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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Jonathan Jones

Folkton Drums: do these beautifully enigmatic chalk objects have faces?

The Folkton Drums, about 4,500 years old, found in East Yorkshire
Beautiful, abstract markings were carved on these solid chalk cylinders, grave goods from the late neolithic age – about 2600-2000BC. Do they portray stylised faces? It is impossible to be sure. The art of the neolithic age was made by people who had learned to cultivate crops. Their monuments reveal an organised society. Objects such as these – found in East Yorkshire – may reflect the rise of power and wealth in Britain, yet they are ethereal and spiritual in mood Illustration: Sarah Lee/Guardian
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