Wolverine pendant

Les Eyzies, Dordogne, France

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Bone
Length: 6.0 cms
The British Museum
Palart.102

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A thin sliver of bone extracted from the surface of a shoulder blade or pelvic bone carries a drawing of a wolverine, a shy but ferocious carnivore with a magnificent fur coat. This is a rare representation that is remarkable in its accuracy and vivacity. Wolverines are constantly on the move hunting and scavenging for food. This characteristic is caught in the drawing by the raised paw that also reveals its typically broad shape that acts as a snowshoe enabling it to move easily in winter conditions. The long fur and characteristic stripe along the side are shown by long, fine shading lines on the body. Although its meat is not palatable, wolverine fur is even today highly prized by arctic communities. It is ideal for trimming hoods because its anti-freeze properties prevent it from sticking to the face and causing frost bite. Entire skins may be stitched into the special ceremonial coats and give status to the wearer. Did this depiction on a pendant indicate someone’s status or is it the totem identifying an individual, family or group?

Wolverines are well adapted to extremely cold conditions and now live only in arctic and sub-arctic latitudes in Alaska, Northern Canada, Scandinavia, Russia and Siberia. Their presence much further south in Europe towards the end of the last Ice Age is indicative of the periodically cold environment even in Spain where a small sculpture of a wolverine made from mammoth ivory is known from Jarama II.

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