0025 - Deers in Perdigões (2)

The deer was a special animal in Recent Prehistory. Its representation in rock art, in pottery decoration or the ceremonial use of its antlers and of its phalanges for carving anthropomorphic figurines leave few doubts about their important role in the imaginary of Prehistoric communities.

Here is a small figurine of a deer, carved in ivory, collected in Tomb 2 of Perdigões.

(Photo copyright A.C. Valera / Era Arqueologia)

For further information and interpretation of these figurines see here.

0024 - Hybridism

(Photo copyright A.C. Valera / Era Arqueologia)

These are two animal half mandibles. One of a Equus sp. (horse), at right, the other of Sus sp. (a pig or boar). They were deposited like that in the top of Pit 84 of Perdigões. Joined but facing opposite directions. The horse mandible pointing to North and the other to South.

                                        (Photo copyright A.C. Valera / Era Arqueologia)

They were close to an agglomeration of small stones and left of a small Adz. In a recent paper, this careful and intentional deposition was interpreted as an example of the hybridism and fluidity that characterizes the ontologies and world views of Late Prehistoric communities. The way things are deposited, how they are combined and organized in the depositions, communicate. They are a sort of writing.

It is published here.

0012 - Deer antler

Deer were animals with particular symbolism in Prehistory. They were depicted in rock art, in pottery decoration, were carved in small figurines and their antlers were used for tools but also in ritual depositions in funerary contexts or in other ceremonial practices. Most of these "ceremonial antlers" were collected after being naturally lost by the animals, showing just the base and not the parts of the skull where they were attached, meaning that they do not result from hunting. That is the case of this antler from an adult deer that was deposited in Tomb 2 of Perdigões, in an assemblage of human bones. This assemblage is dated from the third quarter of the 3rd millennium BC.

(Photo copyright A.C. Valera / Era Arqueologia S.A.)

For more information see here.

0006 - Birds of ivory (1)

In Perdigões there are several bird figurines collected in funerary contexts, namely in Tombs 1 and 2.
This is one of the best carved in ivory, from Tomb 2. It represents a bird with grate detail and in a very realistic or naturalistic way. Its length is about 3cm.

(Photo copyright J.P. Ruas)

For more informations about animal figurines at Perdigões see here.