Material: stone – stone slab, large riverine cobblestones and gobbets of mineral ore
Exhibit type: original
Archaeological site: Pavlov I (Pavlov near Dolní Věstonice, Moravia)
In the Věstonice triple burial, the pigment coving the bodies was in powder form – as compact fragments and as a thick crust on the skulls. The use of pigment in connection with burials therefore undoubtedly had ritual significance – perhaps to symbolize blood or life.
The pigment was usually acquired by crushing and grinding mineral ores (e.g. haematite or limonite) using a grinder (cobblestone) on stone slabs. The ground powder was then mixed with water or animal fat. At the settlements of Dolní Věstonice and Pavlov we find pieces of hematite in two forms – as large, solid fragments originating from more distant regions on the eastern edge of the Bohemian Massif, or as small dark-red earthy lumps, found within sight of the Pavlov Hills.
Comparing the streaks produced by randomly selected lumps of pigment has revealed at least eight shades of colour - a surprisingly varied palette.