Translucent head-shaped flint nodule with worked face elements interpreted as a possible "Lithophane"

Translucent flint nodule with worked face viewed as a "Lithophane"

artifact from Irrigon, Oregon, USA, Dennis Boggs collection

click photos to expand size

Moving the stone slightly in relation to the hole allowing light to hit it from behind while in a dark room changes the image slightly.  I created a camera obscura in the strict sense of the words (a dark chamber) in order to see what the artifact might look like when illuminated from behind by the sun in a darkened hide tent.  I used a 75 watt full-spectrum bulb for the light source.

A circular flake was removed from the cortex to make a "wide open mouth" seen in the white creamy flint circle toward the bottom of the artifact as seen in photo right.  The horizontal crack in this creamy flint makes the lip line of the mouth.  The flint work on the core flake removal seems to be heavily "rolled" by environmental forces like soil and water. Please note how the mouth can take on different looks at different viewing angles as seen in the top and bottom photos.

click photo to expand size

In the first/top photo, the artifact is back lighted to demonstrate the translucent nature of the stone selection made by the artist here.  It would have been possible to achieve this type of back lighting by placing the stone over a hole in a very dark hide-based shelter and view it in darkness while lit by sunlight from outside the dark tent, much like a stained glass window.  I call these "lithophanes." 

The illuminated image seems to convey the "one eye open, one eye/ closed/missing" motif that the front-lighted version does not.  The eye and nose pits were ground into the stone material. There is a hair line or forehead line in darker flint in the top photo which is among the features not seen in broad daylight without the back lighting. 

The likelihood that there were opportunities for "discovery" of this type of back lighting (holes in tents), which could have been used for translucent flint pieces such as this one, is addressed in Matt Gatton's paleo camera theory. 

http://www.paleo-camera.com/

Close up view of the right eye when illuminated from behind as a "lithophane."  It appears a black, pitch-like, substance was applied to the hand-ground eye socket and residue is still found in the crevaces.

click photo to expand

reverse side in broad light

reverse side of face, as illuminated as a lithophane

A stone which light could pass through would likely have been an object of great interest to people of long ago.

-kbj

Art on a stone flake: a translucent head shaped flint with two simple faces

Human head in left profile.  The flake was found by Dennis Boggs, Boardman, Oregon, in the valley floor potato fields growing right alongside the Columbia River near Irrigon.  The location is about 45 miles downriver from Kennewick, WA.

Side 1 again.  Click to expand, this is a nice photo.  Forehead, eye, nose, mouth, chin all seem to be present in micro-carving.  Click photo to expand.  The photo left side of the flake as shown here has been worked to take advantage of the translucence of the flint.  Shown above with morning light streaming from behind. The left edge of the flint has been re-touched by the artist to refine the facial features.  The features are highlighted when one holds the flake up to low angle sunlight.

Side 2 with natural morning sunlight illuminating from behind.  It depicts a face in right profile view.  A small incised line makes for a mouth in the bottom right of the artifact here, the dark spot is maybe a nose, right eye in center, part of left eye seen on other side of the nose on edge of artifact.

Side 2, artifact on a 1cm grid to provide scale

Right eye has been ground into the cortex surface. It is located in the center of the artifact here and the left eye is on the screen right edge of the flint looking like a crescent shaped gouge. Because of the left facial profile view presented by the artist, the left eye is seen only in part because it is partially hidden by the nose.  This seems to be a rather complex visual technique for the artist to accomplish.  Most all of the flint observable here is the rind from the original stone cortex- weather battered except for the two eye holes and an incision for a mouth.  Side 2 is from inside the core.

Side 2 as back lighted as a lithophane

Side 1, artifact as back lit in a dark room as a "lithophane."

Side 1, inside the cortex exposed by this flake removal were some beautiful crystal formations.  Artifact on centimeter(cm) grid for scale.  The flint fractures here appear to be well-weathered which attests to some combination of time and abrasive environmental forces acting on the piece.  All the crystal formations look like brains inside the head or maybe head hair.

This whole flint nodule, not just a flake made off one, is of the same material as the flake art piece and shows a precedent for making facial icons out of this beautiful orange/red translucent lithic material in the locale of the Columbia River, Irrigon, Oregon. A similar grinding technique was used to create all four eyes on the two figure stones.

http://portablerockart.blogspot.com/search?q=lithophane

Another earlier posting of a human head left profile utilizing translucent material, from L Jimmy Groen of The Netherlands.Artifact from Neanderthal strata ca. 45,000 to 55,000 years BP from L Jimmy Groen, stone tools expert from The Netherlands.  Ken Johnston detected what could be a human facial profile in the translucent material, Neanderthal in nature, and then it was confirmed the find context and site dating made it entirely possible.

