6/25/2023 0 Comments Prehistoric rhinoceros![]() ![]() How do we know that the man is important? Could another tribal group with less advanced weapons have tried to use magic to even the playing field? The man is obviously important and has some relatively technologically advanced weapons. Is it some sort of a curse (like a voodoo doll)? There is evidence that the early artists ritually painted their prey on the walls of the caves and then ritually "killed" them in some sort of ceremony. Was it a warning, in other words, never, never do this!? ![]() It is worth noting that the artist, also a hunter, has perceptively shown the angry bison's hair standing up on end on the back of his neck. Is it a narrative? Is the man dead or dying? If so, what injured him, the rhino or the bison? Who injured the bison (its intestines have been ripped out)? The big question: What does it mean? Possible Scenario 1 It should also be noted that images of humans were rare and this is one of the first depictions of one of our early ancestors. Because of their location most scholars believe that the paintings were meant to serve magical/religious purposes. General background: The artists were hunter-gatherers who, using flickering torchlight, painted such images in relatively inaccessible areas of certain caves. We must also stress that with any prehistoric art any such interpretations are educated speculation and could be totally incorrect. As this is a prehistoric image, historians have to interact with anthropologists as well as art historians to arrive at reasonable interpretations of its meaning. This is a good image to use early in the semester to encourage class participation concerning the various ways historians obtain information. Sometimes called the Well Scene owing to its location in a deeper, less accessible area in the caves of Lascaux, France. Rhinoceros, wounded man and disemboweled bison
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