Lost World. Horses and bison are the two most frequently depicted animals in European Paleolithic figurative art, with more than 50% of all figures between both (horses a bit more than bison). There is also an association of both animals at many sites. It is possible this association in cave art was for symbolic reasons. It is also possible this was due to a natural association of the two animal in the wild. A symbiotic relationship of two large grazers, that cooperated in survival from predator attacks through complementary sensory capacites (eyesight/hearing/smell)and physical defensive mechanisms (kicking/charging). It could be that the natural transcended into the symbolic. Meaning/intention subject to your own interpretation as the artists and their culture faded away more than 10,000 years ago. Both the European bison and the Przewalski horse were saved from near extinction. Seeing the two animals grazing together, side by side in the same green pasture is a thrill. Heads down at the edge of an oak forest they have modeled and whose understory they have cleared through grazing/browsing/toppling, puts you right back into a scene our Paleolithic ancestors must have often witnessed. Spending the afternoon watching them in their natural habitat prior to a multi-day cave tour really helps put you in the frame of mind and environment for the experience at hand. We will couple this with a wild cave exploration tomorrow using bone marrow fat lamps. Entering a dark cave this way leads to significant bouts of pareidolia, seeing figures in the cave walls as the light and shadows of the lamps dance on the rugged surfaces. Having the animals fresh in our minds should contribute to what will undoubtedly be a moving experience. Experience available, see bio for link to website and contact info. Step into the past…. #Paleolithic #paleolithicart #paleoart #caveart #rockart #ancientart #paleo #paleolitico #paleolithique #huntergatherer #symbolicart

Beyond the Shore. Paleolithic humans, both Neanderthals and homo sapiens consumed shellfish, fish and marine mammals, including ocean going species such as blue fin tuna. Seals, dolphin and larger whales were also part of their diet. Washed up/stranded animals? Opportunistic ambushing? Complex traps or netting? Crafts of some sort to fish/hunt from (think of eskimos and their kayaks)? Unfortunately, evidence of how they obtained these prey or carrion is not preserved. We have faunal remains that attest to their consumption, portable art fashioned on whale bones or depicting sea mammals, and yes, there is Paleolithic rock art in caves depicting fish and entire bodies of sea mammals. Tucked away in a hidden chamber of a cave of the southern Iberian Península, not far from the present day coast (a bit further in the Paleolithic), there are seals depicted. Part of the diet but also symbolically important. Why seals? Why so hidden away? What was the purpose? What happened in this confined space? A timeless mystery likely never to be solved. Rare, beautiful and enigmatic. That’s the magic of ancient art. #paleolithic #paleolithicart #paleoart #rockart #Caveart #ancientart #iceageart #archaeology #paleolitico #paleolithique

Ochre Research. Incredible nine days researching with @lydiavpyne for her next book, a deep time history of ochre. Our focus was ochre use in the Paleolithic, particularly art, but also in other contexts. Our research included visiting deposits of ochre in caves but also in the landscapes. The variety of pigment colors was wide ranging, from yellow, to orange, brown, red, sienna, violet, purple, near black and everything in between. Outstanding natural color palette that Paleolithic artists had access to. Surprisingly, the colors of the raw minerals do not necessarily correspond to the colors they produce. A nearly black mineral produced bright red color when applied. From deliberate and repeated graphic units potentially made during the Middle Paleolithic at Ardales cave, to clearly artistic uses such as at Altamira cave in the Magdalenian period of the Upper Paleolithic, and beyond into post Paleolithic art in and outside of various caves. The use of ochre in funerary contexts at El Mirón cave was quite thought provoking . What made a group bury a woman, twice, using a specific ochre from 20km away in what was a likely ritual? Art, burials, rituals and utilitarian contexts make ochre a fundamental part of the human story. Turns out some animals also use it… curious? Read @lydiavpyne ‘s next book when she publishes. I know she has a lot of work ahead and can’t wait to see how she weaves all of this together for us. I feel honored to have been a sliver of this awesome project. Rewarding, joyful and humbling. Thank you @lydiavpyne ! #PaleolithicArt #CaveArt #PaleoArt #Paleolithic #RockArt #IceAgeArt #Ochre #PaleoAnthropology #Archaeology #AncientArt #Anthropology

Niaux. Lourdes, ritual caves separated by millennia. In France visiting/revisiting Paleolithic caves. Niaux just as enthralling as ever. Bison, goats horses. Salon Noir, 1km underground, a gallery with captivating acoustics . The thought of prehistoric persons carrying out a ritual or ceremony in the same space thousands of years ago is humbling. Who was taken there? For what purpose? How was the art used? My mind always races with possibilities as I return from the darkness/depths of the cave. Symbols painted beyond in other areas lead to more questions. Passing footprints of our ancestors drives my imagination deeper. I relive the past with my own experience. Spectacular. I spent the night in Lourdes on my way to other Paleolithic sites. I arrived at night and decided to visit the cave where a young woman had visions of the Virgin Mary in the 19th c. Many devotees were visiting the cave, rubbing their hands along the walls, venerating the image of Mary, drinking/collecting the waters from the spring said to have healing properties. A Catholic ritual was held at the site as darkness fell. Participants carried candles, using them during the ritual that involved prayer, reciting and singing, all led by a priest. It was a very curious experience to see a cave used in a present day religious ritual after seeing a cave that was likely used for symbolic rituals in the Paleolithic. The two are completely unrelated yet the combined experience was quite introspective. 16,000 years later humans have a need to believe. What did our Paleolithic ancestors believe, how did they use their decorated spaces? One can only imagine…but I have no doubt it was charged with energy, excitement, thrill, perhaps nervousness of what was surely a very important moment for them. Seeing a present day ritual the same day as visiting a Paleolithic ritual space reinforced our need as a species for spiritual connections beyond our ordinary world and lives. What I wouldn’t give to have been part of a ritual at the Salon Noir of Niaux 16,000 years ago. #palaeolithic #paleoart #caveart

