Archaeology Magazine - April 1969 - 17

MAGOURATA

CAVE continued

tions are common; series of geometric designs such as
A hunting scenewith the Lady
points, lines, triangles, zigzags, squares and bellin betweenthe hunter and the animal.
are
all
found
over.
shapes,
The size of the figures varies considerably, from a
showinga male and a female
few centimeters to over one meter in length. The ar- A scene
figureand in betweenthema battletistic skill and aesthetic value also vary from figure axe and the figureof the Lady.
to figure, indicating the presence of numerous hands
and hinting at a variety of ideas and concepts, in what
must have been a rich and imaginative, mythological
and intellectual world. Figures and symbols are usually assembled in scenes and compositions. Only in
rare cases do single figures seem to have been depicted
alone. In most cases descriptive and abstract figures,
patterns and symbols are grouped together in compositions as if they acquired a meaning in the context,
like words in sentences or as parts of complex ideas.
One of the most prominent figures is a female anthropomorphic image, the body of which is composed
by two converging triangular shapes. She appears to
be wearing a dress with a much emphasized belt or
object at the waist. Her arms are usually upraised, in
an elegant posture reminding one of some Predynastic
Egyptian figurines. We have called her the "Lady of
the Cave." Her head varies considerably in size and
shape; the legs are relatively small and delicate when
they are represented, but often they do not appear. In
a few cases the Lady is represented by the converging
triangles without any further detail.
The "Lady of the Cave" appears in a variety of
scenes and compositions: in hunting scenes, between
the hunter and the animal ; in a scene where male and
Two compositionswith
female figures walk toward each other with a battlethe "Lady of the Cave"
axe in front of the man and a figure of the "Lady of
as main figure.
the Cave" in front of the woman. In several instances
the Lady has a schematiccompanion of obvious phallic
significance.The couple is sometimes accompanied by
two signs which seem to represent weapons or tools
and probably signify attributes. In a few cases the
Lady is found in more complex compositions of signs
which seem to have an ideographic meaning. One of
these groups has six very distinct symbols in a row,
representing (from left to right) a schematic human
figure, the Lady, her schematic companion, a curved
mark, a bucranium and an undefined tool or object.
There can be no doubt that the Lady was an important
character in the conceptual complex illustrated by this
group of cave art, but it was not possible so far to
reach a definite conclusion about her- whether she
represents a divinity, another supernatural being, the
priestess of the, cave or some other actual or symbolic
subject.
A galloping horse-like animal is one of the most
beautiful pictures. It is made in guano, but in a style
different from all the other depictions and it does not
A row of six symbols: a schematichuman figure, the "Lady of
the Cave,"her schematiccompanion,a curvedmark, a bucranium
and an undefinedtool or object.

Archaeology Magazine - April 1969

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - April 1969