http://portablerockart.blogspot.com/2011/02/neanderthal-cameo-from-netherlands.html

Flint bulb "One eye missing" motif micro mask is paired with a feline depiction on side 2, implying a "lion bite to the head" distorts the human's left face and eye

Dennis Boggs find, Irrigon, Oregon, interpreted as a one eye missing micro mask by Ken Johnston (3.5cm diameter)

This flint bulb "One eye missing" motif micro mask is paired with a probable feline depiction on side 2, implying a "lion bite to the head" is what distorts the human's left face and eye on the mask. This same connection is implied as earlier described in the compound flint sculpture of a lion and human head from the "Buckeye Lake, Ohio, flint sculpture hoard." These are Lower Paleolithic "old world" art motifs which are now seen in North America. 

Side 2 is a probable feline head depiction looking right. Notice the retouch work to the bulb flake. (click photos to expand view)

Side 2 illuminated from behind while in darkness, a possible "lithophane" which may have been recognized by the maker. Holding a translucent stone object such as this up to a small hole inside a typical hide dwelling during the day would produce the same affect for a prehistoric artist (Matt Gatton, Paleo-camera Theory).

Here is the mask rotated 180 degrees to illustrate the human modification to this flake

One eye missing mask illuminated as a lithophane

White (eyes and nose) and red (mouth) markups on the key modification points the artist used to affect the mask imagery interpreted by Ken Johnston. (Click photos to expand view and toggle between photos for comparison).

Here is another rock found by Dennis Boggs at Irrigon, Oregon, which Ken Johnston earlier interpreted as a depiction in translucent stone material of a "one eye missing" mask with a symbolic "bite" taken out of the stone to depict a "lion's bite" to the left eye and side of the face.

Artifact pictured with scale

-kbj

A Neanderthal-looking translucent human head profile "lithophane"

Possible Homo sapiens neanderthalensis flint figure from The Netherlands

L. J. Groen, an archaeologist with interest in paleobotany and lithics of The Netherlands and Belgium, made his artifact collection available to me for internet survey so I could learn more about stone working technologies and techniques in Europe.  While looking at part of his collection (just a few of 30,000 artifacts) I came upon a suspected flint tool which seemed to have several correlations to the prominent features of a human facial profile and rotated the picture to optimal viewing orientation.  

The likely intent of the iconography becomes more obvious when interpretative lines are added to the photo to demonstrate all the ‘correct’ edges and angles created to make the face.  

The material is translucent toward the left side where all the facial detail is. I consider this piece a "Lithophane" or a glass art piece passing light. There is a cluster of crystals on the forehead just above the brow line.

"And when I see what you made of my (artifact) ... it is remarkable. With your additional lines it really looks like a Neanderthal! And, made of Eluvium flint it dates from a possible Neanderthal period.... ( 50.000 - 58.000 BP)." -L Jimmy Groen

-kbj

Naturally perforated head effigy on a flake found in art and tool context, including a horse head figure, at Flint Ridge

A naturally perforated human head effigy on a flaked artifact found near a horse head figure and other figurative portable rock art and tools at a Flint Ridge quarry location, Licking County, Ohio. Finds and interpretations by Ken Johnston.

Human head and horse head facing left (with scale)

Left profile of human head retouched on a flake

Compare this human head left profile found 5 miles away to the general form of the Flint Ridge effigy's left profile seen above it. These may be similar iconic representations, with a somewhat recessive chin and mid-facial prominence, maybe even a head of hair. They may represent the same idealized human form, or they may represent a convention in human representation in their morphological similarity.

Human head flint effigy right profile view

A crystal lined natural perforation in the eye area of the figure may be used to hang the effigy and it defaults to a suitable viewing orientation. Perhaps this perforation was recognized and utilized to suspend the effigy or attach it to a cord. The artifact is lighted from behind as a lithophane in this photo which sets off its pink and clear crystal translucence. 

Colorful flint human head left profile view hanging from a cord in the autumn evening sun.

Close up of a flint horse head figure. In the bottom right is a depression worked into the stone which accommodates the thumb as if holding the piece like a horse head finger puppet.

Horse head figure side 2

-kbj

If Brazilian agate object was worked by a human, it may be a first example of the "one eye open, other eye closed or missing" portable rock art motif from South America

Is it a worked face mask in agate from Brazil?

A rock collector in Thailand acquired this piece of Brazilian agate at a geology fair in Tucson, Arizona. It was interpreted as a "Phantom of the Opera" type face mask by Tira Vanichtheeranont who thought it might be interesting to blog readers here.

It appears it could have been worked to realize a human head icon with the "one eye open, other eye shut or missing" motif as seen in Eurasia and North America. The stone's rind, or cortex, looks to have been selectively removed on the left side of the face.

Are the small indents on the back side of the mask icon created by nature or human grinding on the stone?

