so as we could advise guests whether to go or not. In fact I have a free entry ticket that I won in a raffle but never used.It was free to all at the weekend.
It has been open since 2008 so we have had ample opportunities to check it out. This is the site of prehistoric carvings dating from 15 000 years ago, a kind of 'Lascaux of sculpture'. Well actually it's not - as you can see from the top photograph the actual site is at the other side of the village. so what you have here is an 'interpretation'
You enter the building you see from the road which is really just a reception hall. I understand that normally you can now only view the exhibition with a guide but on Sunday it was 'open house', although we did eventually catch up with a 'guided' group who seemed to be enjoying the experience with the help of an enthusiastic young guide - all in French of course.As you start your tour you are given information on boards about the original dig and about Suzanne Cassou de Saint-Mathurin who first discovered the carvings in 1950. She had been inspired by an article written in 1933 by archaeologist Lucirn Rousseu who had originally identified the site as one that had supported prehistoric life. She was hoping to discover a cave similar to the one in Lascaux but instead discovered a 'rock shelter' that had been hidden by the collapse of the earth above it that contained a 20 metre sculptured frieze.
There are no English translations but we were given an informative leaflet in English which meant we did not really need to view the placards (though Pauline did) here or along the concrete (shame) route to the visual display.
Outside there is a resin cast version of the frieze which gives a good representation of the original - but might it not have been better as a wall of stone?...maybe this would have been too difficult.
There is also a representation of how a family may have lived - st up outside the multimedia building.I found it interesting that prehistoric man (and woman) were such attractive people... well at least here they are!
The carvings are said to be the most important of their type in Europe - it's such a shame that you don't actually get a chance to catch a glimpse of them. Madam de Saint Mathurin on bequeathing the site to the state stipulated that it must remain closed to the public. I understand the need to preserve such sites but for who? Who actually gets to see them? My personal feeling was that the 'interpretation' could really be anywhere (even Disneyland) as it somehow lacked 'connection' but don't let me put you off visiting and judging for yourself.
There are guided tours in English every day at 11.00am during July and August.
You can find rates and practical information here
Jim...
ReplyDeletenice post....
but there are a number of reasons that the site is closed to the public...
firstly, access...
it is at the bottom of a crumbly, vertical cliff face...
and it isn't where shown on the photo...
that is there as a "blinder" to stop vandalism and looting..
there is more there than just the frieze...
Secondly, like Time Team and other archeological sites, much has been reburied to preserve the find...
archeological techniques advance all the time....
it is important to preserve the find in an "as near as first found" state as possible....
that allows re-unearthing and new methods applied.
Viz: unearthing and laser mapping to create the cast you see at the Roc site and give more data than the original digs.
Note, you cannot visit Lascaux or the older, more recently discovered ancient paintings either...
you visit replicas, the latter will be opening next year in a recreation of the 600ft high cavern seven kilometres from the site...
at least Roc and Lascaux both have theirs close at hand!
Thirdly, preservation...
Lascaux has been very badly damaged by allowing people access in the early years...
the replica takes you back to the as discovered feel...
with no algae growing on the paintings...
with the new site all access is strictly governed...
something like 50 person hours per year!!
This based on the Lascaux deterioration...
As interpretations of this kind go, this is very much one of the better ones!
and even if you were able, it would all be caged off and you wouldn't be able to get really close...
certainly not able to touch as you can at the Roc aux Sorciers.
And I see from your pictures that there is a lot of new stuff there now...
on the approach and out the back.
With regard to the "Handsome people", these are based on face reconstruction from skulls....
done at the University of Bradford and skeletal measurements from other sources...
they were on average younger, fitter but shorter lived at the hunting/gathering stage...
no MacDonuts or ready meals to clog the arteries...
but no emergency services either!!
I recommend you read the "Clan of the Cave Bear" and other Earth Children books by Jean M. Auel...
she is a writer of faction...
basing the series on archeogical/archeoanthropological studies and papers...
just before she wrote the latest, she was bemoaning the fact that she felt the need to go back and re-edit/re-write the first two books based on current discoveries...
book one was written in the late seventies!!
We can lend you them...
I hope that this little discourse helps your understanding of the thinking behind these sites...
and also recommend visiting the Archeo days at the museum in Grand Pressigny...
where you will encounter people who attempt what is known as "living" archeology.
They are NOT, as is often so mentioned, re-enactors... but experimental archeologists...
the fact that they tend to dress up is actually an attempt to see how the currently understood way of dressing might also affect the use of tools, etc.
I will now get down off my soapbox as Pauline wants it to gather some more courgettes!
And I will turn this into a post on Touraine Flint as I haven't put anything up there for months.
Wow...I've said it before Tim...always an education!
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