Publication details
Engraved Limestone Block from Švédův stůl Cave, Czech Republic
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1007/s41982-025-00247-w |
| Keywords | Magdalenian; Art mobilier; Parietal art; Palaeolithic; Plaquettes |
| Description | While research into Magdalenian lifeways and artistic traditions continues strongly in the ‘classic heartland’ centred on France and northern Spain, excavations at Palaeolithic localities in eastern Central Europe are also uncovering new evidence for this archaeological culture. Here we present a block of limestone which features two engraved surfaces, including at least one clear depiction of a horse. Recovered from the Moravian site of Švédův stůl Cave, this artefact may have originally been part of a parietal artwork which then detached and was incorporated into the cultural deposit, or it was engraved after the palm-size block had spalled from the shelter wall. We describe this piece, rare for this region and time period, and discuss its connections with the better understood and much richer corpus of Magdalenian art to the west. |