Re: new horse? | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Earthstepper Sep 19, 2004 21:36:43

Replying to nigelswift

Not sure I agree. Yes the area is flat, but why do we assume that the makers wanted to pin it up prettily on a hillside for all to see? That's just us and our perspective - pictures go on walls and landcape figures like Nazca lines have to be seen from above (you can't get much flatter than Nazca and unless you believe in aliens...)

Supposing - just supposing the importance of cutting a horse in the turf was more important than the finished work of art. Doing rather than being. Plenty of other cases have been suggested where the making of a feature is really more important than the finished object.

Supposing you lived or moved to a hill less region yet your tribal religion, customs, identity badge or totem compelled you to cut a horse in the turf. Now you have two choices -

1 Don't do it 'cos you haven't got any hills OR 2 Do it anyway - on the flat.

I'll not pre-judge but look forward to the results of investigation.

fitzcoraldo Sep 19, 2004 21:57:35

Replying to Earthstepper

I guess the tradition in these island has been to cut these figures on hillsides or in places from where they can be viewed - sort of sets a precedent, hence the cautious approach.
It'd be a different matter if it was in the peruvian desert, do they have horses in peru? I guess they'd have chalk llamas or capybaras

FourWinds Sep 20, 2004 06:22:09

Replying to Earthstepper

I kind of agree with what you're saying. The flatness is NOT a reason to say it isn't a 'Hill Figure'. Perhaps the name for them needs rethinking! It's obvious that the ones on the sides of hills will out-survive the ones made on the flat due to ploughing etc.

>> landcape figures like Nazca lines have to be seen from above

The Nazca lines have been quite convincingly shown to be (ritual) pathways. Each one is a continuous line with no closed loops. They must be totemistic with the tribe walking along the lines and describing the image of their totem animal, which presumably lived in the sky somewhere and could see this being done.