Neolithic passage tomb art around the Irish Sea Iconography and spatial organisation

224 Pages·2009·1.73 MB·English

UNIVERSITÉ DE NANTES
UFR HISTOIRE, HISTOIRE DE L'ART & ARCHÉOLOGIE
Year 2008 Number assigned by the library
Thesis
to obtain the degree of
DOCTEUR DE L'UNIVERSITÉ DE NANTES
Discipline : Archaeology
Presented and defended in public by
Guillaume Robin
on the 4th of November 2008
Title :
Neolithic passage tomb art around the Irish Sea
Iconography and spatial organisation
Volume  : text
Supervisors:
Mr Serge Cassen (Chargé de Recherche, CNRS)
Mr Muiris O'Sullivan (Professor, University College Dublin)
International PhD cotutelle convention
JURY
Mr Serge Cassen Chargé de Recherche, CNRS Supervisor
Mr Muiris O'Sullivan Professor, University College Dublin Supervisor
Mr André D'Anna Directeur de Recherche, CNRS Rapporteur
Mr Julian Thomas Professor, University of Manchester Rapporteur
Mrs Elizabeth Shee Twohig Senior Lecturer, University College Cork Examiner
Mr Alasdair Whittle Professor, Cardiff University Examiner

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Acknowledgements
We address our most profound thanks to Mr Serge Cassen (CNRS) for having believed, four
years ago, in our PhD project and for having given us daily an exceptional supervision. This work,
the orientation of its questions of research and its results would have been quite different without
the priceless scientiic inluence of the director of the Laboratoire de Recherches Archéologiques
(LARA) in Nantes University.
Our work owes much to Mr Muiris O'Sullivan (University College Dublin) who accepted to
cosupervise it. We thank him for his scientiic investment, the personal documentation he put at our
disposal and for allowing our work in the site of Knockroe.
We thank the rapporteurs, Messrs André D’Anna (CNRS) and Julian Thomas (University
of Manchester), and the examiners, Mrs Elizabeth Shee Twohig (University College Cork) and Mr
Alasdair Whittle (Cardiff University), for accepting to evaluate this work.
This PhD could not have been done without the inancial support of the Doctoral School
80 « Connaissances Langages Cultures » of Nantes University and of the UMR 6566 « Centre de
Recherche en Archéologie, Archéosciences, Histoire » (CNRS).
The setting up of the international PhD cotutelle convention owes much to Mr Bruno
Manguy, director of the Division of the Research and Doctoral Studies in Nantes University. We also
thank, on the French side, Mrs Marie-Beatrice Trichet and Mrs Véronika Kindl.
On the Irish side, the convention could be established thanks to the work of Mr Muiris O'
Sullivan, Mrs Elizabeth Noonan and Mrs Agnes Legutko (University College Dublin) and the advice
of Misses Helen Maulion (cotutelle with University College Cork) and Noémie Beck (cotutelle with
University College Dublin).
We particularly thank Mrs Angela McAteer (University College Dublin) for her availability, its
effectiveness and its constant kindness.
Our research beneited from the opinions and advice of many colleagues. The question
of carved stone reuse was the object of several interesting discussions with Mrs Blaze O'Connor
(University College Dublin). Mr Cyril Chaigneau’s light on the ancient perception of megalithic
monuments were determining in the orientation of certain questions. The support of Mrs Elizabeth
Shee Twohig, in particular at the time of our very irst research in University College Cork, was of
precious help.
We thank Mrs Christine Boujot (SRA Bretagne) for her bibliographical indications on
the analysis of Neolithic funerary space. Our work is also very indebted to the bibliographical
indications provided by Mr Thierry Piel (Université de Nantes) in the ield of Etruscan funerary
architectures. Lastly, we address our thanks to Miss Denise Philibert (Université Lyon 3) to whom we
owe our initiation to the research in Prehistory and whose repeated encouragements nourished our
motivation.

