１万３５００年前の鳥の彫像、東アジア最古か　研究

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】中国・河南省にある遺跡の発掘調査で見つかった小さな鳥の像が、これまでに東アジアで出土した最古の彫像であるとする研究論文が10日、米科学誌「プロスワン」に掲載された。論文によると、彫像は約1万3500年前に焼け焦げた骨から削り出されたものとされる。（写真は約1万3500年前に作られたとみられる小さな鳥の彫像。画像は仏CNRSとノルウェー・ベルゲン大学提供）
　丁寧な作業が施されたこの鳴き鳥の像には台座部分があり、アーモンドの粒より小さいくらいの大きさだ。河南省にある霊井遺跡で、焼け焦げた動物の骨や陶器のかけらなどの中から発見された。この地域には中国最古の文明の一部が存在したと考えられている。
　この極めて小さな彫像を発見したのは、論文の筆頭執筆者で、中国・山東大学の李占揚氏だ。李氏は２００５年から霊井遺跡での発掘調査を行っている。
　この区域の発掘調査ではこれまでに、１２万年前から青銅器時代（３０００年前）までに至る１１の異なる年代の地層が発見されている。このうち５番目の地層の大部分は、１９５８年に実施された井戸の掘削作業で取り除かれ、近くにある廃棄物の集積地に捨てられていた。
　集積地はその後何年も手付かずのままだったが、研究チームが土をふるいにかけて詳細に調べたところ、焼き物のかけらや焦げた動物の骨などの複数の遺物が見つかった。見つかった鳥の像はその中に含まれていた。彫像の大きさは、全長１９．２ミリ、高さ１２．５ミリ、幅５．１ミリだ。
　今回の研究では、像を傷つける恐れがあるとして、鳥の彫像そのものに放射性炭素年代測定法は用いられなかった。その代わりに彫像と一緒に見つかった同様の骨の一つを放射性炭素法で調べ、鳥の彫像の年代が１万３５００年前のものと推定された。この結果について研究チームは、同地域でこれまでに発掘された小像を８５００年近くさかのぼると指摘している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/06/12-12:54）

A miniature bird sculpted out of burnt bone in China around 13,500 years ago is the oldest known figurine from East Asia, according to researchers who discovered it in a refuse heap near an archaeological site.
The carefully crafted depiction of a songbird on a pedestal -- smaller than an almond kernel -- was found among burnt animal remains and fragments of ceramics at Lingjing in north central Henan province, an area thought to have been home to some of China's earliest civilisations.
The figurine is the oldest known carving from East Asia, said Francesco D'Errico of the University of Bordeaux, who co-authored the research published in the journal PLOS One on Wednesday.
It shows that in this region sculpture starts at least 13,500 years ago, and fills in a gap in our knowledge about the origin of art in this vast region, he told AFP.
The tiny carving was discovered by lead author Zhanyang Li of Shandong University, who has been excavating parts of the Lingjing site since 2005.
Digging in the area had already revealed 11 distinct layers, ranging in age from 120,000 years ago to the Bronze Age.
Most of the fifth layer had been removed during a well-digging operation in 1958, and disposed of at a refuse heap nearby.
That dumping area was still intact years later, and when the authors sifted through the soil they found several artefacts, including pottery shards, burned animal remains and the bird figurine.
The carving is just 19.2 millimetres long, 5.1 mm wide and 12.5 mm high.
Researchers were unable to use radiocarbon dating on the bird itself because the process would have damaged it. But they dated similar bones found with it, including one gouged using the same technique.
In this way they estimated the age of the bird figurine to be 13,500 years, which they said predates previously known figurines from this region by almost 8,500 years.
- Artistic techniques -
D'Errico said the bird was exceptionally well preserved, enabling researchers to trace the various carving methods used to create different parts of the figure, including gouging with a stone tool, scraping and polishing.
Our observations show that the artist knew well which technique was the more adapted to carve the different parts of the animal, he said.
What is also remarkable is that the carving is not a fully realistic representation of a bird.
The figurine has oversized tail, allowing it to balance on its pedestal.
Without this trick the bird would fall on its head, D'Errico said, adding that this shows the carving is not just a casual experiment.
The study authors said that the craftsmanship suggests the advanced stage of an artistic tradition, which began much earlier.
In recent years, cave paintings in the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sulawesi have been dated as over 40,000 years old, suggesting ancient societies with advanced artistic cultures in the region.
While three-dimensional portable art has been documented in Europe dating back some 40,000 years, the researchers said the Lingjing bird was the oldest such example found in East Asia.
Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers in China are known to have manufactured bone tools such as spear points and needles, as well as personal ornaments made of shells, ostrich eggs and animal teeth, D'Errico said.
The carving of objects with no apparent functional purpose, requiring a dedicated apprenticeship to be made, opens a new window on these societies, he added.