Rock carvings in the Vallée aux Noirs

The rock carvings in the Vallée aux Noirs are northeast of the town of Buthiers , east of Malesherbes on the edge of the Seine-et-Marne department in France . A digital survey campaign carried out in 2013 in the Fontainebleau massif led to the discovery of the Buthiers rock carvings, an important engraving panel made up of a cross-hatched ax, an anthropomorphic motif and two motifs interpreted as unmanned boats.

The motifs were found on a huge sandstone block that was exposed by erosion on the edge of the small dry valley Vallée aux Noirs on the right bank of the Essonne . The feature consists of a build-up of sediment at the base of the wall that covers the base of the ax handle and anthropomorphic representation. Photogrammetric and photographic measurements under rotating lighting made it possible to record the data that led to a three-dimensional model of the chronological relationships.

The ax motif is to the left of the anthropomorphic representation. The waist of the large anthropomorphic representation runs parallel to the ground, along a natural break line. The deliberate use of a natural feature is not repeated in the upper part of the composition. It depicts a nose, eyes, presumably a beard, and ten feather-like motifs that fan out symmetrically upwards from the brows on either side of the axis formed by the center of the figure. Observations show that the engraving was made from top to bottom.

Analogies between this and other representations on rocks and steles in the region suggest that this is the norm. Although the face resembles that of the nearby rock carving of Le Closeau (near Nanteau-Sur-Essonne ), the “beard” makes this appearance unique. In addition, a square shield on the chest is the oldest part of the motif. The lower part of the figure is still obscured by the sediment accumulation.

The very small "boat 1" is formed by a continuous line that forms a symmetrical sickle. The representation, which partly follows the natural folds of the rock, seems to be intentionally inclined towards the figure whose right side touches the left side of the subject. The symbol also resembles mostly high held representations of symmetrical vessels.

The motif called “Boot 1” is accompanied on the right by the larger, asymmetrical half moon “Boot 2”. Signs have been added to its upper ends, one at right angles and one near the right apex where it forms a beak-like hook. The depiction sits on the natural break line that curves like a wave through all the motifs. The way it is depicted leads to interpreting the motif as a boat, the angularity of which suggests that it consists of sewn planks and the projection on the right that suggests a paddle.

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48.29506 2.43934Coordinates: 48 ° 17 ′ 42.2 " N , 2 ° 26 ′ 21.6" E