Dating and
(up)dating
chronological experiences in Valcamonica
Rock Art
Andrea Arcą (Footsteps of
Man - Valcamonica)
presented at the 2001 Intensive Course on European Prehistoric
Art, Tomar (Portugal)
1 - Cronology: a solution or a problem?
Since the beginning the achievement of a correct chronological attribution
has represented an important point of any rock art research. But since the
beginning any chronological attribution has been subjected to the risk of
being questioned, not accepted or simply updated. Only recently the direct
dating experience has obtained some "scientifically" tested results,
mainly when applied to the paintings, where it is possible to date organic
material. So rock art dating is often controversial: some one wants to pre-date
the art, some one other prefers to post-date it.
On of the best "post-dating" examples is the "La Grotte de
Altamira, mea culpa d'un sceptique", written by the French scholar Cartailhac,
who finally accepted the Palaeolithic attribution of the Altamira cave paintings.
A "pre-dating" example is given by the cup-marks in the Alps: they
have been often supposed to be neolithic, while on the contrary the archaeological
evidence starts in the late Bronze Age.
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Figure 1. The Cro da Lairi cup-marked
slab (Photo: A. Arcą)
detailed record in EuroPreArt
(choose Italy - western Alps)
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