The front

The front is covered with fine engravings, which could only be deciphered following very careful observation.

Covering the majority of the surface, the left profile of a horse can be made out. At the groin, a discreet sheath identifies it is a stallion, depicted as if he is lying on his flank, with eye closed, mouth open and limbs inert, dying. Above the horse, a firmly engraved pattern on the edge evokes an arrow.

The horse

Shown from the left side, the horse has four long, slender limbs, drawn in perspective. The limbs on the right side of its body disappear just before the body, thus signalling the plane furthest from the viewer. With the exception of the resting front right leg, these floating limbs appear fainter than the rest of the horse. The neck, which is short and strong, supports a resting head and a bristling mane, engraved in three stages. The ear can just be distinguished from the mane. The line of the back is not aligned with the first version of the mane, therefore it is likely that the engraver began by creating the isolated head, before adding the rest of the figure.

Sinuous lines on the body, cheek and muzzle show the differences in colour in the horse’s coat. It is possible that these lines were the borders between colours, perhaps red, like in some of the Magdalenian horses that appear in wall paintings, for example at Ekain. No traces of pigment have been found, but the presence of a layer of red ochre surrounding the hearth where the pebble was discovered would support this hypothesis.

Fine curves show the shape of the shoulder, and the hocks and hooves are also very detailed, despite the enigmatic form of the front right and back left hooves. There is a protuberance on the front of the front right hoof, perhaps due to a slip or working too quickly. There is evidence of a first version of the back left hoof, pointed and not anatomically correct. It was replaced by a normal equid hoof.

On the inside of the front right leg, there is a discreetly drawn chestnut, a growth which is typical on horses. This detail, rare in Palaeolithic art, highlights the level of naturalism in this figure.

Short lines hang out from the open mouth, suggesting a tongue, unless the animal is spitting or breathing heavily. Two convergent lines form the eye, as if the eyelid was closed.

There are two signs of injuries on the horse’s flank, one extending in a curved line downwards. The same type of mark appears on the front right. Together all these details suggest that the horse was probably dying, lying on its flank, with its eye closed and mouth open.

The therianthrope

The right side of the pebble contains an engraving which is not immediately easy to discern. It is in fact a therianthrope, with its combination of animal and human features, and specifically, female, made apparent by the breast visible beneath the raised arm.

Standing and straight-backed like a human, the creature has a rounded occiput, a prognathic muzzle with whiskers like a carnivore and a long bifid beard. Its neck leads down to a folded arm, with a clearly-marked elbow and a hand with five fingers or claws, brandishing a line intersected by what looks like a spindle, in front of the muzzle. Above the head there are many unclear lines about which we have been unable to draw any conclusions. Some suggest some sort of headwear.

The rest of the body is that of a female, with a hanging breast and swollen belly. The lower limb is barely illustrated.