The Swiss Magdalenian portable art and supra-regional parallels

Abstract

There are about fifty Magdalenian sites known in Switzerland. Most of these sites were discovered and excavated at the end of the 19th and in the first half of the 20th century. Consequently, it is not always possible today to establish clear research contexts and dating is often based on typo-chronological statements. The Swiss Magdalenian portable art can be divided into two main groups: engravings and figurative sculptures. Engravings mostly appear on reindeer antlers, bones, and rarely on stone or jet. They are more common than figurative sculptures. The majority of engravings are on everyday objects such as perforated batons and projectile points. They are mainly signs and other ornamental motifs. In addition, there are also figurative subjects such as animals and a animal-human representation. The term “figurative sculptures” refers to partially sculptured objects, such as decorated spear thrower ends and stylized female figurines. With the exception of a musk ox head no other evident animal sculptures have been found in Switzerland. Some of the Magdalenian portable art objects found in Switzerland show supra-regional parallels with finds from other parts of Europe. The aim of this article is to present the most important Swiss finds in a broader European geographical context.