Alanna Dailey - Chauvet Caves

Chauvet caves: Outside reading
In Jean Clottes article “Rhinos, Lions, and Bears (Oh My!), Clottes describes his first experience upon seeing the Lascaux cave paintings. What I found so interesting about this article was the mention to predatory animals on the walls. Rhinos, lion, and bears are found in abundance in the Chauvet cave. Other Paleolithic art usually included hunted animals such as bison and deer. Paintings of these animals were most likely used in hunting rituals and well as an instruction manual to the hunters. The focus on predatory animals, which probably were not hunted, suggests that these animals symbolized something else to the Pateolithic people. Another interesting feature is that the cave floor is scattered with bones of bears. One bear skull is displayed dramatically on a stalagmite.
I have come up with a few ideas as to what the abundance of predatory animals on the cave walls could mean. My more practical explanation is that the paintings are precautionary. These animals were dangerous and it was best to avoid them. But that does not really explain the vast number unless the people were extremely fearful. My second idea is that these animals were their totem. Most oral cultures had founding animal ancestor and protects the tribe. Another option is that ancestral spirits reside in these animals and the paints are used to honor or invoke them. My last idea is that the gods manifest in the rhinos, lions, and bears. Of course these are all guesses without any form of additional research, and I would love to delve deeper into this topic later on.