PALEOLITHIC CAVE ART:
THE HORSE IN ANCIENT TIMES ©
by Athunere

Paleolithic cave art is one of most amazing records our ancestors have left us. There are four pre-historic cave art sites in France: Lacaux, Chauvet, Altamira and Cosquer. Two of the Paleolithic cave art sites, Lascuax and Chauvet, are located in southern and south-western France respectively. Each cave is actually a series of interconnected caves and on their walls are renderings of impressive artistic creations. The images are, for the most part, found within the fossil record for this prehistoric period. At Le Thot, the Centre of Prehistoric Art, a replica of two of the Cave Halls from the Lascaux Cave have been opened and are available for public viewing.

The Chauvet cave paintings date back to 32,000 years ago and contain images depicting thirteen different species. Some experts believe there was a ritual, shamanic, or magical aspect to some of these paintings. The most amazing images of horses are to be found in the Chauvet cave. There was a human child’s footprint found in the cave as well as the charcoal remains of human fires. A very interesting fact is the cave walls were scarped and smoothed as a preparation before the paintings were done. There were two techniques used in the painting process. The outline of the images were done using moss/straw soaked pigment. Then the interior of the pieces were completed using hollow bone tubes with paint blown onto the walls. Remnants of the discoloured hollow bone tubes were found on the floor of the caves.

Horses represent twenty five percent of all the animal paintings depicted on the cave walls. The Lascaux horse bears a striking similarity to the Welsh pony. A farm in Washington State, USA, is named Lascaux Farm because they specialize in Welsh Ponies and found the Lascaux horse to be strikingly similar to the breed. Having worked with Welsh Ponies myself, I immediately noted the amazing similarity of the Paleolithic painting and the horse as it exists today.

At Lascaux over 900 figures are identifiable as animals. Horses represent three hundred and sixty four of these images. Over one-third of the animals depicted are horses! There are also bison, cattle, felines, birds, bears and a human is also represented. The animals are painted in profile and seem to be prepared for action. The paintings are found deep within the caves and are believed to have had sacred or ceremonial purposes. Horses are represented in more of the paintings then any other single animal and we may therefore assume horses of great significance to our ancestors.

LINKS:

The Cave of Lascaux

Lascaux
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Timeline of Art History
Lascaux (ca. 15,000 B.C.)

Chauvet Cave

Chauvet Cave
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Timeline of Art History
Chauvet Cave

Paleolithic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prehistoric Art - Paleolithic
(2 million years ago-13,000 BC.)

The Cave of Chauvet – Pont D’Arc

Cave Painting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Athunere is a walker between worlds, a shapeshifter and a dreamer of golden dreams. She is the founder of Wisdom Tree, a Faery Shaman and a seeker of all things that stir her heart. She was born on the Avalon of Newfoundland and presently dwells amid the Great Lakes in Ontario, Canada.

Find her at Wisdom Tree

Paleolithic Cave Art: The Horse in Ancient Times copyright © 2007 by Athunere, all rights reserved. Used with permission. Top of Page

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