Abstract :
In this article, we present an overview of the explanation of the main proposals about the prehistoric engravings in the Mont Bego region. There are three kinds of hypothesis : that engravings were a sort of religious expression ; that engravings were used to define pasturelands and to guide herds ; and, lastly, that engravings were used to mark male rites of passage. A part of these works suffers from recurrent methodological gaps : poor quality recordings, neglect of the chrono-cultural context of the engravings and their diachrony, pre-eminence of the qualitative analyses upon quantitative analyses, or unsuitable comparisons. However, in view of the intrinsic features of the site of its vocation, a priori eminently pastoral since the Neolithic, together with some regional ethnographic comparisons, we support the idea that the act of engraving could have had the function of materialising the social promotion of young boys in summer pastures during the Prehistory.
Référence complète :
MASSON MOUREY J., BIANCHI N. 2020, Moving beyond the Bego God. Some new remarks about the interpretation of the prehistoric engravings of the Vallée des Merveilles and the Val de Fontanalba (Tende, Alpes-Maritimes, France), In : BAZZANELLA M., KEZICH G. (dir.), Shepherds Who Write. Pastoral graffiti in the uplands of Europe from prehistory to the modern age, Proceedings of the 20th International Rock Art Congress, ‘Standing on the Shoulders of Giants’ (Valcamonica, Darfo Boario Terme, Italy, from 29 August to 2 September 2018), Oxford, British Archaeological Reports, International Serie, S2999, pp. 39-54.