Various people contributed to the good continuation of our research. We thank Eliska and
Jiri Zikmund for lending their camera and tripod, material necessary to our irst ieldwork. We are also
grateful to Mrs Patricia Keenan and Mr Tony Roche (Department of the Environment, Heritage, and
Local Government - Ofice of Public Work) for digital images of the excavations of Knowth passage
tomb. The advice of Renaud Nallier (University Paris 1) in computer graphics allowed to improve our
methodology of carving recording from digital photographs. The specialized counsultings of Miss
Claire Portal and Mr Ion Tillier (Université de Nantes) were of precious help in ields of topography
and geology. We thank Miss Louise Macdonald and Mr Thomas Macdonald for the proofreading of
the English text.
We are inally very indebted to my wife Stéphanie whose judicious corrections, daily support
and encouragements allow our work to be completed. May her courage, determination and rigour
continue to inspire us.
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Acknowledgements...........................................................................................................................................3
Contents ..............................................................................................................................................................5
IntroductIon...................................................................................................................................................9
Part one – Framework of the study
1. object, subject And methodology......................................................................................................13
1.1. DEfINITION Of ThE OBjECT Of STuDy aND PRéSENTaTION Of ThE CORPuS ..........................................13
1.1.1. Terminological remarks........................................................................................................13
1.1.2. Passage tomb architecture arround the Irish Sea..............................................................15
1.1.3. Parietal art: deinition and corpus of the sites..................................................................17
1.2. DEfINITION Of ThE SuBjECT.....................................................................................................................32
1.2.1. Origin of the subject.............................................................................................................32
1.2.2. Working hypotheses and initial questions..........................................................................32
1.2.3. Problematics and objectives of the research.....................................................................33
1.3. METhODOlOgy..........................................................................................................................................33
1.3.1. Means and methods of investigation..................................................................................34
1.3.2. Means and methods of representation...............................................................................37
2. hIstory oF the ArchAeologIcAl reseArch on IrIsh PAssAge tomb Art.....................................39
2.1. INVENTORIES, RECORDINgS aND DESCRIPTIONS Of PaSSagE TOMB aRT...................................................40
2.2. ThE aNalySES Of PaSSagE TOMB aRT .......................................................................................................41
2.2.1. The identiication of the techniques of execution...........................................................41
2.2.2. The classiications of the signs............................................................................................43
2.2.3. The deinition of « styles »...................................................................................................44
2.2.4. The research of a relative chronology of the carvings....................................................47
2.3. ThE INTERPRETaTIONS Of PaSSagE TOMB aRT. .........................................................................................47
2.3.1. Symbols or ornaments? Questionings about the possibility of a meaning...................47
2.3.2. Anthropomorphic motifs and cult of the Mother Goddess...........................................50
2.3.3. Star motifs and astronomical worship................................................................................53
2.3.4. Altered states of consciousness, entoptic visions and shamanism................................54
2.4. CONCluSION: fOR a SPaTIal aNalySIS Of ThE CaRVINgS........................................................................57
Part two – the iconographic repertoire of passage tomb art
3. the sIgns : forms and variations of a graphic « vocabulary »....................................................61
3.1. ThE CIRCulaR aND SEMICIRCulaR SIgNS..................................................................................................62
3.1.1. Dots and cupmarks................................................................................................................62
3.1.2. The circular signs...................................................................................................................62
3.1.3. The spirals...............................................................................................................................63
3.1.4. The arcs...................................................................................................................................63
3.1.5. The radiate circular signs......................................................................................................64
3.1.6. The radiate semicircular signs..............................................................................................65
3.2. ThE aNgulaR SIgNS...................................................................................................................................66
3.2.1. The chevrons..........................................................................................................................66
3.2.2. The triangular signs................................................................................................................67
3.2.3. The quadrangular signs.........................................................................................................67
3.2.4. The scalariform signs............................................................................................................68
3.3. gRaPhIC fORMS aND DualITIES Of ThE MEaNDERINg SIgN...................................................................69
3.3.1. The dualities relating to the form of the line....................................................................69
3.3.2. The dualities relating to the end of the sign......................................................................70

