Cave painters were realists, DNA study finds

An excellent multimedia tour of the Lascaux cave paintings can be found at:

The Official Lascaux Cave site

The site is available in XHTML (mostly text) or Version flash (mostly video). The Version flash is full screen. To start the video tour, click on "A visit to the cave" (in small print) under the title - Lascaux

Note: If the full screen "Version flash" is in French, go to the bottom of the page and click on "accessibiltè" which takes you to the menu, click English and then click on Version flash to return to the cave.

Once in the video cave, there is guide text, interactive features and pop-up text as the tour progresses. But I'm not going to tell you anymore. If you'd like to see the cave for yourself, it looks like you'll just have to go exploring.....

Enjoy!!

Pech Merle is the best cave to visit in France that is open to the public. It is run by the small community and not the French government. That is the only reason it is open.

I have examined these paintings over a number of years and in close detail, and have come to perhaps a 'different' interpretation as to what they were all about. The 'usual' interpretation is that these were painted for 'religious' reasons, and for some, I think that may well be true (mostly because of the LOCATION of some of these things, almost totally inaccessible). But a LOT of the others, seem to be very careful STUDIES of animals in terms of body-language, facial expressions, etc, and I have come to believe that these are more like ancient 'training manuals' as anything else. Long series of the changing facial expressions of lions, the different movements of horses, rhinos, mammoths, etc, all seem to indicate they might be used as 'training tools' for young hunters. When approaching either potential prey animals or large and dangerous predators, a LOT can be determined about their likely 'next step' by observing them CLOSELY. How a horse's ears are positioned indicates not just 'mood,' but also the direction 'of interest,' which can give you clues as to whether you have been spotted or not. The same holds true with lions, and the facial expressions and body movements can be CRITICAL in understanding whether the lion is about to make YOU a meal, or thinking about something else entirely. Primitive hunters LEARN this stuff in great detail, and it is obvious that a LOT of this knowledge was illustrated on these cave walls, either 'for reference,' or for 'training,' or just to illustrate their INCREDIBLE knowledge of the animals that were around them at the time. Masterpieces indeed!

They should have showed more paintings. They are very interesting

I have examined these paintings over a number of years and in close detail, and have come to perhaps a 'different' interpretation as to what they were all about. The 'usual' interpretation is that these were painted for 'religious' reasons, and for some, I think that may well be true (mostly because of the LOCATION of some of these things, almost totally inaccessible). But a LOT of the others, seem to be very careful STUDIES of animals in terms of body-language, facial expressions, etc, and I have come to believe that these are more like ancient 'training manuals' as anything else. Long series of the changing facial expressions of lions, the different movements of horses, rhinos, mammoths, etc, all seem to indicate they might be used as 'training tools' for young hunters. When approaching either potential prey animals or large and dangerous predators, a LOT can be determined about their likely 'next step' by observing them CLOSELY. How a horse's ears are positioned indicates not just 'mood,' but also the direction 'of interest,' which can give you clues as to whether you have been spotted or not. The same holds true with lions, and the facial expressions and body movements can be CRITICAL in understanding whether the lion is about to make YOU a meal, or thinking about something else entirely. Primitive hunters LEARN this stuff in great detail, and it is obvious that a LOT of this knowledge was illustrated on these cave walls, either 'for reference,' or for 'training,' or just to illustrate their INCREDIBLE knowledge of the animals that were around them at the time. Masterpieces indeed!

So are all the weird looking creatures on rock walls "aliens"?

The picture is beautiful. I wish I could see the rest of them.

Dr. William Wallook, world renowned cave painting expert, has drawn an entirely different picture of the caveman's artistic skillset. Using new technology similar to synchrotron radiation induced X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Dr. Wallook was able to peer beneath the pigments of cave drawings in the Altamira caves near Santilliana del Mar in Cantabria, Northern Spain.

It was discovered that charcoal was used to scribe the main features of the drawing, prior to painting, onto the cave wall. Tiny symbols were also present, and later determined to represent different pigments. In essence, the art is generated via a paint-by-symbol process.

The symbol/pigment relationship is consistent in cave drawings throughout the globe. For example, the same squiggly line (with variations of hatch marks) was used to differentiate various shades of red with the use of oxides, is found in both Northern Spain and Canada.

Dr. Wallook's research will be published in the December issue of journal Artwork in the Dark......

