Si loin, si près: Rethinking Prehistory's Creative Legacy

In the second installment of a trilogy, Annabelle Gugnon examines 'Si loin, si près. Pour en finir avec la Préhistoire,' authored by Jean-Michel Geneste and Boris Valentin (Flammarion, 288 p., €29.90). This work contests the notion that prehistoric humans lacked contemporary cognitive abilities. Geneste, who previously served as the curator of Lascaux, and Valentin, an educator in Île-de-France, advocate for the imaginative capabilities of individuals from the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras. They draw on Claude Lévi-Strauss regarding the understanding of prehistoric societies. The book features eight chapters accompanied by visuals, including the bestiary of Lascaux. Geneste elaborates on artistic techniques, scaffolding, and interprets 400 abstract symbols from Lascaux, highlighting the non-linear concept of time and the artists' duty to revive life and convey myths.