3.3.3. The dualities relating to the representation: meandering sign, serpentiform or
serpent ?..................................................................................................................................71
3.4. RaRE SIgNS.................................................................................................................................................74
3.5. CONCluSION: a PRECISE CORPuS Of ElEMENTaRy fORMS........................................................................75
4. the combInAtIons oF sIgns: irst elements of a spatial « syntax ».............................................77
4.1. DElIBERaTE aSSOCIaTIONS Of SIgNS: hISTORy Of ThE quESTION..........................................................78
4.2. STaTISTICal aNalySIS Of SIgNS aSSOCIaTIONS.........................................................................................80
4.2.1. Description and analysis of the data...................................................................................80
4.2.2. Limits of the statistical approach........................................................................................81
4.3. COMBINaTIONS Of IDENTICal SIgNS.........................................................................................................82
4.3.1. Combinations of circular signs............................................................................................82
4.3.2. Combinations of arcs............................................................................................................83
4.3.3. Combinations of chevrons...................................................................................................84
4.3.4. Combinations of triangles....................................................................................................85
4.3.5. Combinations of lozenges...................................................................................................85
4.3.6. Combinations of meandering signs....................................................................................86
4.4. COMBINaTIONS Of DISTINCT SIgNS............................................................................................................87
4.4.1. Combinations of circular signs............................................................................................87
4.4.2. Combinations of angular signs............................................................................................87
4.4.3. Mixed combinations..............................................................................................................88
4.5. CONCluSION: a « gRaMMaR » Of SIgNS....................................................................................................92
Part three – Parietal art and architectural space
5. sPAtIAl orgAnIsAtIon oF the sIgns on the stone scAle ................................................................95
5.1. ThE STONE SPaCE.......................................................................................................................................96
5.1.1. « Plastic art »...........................................................................................................................96
5.1.2. Recurrent locations of single signs.....................................................................................96
5.1.3. Recurrent locations of signs combinations.......................................................................97
5.2. ThE STONE RElIEf......................................................................................................................................98
5.2.1. Recurrent models of use of relief lines.............................................................................99
5.2.2. Three-dimensional modelling from digital photographs...............................................101
5.3. CONCluSION: ThE IMPORTaNCE Of ThE STONE MICROTOPOgRaPhy.....................................................103
6. sPAtIAl orgAnIsAtIon oF the sIgns on the monument scAle....................................................105
6.1. ThE RElaTIONS BETWEEN PaRIETal aRT aND aRChITECTuRE: hISTORy Of a ThEME Of RESEaRCh...105
6.2. STaTISTICal aNalySIS Of ThE SIgNS lOCaTION.....................................................................................110
6.2.1. The location of carved surfaces in the tomb..................................................................110
6.2.2. The location of the signs in the tomb..............................................................................111
6.2.3. The limits of the statistical approach...............................................................................112
6.3. ThE KERB.................................................................................................................................................112
6.4. ThE TOMB axIS........................................................................................................................................114
6.4.1. An axis of orientation.........................................................................................................114
6.4.2. An axis of partition.............................................................................................................116
6.5. INTERNal lIMITS aND STRuCTuRES Of PaSSagE.....................................................................................119
6.5.1. Parallel chevrons..................................................................................................................119
6.5.2. The scalariform signs..........................................................................................................122
6.5.3. The lines of circular signs..................................................................................................127
6.5.4. The rare sign n°2.................................................................................................................128
6.6. ThE fuNERaRy RECESSES.........................................................................................................................129
6.6.1. Inverted arcs.........................................................................................................................129

6.6.2. Opposed triangles................................................................................................................130
6.6.3. Scalariform signs and lines of circular signs....................................................................130
6.6.4. The complex igurations.....................................................................................................132
6.7. CONCluSION: PaRIETal aRT aND aRChITECTuRE aS TWO SuPERIMPOSED SPaTIal SySTEMS.................134
7. sPAtIAl orgAnIsAtIon oF the FunerAry structures And dePosIts : reAl sPAces And symbolIc
sPAces . .............................................................................................................................................................137
7.1. ThE TuMulaRy SySTEM............................................................................................................................138
7.1.1. The materialization of concentric spaces: superpositions of tumulary covers in
distinct materials..............................................................................................................................138
7.1.2. The delimitation of concentric spaces: external and internal enclosures....................140
7.1.3. Synthesis.................................................................................................................................142
7.2. ThE PlaCE Of ThE TOMB: DOORWayS, ThREShOlDS aND ThE Way ThROugh .....................................144
7.2.1. From the outer world to the center of the tumulus : the only way and its successive
thresholds.........................................................................................................................................144
7.2.2. From the tomb to beyond the tomb : the symbolic doorways.....................................146
7.3. ThE SySTEMS Of axIal OPPOSITION........................................................................................................152
7.3.1. Oppositions of structural elements..................................................................................152
7.3.2. Oppositions of funerary deposits.....................................................................................154
7.4. CONCluSION: ThE SPaTIal SyMBOlISM Of PaSSagE TOMBS....................................................................160
8. hIdden Art And the questIon oF cArved stones reuse.............................................................163
8.1. INVENTORy Of hIDDEN CaRVINgS..........................................................................................................164
8.1.1. The partially hidden carvings.............................................................................................164
8.1.2. The completely hidden carvings........................................................................................165
8.2. ICONOgRaPhIC aND STaTISTICal STuDy Of hIDDEN aRT.......................................................................168
8.3. MENTIONS aND INTERPRETaTIONS Of hIDDEN aRT...............................................................................170
8.3.1. The neutral observations of hidden art...........................................................................170
8.3.2. The pragmatic interpretation of hidden art....................................................................170
8.3.3. The symbolic interpretation of hidden art......................................................................171
8.3.4. Hidden art interpreted as the result of stone reuse.......................................................172
8.4. ExaMPlES Of hIDDEN CaRVINgS RESulTINg fROM STONE REuSE.........................................................177
8.4.1. From identiication to reconstruction: theoretical method...........................................177
8.4.2. From identiication to reconstruction : case studies......................................................179
8.5. CONCluSION: hIDDEN aRTs....................................................................................................................184
conclusIon...................................................................................................................................................187
Bibliography. ...................................................................................................................................................189
List of igures .................................................................................................................................................217
Index of sites.................................................................................................................................................223

