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Rock Art of The Iberian Mediterranean Basin: Ain Sakhri Lovers

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Compared to the preceding Upper Paleolithic and the following Neolithic, there is rather less

surviving art from the Mesolithic. The Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin, which probably
spreads across from the Upper Paleolithic, is a widespread phenomenon, much less well known
than the cave-paintings of the Upper Paleolithic, with which it makes an interesting contrast. The
sites are now mostly cliff faces in the open air, and the subjects are now mostly human rather than
animal, with large groups of small figures; there are 45 figures at Roca dels Moros. Clothing is
shown, and scenes of dancing, fighting, hunting and food-gathering. The figures are much smaller
than the animals of Paleolithic art, and depicted much more schematically, though often in energetic
poses.[10] A few small engraved pendants with suspension holes and simple engraved designs are
known, some from northern Europe in amber, and one from Star Carr in Britain in shale.[11] The Elk's
Head of Huittinen is a rare Mesolithic animal carving in soapstone from Finland.
The rock art in the Urals appears to show similar changes after the Paleolithic, and the
wooden Shigir Idol is a rare survival of what may well have been a very common material for
sculpture. It is a plank of larch carved with geometric motifs, but topped with a human head. Now in
fragments, it would apparently have been over 5 metres tall when made. [12] The Ain Sakhri
Lovers from modern Israel, are a Natufian carving in calcite.

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