The Origins and Implications of the Breton Buckler Motif

Abstract

The 'buckler' motif appears isolated in the naturalistic milieu of the earliest Breton art but there are problems with a symbolic interpretation. If instead it is considered in naturalistic terms it can be demonstrated to bear a close resemblance to a form of grain store made of straw rope that was used in parts of Ireland until this century. The likelihood of above ground grain storage in the Neolithic is considered and the potential archaeological evidence for such features is reviewed. Finally reasons are advanced for the motif being centred in the Morbihan region.