This may be a grinding technique to remove most of the stone's cortex (decortification) from this side in order to expose the beauty and translucence of the agate material. This would open up the back of stone to transmit light to the front in the case this piece was a manufactured "lithophane" (Johnston 2011) as is seen in similar material and one-eyed motif from the Dennis Boggs Oregon collection as presented earlier on this blog.

It seems possible small ground holes like this were used to remove stone on the face mask side of the stone, then smoothed down by broader grinding to remove the remaining ridges. Evidence of the ground holes may be seen in the surface "rippling" of the figure's mouth and left side of the "nose."

Compare Brazil (left) and Oregon, USA, (right)

Please compare the imagery on the Brazilian object to this suspected artifact with the "one eye open, other eye closed or missing" motif from the Dennis Boggs collection, Irrigon, Oregon.

Hamburg-Wittenbergen, Germany, c. 200,000 BP (Clactonian)

Photographer © Walther Matthes. Matthes, W. (1969). Eiszeitkunst im Nordseeraum. Otterndorf, Gr: Niederelbe-Verlag; (1964/1965). Bild 62. From originsnet.org

Thank you Tira for sending along this fascinating object from Brazil.

An Acheulean jasper scraper from the Grand-Pressigny, central France, which pairs human and baboon heads like previously described example

Acheulean jasper scraper from the Grand-Pressigny, central France

Collection of Ken Johnston, this perspective interpreted as a human face in right profile view

Typology : Pointed Side Scraper.

Material : Yellow Jasper.

Cutting : This implement was cut in a Jasper pebble.  A few flakes were cut to create the pointed sub-triangular shape. The three points and the edges were finely retouched. Both faces and one side were left mostly cortical to ensure a strong and safe grip.

Dating, hominid : This implement belongs to the Acheulean Culture (Lower Paleolithic period, circa 300 000 to 650 000 years ago), and was conceived by Homo HEIDELBERGENSIS ( European Erectus ).

Origin : Found in the area of the Grand-Pressigny, in the center of the France; discovered in the Creuse's ancient riverbed.

Sizes :  3 7/8 inches X 3 7/8 inches or 9.5 cm X 9.5 cm

Weight :  280 g

Condition :  Intact, no modern damage

Click photos to expand and compare

A somewhat similar facial profile identified by Dennis Boggs, Boardman, Oregon, on this beautiful translucent crystal laden flake (a "lithophane," Johnston) where the crystal area (cortex) may be seen to serve as "hair" in the anthropomorphic facial profile. The artifact depicts a left facial profile which has been inverted in this  photo to allow comparison against the French example from the same perspective

This second right facial profile on the same artifact seems more zoomorphic than anthropomorphic. It may an intentional representation of an animal such as a baboon

Please see this posting from about one year ago where I described a human face and a baboon face incorporated into an Acheulean handaxe, also from France. This second example illustrated today seems to confirm the possibility the baboon/human pairing was a widely expressed motif in that area which amateur and professional archaeologists should be aware of. They are, in fact, decorated tools, existing in the realm of early human art and spirituality as well as function.

Acheulean jasper scraper from the Grand-Pressigny, central France

Collection of Ken Johnston

The above perspective shows how elusive possible iconography is to collectors and archaeologists working in the field. The above photo, showing the artifact as perhaps taken at usual "macro level" of archaeological interpretation, may be seen as a relatively insignificant worked block of flint. Only upon very close examination of the retouch work can the details of possible zooanthropomorphic forms be revealed. With this more "micro" level of examination of artifacts in existing collections and at sites yet to be discovered, it will be seen that Boucher de Perthes himself was correct is positing the existence of art right with the tools of his "antedelluvian man."

-kbj

Oregon translucent pebble has been flaked to exploit a crystal inclusion and presents worked mammoth icons when held by manufactured pads for one's thumb and index finger

Find and interpretation by Ken Johnston from the Dennis Boggs collection of anomalous worked stones from the Columbia River valley, at Irrigon, Oregon. It is a "lithophane," a rock carving with translucent properties.

A possible mammoth (in profile facing left) icon may be seen, resulting from focused stone removal on this small translucent flake. A "base" or pad for the thumb has been created, along with a divot for the index finger. When held comfortably in this way, the mammoth figure is seen in optimal viewing perspective.

Stonework around the crystal inclusion, in order to feature it and open visual access to it. The crystals sparkle in the light. A second mammoth icon may be seen on this side of the artifact in profile, facing right.

Translucence in the daytime sun. The "bump" of the mammoth's head is a form recognized as a sign or indicator of an artist's attempt to portray this animal. Here, it was recognized as a component of a core rock, this flake including it was removed, and then it was incised and retouched to disambiguate the natural features enough to capture the necessary essence of the mammoth.

-kbj