~24,000 years ago, a Paleolithic person recognized the natural features in a cave wall as those of a female deer. The person was likely not just anybody, but rather a special person that was charged with recording, communicating and transmitting the culture and beliefs of a certain group, in a certain area and in a certain point in time in the Paleolithic. The person followed stylistic, functional, and very likely cultural conventions. It was important to do so, for them, for their local group and for a larger audience, part of their cultural identity but that may have to travel some distance to share in this. One female deer, whose neck and rump are part of the wall , whose other features were “completed” by a special person with a vision, not just for this figure, but for its place among some 20 others and for everyone that would be invited to see it. Quite a responsibility bestowed on a person. The person’s command of perspective, volume and anatomy are obvious. This figure likely awed viewers in the Gravettian when it was created and shared with others. It awes me every time I see it, especially in the context of the mural it is part of and the disposition of this mural in the cave. An exceptional “artist” who was likely less interested in personal recognition, rather than the responsibility for transmitting their culture. #paleolithic #paleolithicart #rockart #caveart #paleoart #iceageart #paleolitico #paleolithique

Altamira Sunrise. 14.500 years in the making. Bialowieza NP, Poland. I study/share/live/breathe Paleolithic cave art. I have stalked/hunted wild animals. Both primordial experiences. Convergence. Before sunrise, wildlife waits for no one. Traversing prairies near the forest, hoping to spot daybreak grazing bison before retreating to the safety of the trees. Tracks. Bedding area. Dung, but dry. The scent of wild ungulate, but latent. Wild European bison, not zoo or captive herd animals. The real deal…. but no luck. New hunting grounds. More bedding. Tracks, but not bison, huge red deer. Fresh, warm dung. Suddenly, the pungent smell of power. Then it happened. Grazing 100m beyond, there he was. A lone, very mature, past his prime male bison bull. 900 kg of pure muscle. He noticed us but could not have cared less. He could dispense with our intrusion easily if need be. A thin line of trees allowed us enough cover to get within 25m. He looked at us more, but stuck to his plan, feed away before the direct sunlight hit the field. The rut was coming soon, but he knew he was beyond his prime. It was time to enjoy his final years and turn the charge over to the young blood. He assumed many attitudes I had seen before on cave walls. Licking his back, sticking his tongue out, swatting flies with his tail, defecating, smiling…. simply being a bison, but it was powerful and majestic. He proceeded to saunter off into the woods, knowing daybreak was upon us. The rays of the rising sun hit his back, Altamira cave came to life. I understood the respect Paleolithic people had for this animal and the appreciation of seeing it in the wild. The red ochre lit up his back, the black charcoal accentuated his developed musculature and the engravings outlined his profile and textured his hair perfectly. Altamira. Alive. The cave will never be the same for me. A change of perspective. Paleolithic comprehension. As he entered the shade of the woods it was over, but never will be. Thank you Bialowieza. Thank you Altamira. #paleoart #paleoartist #Paleoarte #paleolithic #caveart #paleolithicart #iceageart

Neanderthal Archaeology: attending a course covering hunting strategies, culture, symbolic behavior, cannibalism and genetics of our sophisticated evolutionary cousins (who are now in most of us). Fascinating lectures by brilliant researchers versed deeply in the subjects at hand. Taking place at the foot of El Castillo mountain, at the heart of their territory in Northern Spain, near several important related sites (El Castillo, La Pasiega, Hornos de La Peña, El Pendo caves) and not far from many others. A privilege of being in the thick of their territory.

Bison? Four different bison. A live one and three separate depictions from various caves in Spain and France. Are these simply depictions of bison? What are your thoughts? In my opinion, these are more than just bison. The gaze and attitude of the depicted bison penetrates deeper than the way a live bison looks at you. I have looked in the eyes of many live animals. Few look at you as powerfully as a human eye does (elephants and whales come to mind). What is the intention of the artist here? They knew bison. They knew how to draw “just” a bison. This is more. Or is it? Open to your subjective interpretation. This is the beauty of Paleolithic art. Revel in it.

Seeing is Believing. While Paleolithic humans used torches or made small fires to be able to see in and travel through caves in complete darkness, archaeological evidence of portable lamps and the lack of soot marks on decorated walls or ceilings suggests these lamps were used in art making. In most cases, these lamps were made in stone and used bone marrow (fat) as fuel, which was also a food source, and one they were willing to give up in order to provide lighting. Using dry plant fibers as a wick, the fat can be ignited and provides a long lasting source of light that can be replenished. These are effectively oil lamps. The lamps create a clean light, with very little smoke, that flickers and even pulsates. When placed near a cave wall, the dancing shadows created by the movement in the flame bring the walls alive as your imagination starts to conjure images in the shapes and shadows of the natural surface of the cave. There is a human tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern. You have likely experienced this at times, seeing images in clouds for instance. It is greatly enhanced in the dark space of a cave illuminated with a fat lamp. Did this influence what and where Paleolithic artists depicted certain figures? Having experienced this personally, I am sure it did. It likely also enhanced the perception of some art, possibly evoking movement in certain figures. #paleolithic #caveart #caveartpaintings #paleoart #paleoartist #iceageart #rockart #rockartresearch #archaeology #experimentalarchaeology