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Introduction
Introduction
« To seek the law of the signs, it is to discover things which are similar ». This quotation of
M. Foucault (1966: 44), extracted from its initial context, summarizes well the original reasoning of
the present research work. The « signs » in question here are those which decorate the walls of the
Neolithic passage tombs located around the Irish Sea and their « law » is that which organizes their
layout in space. The identiication of this law occupied the main part of our research which is based
on « things which are similar », i.e. on the analysis of the recurrences observed in the layout of the
carved decorations.
The passage tombs of the British Isles form part of a group of monuments built during
the fourth millenium in the Western part of Europe (Briard 1995). These funerary architectures are
intended to contain the remains of a restricted number of people, whose dominating role within the
social group seems obvious. from Iberia to Scotland, this type of monument consists of a circular
tumulus containing a central chamber and an access passage whose walls, made with large stones, are
used as support of a carved art.
Around the Irish Sea, this carved art is composed exclusively of geometrical igures, which
distinguishes it from the Breton and Iberian repertoires mainly composed of naturalist representations
(objects, human beings, animals).
Various theses were made on this parietal art. E. Shee Twohig devoted her academic works
to the recording and the analysis of the carvings located outside the Boyne valley (Shee 1968, 1973b)
whereas M. O'Sullivan was interested in the parietal art of Knowth necropolis (O'Sullivan 1981a,
1988). Our own work is distinguished from this preceding research by the extent of its corpus,
including all the carvings of the region, formerly known or recently discovered, and by the new
orientation of its questions.
Our research concentrates on the signs and their layout in space. The structure of this
memory presents the results of this research following a logic of increasing scales, begining with the
individual signs and ending with the study of their deployment in the tomb space (igure 0.1).
This memory is divided into eight chapters, gathered in three main parts. Part one, entitled
« framework of the study », includes the irst two chapters whose goal is to deine the object and the
subject of our research, to present its methodology and inally to draw up the history of the research
previously undertaken on the same topic.
Part two aims to make an inventory of the various graphic forms which make the iconographic
repertoire of passage tomb art. This repertoire consists of elementary igures (chapter 3) and of complex
igures (chapter 4) whose basic forms and variations will be examined successively. We understand
here by « iconography » a study aiming to make an inventory and classify graphic representations;
then there will be no analyses on the origin and signiicance of these representations.

Introduction
Part three, entitled « parietal art and architectural space », form the main part of our research.
Devoted to the study of the spatial organization of the signs, this part lists and analyzes recurring
relations existing, on the one hand, between the carvings and the monoliths (chapter 5) and, on
the other hand, between the carvings and the architecture of the tombs (chapter 6). The results of
these two chapters are then put in perspective in a study devoted to the architectural structures and
funerary deposits whose spatial organization relects that of the carved signs (chapter 7). Lastly, the
study of the relations between art and space are completed by an analysis of the « hidden art », i.e. the
carvings located on the surfaces obscured in the architecture of the monuments. The study will stress
in particular the question of carved stones reuse, a phenomenon little studied in Ireland and whose
development explains the origin of a certain number of hidden carvings (chapter 8).
0