Paired bird motif identified in several art pieces by Mark Jones from Piney Point, Maryland

A paired bird line etching in sandstone, Mark Jones find, Piney Point, Maryland

This rare petroglyphic portable rock art piece was found near the confluence of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. It depicts two birds on a hand-sized cobble. This area is a major migratory bird flyway and birds, especially water birds, are a major component of the local natural environment.

Please also see the February 10 posting "Kissy Birds" for another example of the paired bird motif identified as a recurring pattern in local portable rock art by artifact and fossil hunter Mark Jones. Mark was kind enough to host me at his home earlier this year and shared part of his collection of hundreds of natural fossils, stone age tools and art pieces. He arrives at many of his waterside find sites by boat. "Kissy Birds"

http://portablerockart.blogspot.com/2011/02/kissy-birds.html

Maryland and Oregon artifacts demonstrate similar artist use of stone material in a pebble inclusion to feature reflective eyes

Reflective eye with wink (one eye closed theme)

Mark Jones collection, Piney Point, Maryland

From Maryland, near the confluence of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.  Found by prehistoric art and fossil hunter Mark Jones of Piney Point.  Please notice the two nostrils depicted here.  Nostrils are sometimes present on zoomorphic and anthromorphic portable rock art and are an element which can contribute to determining artifactuality.  Perhaps they were made to "add the breath of life" to the art creation.

"One eye open, one eye closed/missing" is a well documented, recurring, theme in "old world" Paleolithic portable rock art.  According to James Harrod, Ph.D., it may have endured to the Nourse/Celtic times with the mythological "One-eyed Oden" being a more recent manifestation of this meme element.  Please see Harrod's OriginsNet web site on side panel for more information.

Oregon example from Dennis Boggs 

The reflective eye is on the photo right here
Click photo to expand size

Closer view of Oregon sparkling eye

Click photo to expand size

Very up close of sparkling eye of Oregon artifact.  There may be another face depicted in micro-carving in the reflective stone material of the eyeball.

Click photo to expand size.

Reverse side depicts another face, perhaps exhibiting the enduring theme "predator bite out of head," first seen in the Oldowan and perhaps persisting to the Middle Paleolithic, as described by James Harrod in his "Four Memes..." paper with link on the right side panel.

This is my interpretation of a face, represented in green, and "bite out of the head" zone on the artifact represented in red.  In yellow is a possible second face nested within the bite zone, perhaps depicting predator taking the bite out of the head.

In another interpretation a third face may be represented on this figure stone.  So, this could be a (face(within a face))within a face))).

Five faces, two on one side and three on the reverse, may be depicted in this figure stone.

Kissy Birds

Kissy Birds - Potomac River, east coast, U.S.A.

Mark Jones of Piney Point, Maryland, USA, reports the pierres-figures motif of partnered birds is recognized in a large number of artifacts in his area.  He and his wife refer to them as “Kissy Birds.”  Additional avian motifs have also been identified.

Birds often have very visible and vocal courting routines, unlike almost all other regularly encountered fauna.  The full run of the  bird family relationship cycle is observable nearly everywhere within several contiguous months in dozens of bird species.  This may have had significance in the traditions of the maker of this artifact. 

Could the makers of Kissy Birds have intended them as courting stones, gifts intended to win and seal the affections of a desired partner similar to a wedding engagement ring?   Perhaps they are demonstrating their level of affection for someone as analogous to “bird-like tenderness and love.”  Love birds.

“Togetherness” is represented when one is first drawn to studying the naturalistic action forms depicted at the top of the figure stone, then it becomes “oneness” as the eye eventually slides down the ever-narrowing base.  Like us, they become a new kind of individual, a pair in union, maybe not ironically looking similar to the contemporary heart icon in form.

The presence of Kissy Birds may be related to the fresh water to salt water estuaries and the millions of migrating water birds which stop over at the Chesapeake Bay each year.

This piece does not stand on its own, it is staged in this photo using moulding clay on another stone to present it in "upright" position.

The beautiful phopto is by Mark Jones.

-kbj

(Kissy Birds artifact and photo are courtesy of Mark Jones.  Photo is © Copyright 2011.  Mark Jones.  All Rights Reserved.)