| La Chaire-à-Calvin | |
|---|---|
 La frise de chevaux de la Chaire à Calvin | |
 | |
| Location | Mouthiers-sur-Boëme,Charente,France |
La Chaire a Calvin is arock shelter near the village ofMouthiers-sur-Boëme in theDépartement ofCharente, situated in the valley of the Gersac stream. The shelter is on a cliff which faces south east. The rock face of this rock-shelter has a sculpted frieze dated to theMagdalenian period; approximately 15000 years BP.
This site was studied byPierre David from 1924 onwards, who discovered the frieze in 1926. It was further studied by Bouvier in the 1960s.
This site contains the remains ofrhinoceros,red deer,beaver,wolf,Saiga Antelope,tarpan,reindeer andaurochs, as well asfox,hare and indeterminate birds.[1] The remains of Saiga Antelope were the most numerous animal remains discovered, they have been dated to around 16 000BP.[1]
The only human remains discovered are a single molar, discovered in 1933 and attributed to theMagdelenian.[2]
Artifacts found include bone needles, squared bone spear head; a shellfish necklace and some pearls. Stone artifacts include bladelets, chisels and scrapers.
Thelithicsindustry associated with the site appears to be Magdelenian, although it is not sure from which stage of the Magdelenian, at least one point which may beazilian was found in bed 1.[3]Burins andend-scrapers are very common.[4]
Somebone tools have also been recovered, including needles and spear-heads. Perforated beads were discovered which indicate some long-distance exchange with contemporary groups.[2]
The frieze is the only example of parietal art still visible in Charente.[5] The frieze includes depictions of anaurochs without its head, a pregnant tarpan, and a mating scene oftarpans. Some traces of orange-red paint were found when the frieze was discovered. Pierre David published a description of the frieze in 1928 and 1929.[6]
John Calvin, aPresbyterian reformer, preached on a rock platform near this shelter when he was living inAngouleme in 1520.
45°33′19″N0°06′57″E / 45.5553°N 0.1158°E /45.5553; 0.1158