![]() ![]() See, for instance, the seemingly pregnant horse with what looks like one horn on its head. So far, these animals are easily identifiable, but others are less clear-cut. ![]() The animals are shown in side-view, but with their horns turned, giving the paintings a liveliness indicative of great skill. In a round dance, four large bulls tower above fleeing horses and deer, the relief of the walls serving to emphasise certain parts of the paintings. Aptly named, this space contains mostly aurochs, a now extinct type of large cattle. The entrance of the cave leads away from the daylight and straight into the main chamber of the cave, the Hall of the Bulls. The archaeological record of the area shows that the depicted animals reflect the fauna that was known to these Palaeolithic humans. A few carnivores, such as lions and bears, are also present. Of the animals, horses dominate the imagery, followed by deer and aurochs, and then ibex and bison. The resulting impressive displays depict mainly animals, but also a significant amount of abstract symbols, and even a human. The art at Lascaux was both painted on and engraved into the uneven walls of the cave, the artists working with the edges and curves of the walls to enhance their compositions. By 1948 CE the cave was ready to be opened to the public. The boys, in awe of what they had found, told their teacher, after which the process towards excavating the cave was set in motion. The following day they returned, better prepared this time, and explored deeper parts of the cave. After constructing a makeshift lamp to light their way, they found a wider variety of animals than expected in the Axial Gallery they first encountered the depictions on the walls. ![]() After widening the entrance, Marcel Ravidat was the first one to slide all the way to the bottom, his three friends following after him. On 12 September 1940 CE four boys examined the fox hole down which their dog had fallen on the hill of Lascaux. Lascaux was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1979, along with other prehistoric sites in its proximity. The exact meaning of the paintings at Lascaux or any of the other sites is still subject to discussion, but the prevailing view attaches a ritualistic or even spiritual component to them, hinting at the sophistication of their creators. The region seems to be a hotspot many beautifully decorated caves have been discovered there. 15,000 BCE, falls within the Upper Palaeolithic period and was created by the clearly skilled hands of humans living in the area at that time. Besides these paintings, which represent most of the major images, there are also around 1400 engravings of a similar order. Horses are the most numerous, but deer, aurochs, ibex, bison, and even some felines can also be found. Close to 600 paintings – mostly of animals - dot the interior walls of the cave in impressive compositions. Lascaux Cave is a Palaeolithic cave situated in southwestern France, near the village of Montignac in the Dordogne region, which houses some of the most famous examples of prehistoric cave paintings. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |