I will try to find examples of the above mentioned paintings, and post them here, together with some comments. I find them quite extraordinary.

Have you visited some of these sites. What is the most famous, Lescaux or something like that?

The Lascaux caves in the Dordogne, France, is the more famous of the two - probably because of where it's situated. I believe the Altamira caves are a little more difficult to get to. Sadly I haven't visited either of these sights myself, but the way it looks, I'll be in Europe longer than I thought, so I've not given up hope. Anyway, the painting in the Lascaux caves is of two wounded bison attacking a man - I've got a photo right in front of me. I'll post it to Wer to put in so everyone can see. What strikes me about it is the great naturalism and anatomical accuracy with which the bison is portrayed. The man in it, however is more of a stick man, almost symbolical inits representation. And there's a bird in the painting too - I can't quite work out why or whether it is perhaps a kind of symbol or banner, or what function it fulfills.

What I find fascinating about the cave art in Lascaux is that they had the foresight way back in the 60s (70s?) to reseal the cave so it wouldn't be further damaged by light, humidity, etc., thereby depriving the world of the great paintings for the good of the art. So noble!

Noble indeed, and fortunate that the long haul was considered.

It struck me as so incongruous with the times...makes you wonder what shape they'd be in today if allowed to be exploited (or, God forbid, if they were located in another country that wasn't so forward-thinking)?

Absolutely. And thank you for raising that point, Autumn. That is exactly what I want. Not only to talk about how wonderful the art is, but how to preserve it, and keep it safe for nations to come. Another thing which is truly fascinating about these paintings is HOW they were done, and how creative their artists were even in that. Aparrently they painted the lines by blowing the paint through a hollow reed onto the wall of the cave. To make coloured paint they used ochre, which could be crushed to powder consisting of red, brown and yellow pigments, while black (so historians assume) will have been made from charcoal powder. These powdered pigments were rubbed onto the wall with the hands to pro uce tones not unlike the pastels we have today. Mixed with animal fat or other forms of binding fluids, and applied with reed or bristle brushes, they achieved the brighter colours. The means were simple, the effect overwhelming. And while we are ignorant of the meaning of the painting (the symolized elements in it suggest that there must be a deeper meaning, perhaps ritualistic), this prehistoric art is representative of all art to come.

and other ancient art such as marking the body, painful as it is, many fading tribes still mark their bodies ritualistically in the same manner as their ancestors before them. can't give any examples cuz i saw it on discovery awhile back. i found it fascinating.

I didn't know that - sounds very interesting. I'll try and find out about it.

I'm always amazed at the elaborate tattooing the New Zealand Maori tribe performs.

did you also know that the final tattoo performed can at times result in death? It is the one done around the belly button.

Not a thing I ever wish to experience - I don't like being in pain for no reason at all. In Namibia there is also some prehistoric rock engravings to be found. Twyfelfontein is a particularly magnificent site of rock engravings (more accurately called, petroglyphs). Many experts now believe that the rock artists of southern Africa were producing paintings at the same time as, if not earlier tahn, the rock artists of Altamira and Lascaux.

Wounded bison attacking man Lascaux caves 15,000-10,000BC

�BEAMING!!� Thank you, Wer!! Being your mistress is my Joy .... What immediately strikes one about this cave painting is that the bison is indeed very accurately painted (especially if you consider the primitive means), whereas the man and the bird seem of almost no importance at all. Experts think that the bison might have been a sacred animal to these ancient cave painters. But the bird bothers me. Why the long line where the claws should be?

water bird like a stork or flamingo, maybe...

I don't know, Wer - if they could portray the bison so accurately, why do a stork or flamingo so totally INaccurately? They were obviously very observant - surely they'd be capable of painting a long neck and beak? I'm wondering if the bird acts as a symbol of some sort. To me it looks like it's sitting on a stick. But why? Hey, a thought just came to me, and you're going to laugh at it - for it stands in no book. I'm thinking that perhaps the painter was trying to teach his fellow tribesmen a lesson: Perhaps the hunter first managed to kill a bird - hence the stick. Then he sees the mighty bison quivering with power and magnificence. The painter painted the bird small and insignificant, while the bison seems almost alive with strength and greatness. This illustrates what the hunter felt: he wanted to take home the great bison, not the silly bird. So he sets out to kill the bison, and win the admiration of the other men - and especially the women, of course. And this is where the painter teaches s a lesson. The hunter is attacked, and killed by the beautiful animal he wanted to kill, but didn't respect. He is flung into the air by its magnificent horns, and falls to the ground where perhaps he is trampled to death; he dies for his vanity and greed. This is only my feeling right now as I look at it - a very personal interpretation of something several thousand years beyond my reach, so feel free to disagree.

For some reason, I could look at that picture all day.

I know what you mean. I really makes you think.

yes, sometimes you do...

What's that supposed to mean, muffin!? I don't think often? I suppose not.

nope, you said, "I really makes you think." so I said, "yes, sometimes you do..."

ha-ha!!! Didn't even realize I made that mistake! You're in one hilarious mood today - not good for a person suffering from incessant giggling fits!

Time for our second bison, I think. Bison from Altamira Cave c. 15,000-12,000 BC The paintings on the walls of these caves were the first to be discovered in modern times - 1879. The discovery had such fundamental implications for archaeology that it was at first dismissed as a forgery. The bison is painted on the ceiling of a narrow corridor leading from a subterranean cave in Altamira. In fact, a whole herd of animals surges majestically across the roof of the cave, one animal overlapping another; bison, horses, boars, mammoths, and other creatures, all the desired quarry of the Stone Age hunters.

this is really good!

Yes, I love the reddish colour in which this one is painted. I'm trying to find photos of the rest of the herd, but haven't been successful yet. I'm dying to see what the whole thing looks like. Have any of you been?

I'd love to see a woolly mammoth!

Me too! And to think that the artist will have seen one for real!