Engravings in the upper rock shelter of Abri Allerberg (Lower Saxony). Evaluation authenticity of possible Late Glacial or early Holocene rock art in northern Germany

Grote K, Pastoors A, Binnie S, Blumenröther J, Hallmann C, Hoffmeister D, Hoppert M, Lehmann J, Lenssen-Erz T, Maier A, Siegesmund S, Terberger T, Uthmeier T (2018)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Book chapter / Article in edited volumes

Publication year: 2018

Publisher: Marie Leidorf

Edited Volumes: Palaeolithic rock and cave art in Central Europe?

City/Town: Rahden (Westf.)

Abstract

The current discussion about recent discoveries of possible Late Glacial or early Holocene rock art in Germany requires a transparent process of evaluation of its authenticity. The opinion of experts is significant, but should not be the only criterion in the evaluation process. In the present paper we propose a protocol for evaluating authenticity of possible Late Glacial or early Holocene rock art using the example of the recently reported engraving of a bovid in a rock shelter near Goettingen. The protocol consists of different evaluation criteria: theme (content of drawing), style (specifics of execution), ageing (alteration of drawing), technology (manner of execution), dating (direct and/or indirect age estimation) and context (historical/cultural). The large corpus of Late Glacial or early Holocene rock art in Europe allows for the formulation of precise expectations for each criterion. The results of the presented evaluation pro-cess demonstrate the difficulties to come to a unanimous conclusion. Finally, the statement of Herbert Kühn that no cave art, including rock art here likewise, exists in Germany (Kühn 1935) cannot be falsified with certainty by the engravings of the upper rock shelter of Abri Allerberg.

Authors with CRIS profile

Andreas Pastoors Lehrstuhl für Ur- und Frühgeschichte (UFG) Julia Blumenröther Lehrstuhl für Ur- und Frühgeschichte (UFG) Thorsten Uthmeier Lehrstuhl für Ur- und Frühgeschichte (UFG)

Involved external institutions

Universität zu Köln DE Germany (DE) Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege DE Germany (DE) Georg-August-Universität Göttingen DE Germany (DE) Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry / Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Grote, K., Pastoors, A., Binnie, S., Blumenröther, J., Hallmann, C., Hoffmeister, D.,... Uthmeier, T. (2018). Engravings in the upper rock shelter of Abri Allerberg (Lower Saxony). Evaluation authenticity of possible Late Glacial or early Holocene rock art in northern Germany. In Floss H, Pastoors A (Eds.), Palaeolithic rock and cave art in Central Europe?. Rahden (Westf.): Marie Leidorf.

MLA:

Grote, Klaus, et al. "Engravings in the upper rock shelter of Abri Allerberg (Lower Saxony). Evaluation authenticity of possible Late Glacial or early Holocene rock art in northern Germany." Palaeolithic rock and cave art in Central Europe?. Ed. Floss H, Pastoors A, Rahden (Westf.): Marie Leidorf, 2018.

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