March 11, 2011

Prehistoric Aquitaine: exposition at Baiona (Bayonne)

The Basque Museum of Baiona (Bayonne in French) will welcome for two months the exposition Aquitaine préhistorique - Historiaurreko Akitania (Prehistoric Aquitaine), gathering some of the most fascinating stuff and information from European prehistory. 

Among the elements in this educative show are the famous Lady of Brassempouy (left) and more than 2,000 other  archaeological objects from the heartland of European Paleolithic.

For example this beautiful engraving of an auroch from Erango cave (Lower Navarre):


The exhibition will be at Baiona between March 22nd and May 22nd and has already been at Bordeaux' Museum of Aquitaine.

6 comments:

  1. There must be an error as I cannot find French sources that would confirm that the Lady of Brassempouy would leave its museum in Saint-German-en-Laye, unfortunately enough (France's treasures are all kept in Paris far from where they were excavated or created). For instance, the village of Brassempouy hosts a museum where only replica can be seen.

    On a side note, some regionalist Gascon movements now have chosen the Lady of Brassempouy as a symbol for Gascony. I cannot say I like it very much. I had advocated for a design emulating the Basque ikurriña.

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  2. That is what Deia says, specifically mentioning that it did move from Saint-German-en-Laye.

    "On a side note, some regionalist Gascon movements now have chosen the Lady of Brassempouy as a symbol for Gascony. I cannot say I like it very much. I had advocated for a design emulating the Basque ikurriña".

    She's sexy. And honestly I find the Ikurriña a way too Christian and traditionalist in its symbolism. I's not ideal for a banner however but it can be an icon.

    Gascony has a flag based on the coat of arms anyhow.

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  3. You might be interested in this report about an Iberian goldsmith's grave from 400 BCE.

    http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/71049/title/Iron_Age_goldsmith_retooled

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  4. Thanks, Andrew. It's curious but I do not write a lot on Iron Age and it's not anyhow the kind of thing that really calls my attention. Maybe if I had access to the paper and would find something more appealing...

    I wonder if he was Phoenician or Iberian. Not much info is provided.

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  5. Herzog was talking about 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' his film Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc . He was saying how incredibly good the art is.

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