What was most interesting about Lascaux was the ~4" holes drilled down into the rock in front of the horse paintings where researchers found candle wax. When standing there my take was that the pantings were lit for viewing by candles. Pretty interesting perspective for 11.000 years ago.

Take these realistic paintings done in dark caves tens of thousands of years ago to teach children how to hunt, and compare them to the x's and o's in well-lit modern classrooms used to teach college athletes how to play football.

I have examined these paintings over a number of years and in close detail, and have come to perhaps a 'different' interpretation as to what they were all about. The 'usual' interpretation is that these were painted for 'religious' reasons, and for some, I think that may well be true (mostly because of the LOCATION of some of these things, almost totally inaccessible).

But a LOT of the others, seem to be very careful STUDIES of INDIVIDUAL animals in terms of body-language, facial expressions, etc, and I have come to believe that these are more like ancient 'training manuals' as anything else. Long series of the changing facial expressions of lions, the different movements of horses, rhinos, mammoths, etc, all seem to indicate they might be used as 'training tools' for young hunters.

When approaching either potential prey animals or large and dangerous predators, a LOT can be determined about their likely 'next step' by observing them CLOSELY. How a horse's ears are positioned indicates not just 'mood,' but also the direction 'of interest,' which can give you clues as to whether you have been spotted or not. The same holds true with lions, and the facial expressions and body movements of these can be CRITICAL in understanding whether the lion is about to make YOU a meal, or thinking about something else entirely.

Primitive hunters LEARN this stuff in great detail, and it seems obvious to me that a LOT of this knowledge was illustrated on these cave walls, either 'for reference,' or for 'training,' or maybe just to illustrate their INCREDIBLE knowledge of the animals that were around them at the time. Masterpieces indeed!

Every time I see pictures of thse paintings, I keep getting a flashback to Mel Brooks "History of the World, part 1" with the first artist/first art critic scene.

"I wonder what government agency funded THIS study?"
Ah ... The ultra-conservative's answer to every "sciencey" thing that confuses him or makes him face his ignorance.

I tend to agree with Eric. I have not personally seen these paintings, but it has been my impression they were so realistic they were hardly likely to have been painted simply for religious reasons. If these people had a religion, it was one of an animistic sort, where all animals were revered. I believe they might have been created to honor the animals, perhaps by people who based their clan beliefs on them, and after killing one felt it their duty to honor it with a painting. It is certainly possible they were used as a training aid. Why not?

I have examined these paintings over a number of years and in close detail, and have come to perhaps a 'different' interpretation as to what they were all about. The 'usual' interpretation is that these were painted for 'religious' reasons, and for some, I think that may well be true (mostly because of the LOCATION of some of these things, almost totally inaccessible).

But a LOT of the others, seem to be very careful STUDIES of INDIVIDUAL animals in terms of body-language, facial expressions, etc, and I have come to believe that these are more like ancient 'training manuals' as anything else. Long series of the changing facial expressions of lions, the different movements of horses, rhinos, mammoths, etc, all seem to indicate they might be used as 'training tools' for young hunters.

When approaching either potential prey animals or large and dangerous predators, a LOT can be determined about their likely 'next step' by observing them CLOSELY. How a horse's ears are positioned indicates not just 'mood,' but also the direction 'of interest,' which can give you clues as to whether you have been spotted or not. The same holds true with lions, and the facial expressions and body movements of these can be CRITICAL in understanding whether the lion is about to make YOU a meal, or thinking about something else entirely.

Primitive hunters LEARN this stuff in great detail, and it seems obvious to me that a LOT of this knowledge was illustrated on these cave walls, either 'for reference,' or for 'training,' or maybe just to illustrate their INCREDIBLE knowledge of the animals that were around them at the time. Masterpieces indeed!

It's so weird that I actually studied this late last month! I recognize that picture from my textbook. Art history won't get me a job, but it does interest me.

It’s amazing that there are no ancient cave drawings of dinosaurs.
(Sarcasm)… lots of it.

It's amazing how much genetics has advanced that they can actually find remnants of a genetic mutation in ancient horse bones that would make the coat spotted.

Great article!

The cave paintings still have modern art beat.

People alive today think they are superior to the ancestors who lived 10,000 years ago. Sadly we are not. Most people today would not survive a month in the past environment and certainly would no have the resources to practise art. There has to be surplus to support that behavior.