Lascaux helped researchers crack the case. A stag appears with 7 red dots, an aurochs mating scene has 4 black dots above the female, and a pair of reindeer with locked antlers shows 8 dots. These standardized numerical associations with animal reproductive behavior were key to the calendar hypothesis. Truly a Paleolithic Rosetta Stone!
Lascaux cave art described as Paleolithic Rosetta Stone for mating scene depictions
FranceTheory
Key facts
- Lascaux features a stag (male deer) paired with 7 red dots
- Aurochs (undomesticated ancestors of modern cattle) depicted in a mating scene with 4 black dots above the female
- Pair of reindeer with locked antlers depicted with 8 dots above, representing rutting behavior
- The site helped researchers crack the case by showing standardized numerical associations with animal reproductive behavior
Site mentioned
Sources
Lascaux (article) | Khan Academykhanacademy.org
The images are sometimes entirely linear—line drawn to define the animal's contour. In many other cases, the animals are described in solid and blended colors ...
Lascaux Cave - Grotte de Lascaux - Don's Mapsdonsmaps.com
Group of six red dots. They are highly reminiscent of those that mark the end of the decoration of the Shaft.
Lascaux cave paintings discovered | September 12, 1940 | HISTORYhistory.com
The pictures depict in excellent detail numerous types of animals, including horses, red deer, stags, bovines, felines, and what appear to be mythical ...
The Cave Art Paintings of the Lascaux Cave - Bradshaw Foundationbradshawfoundation.com
Lascaux is famous for its Palaeolithic cave paintings, found in a complex of caves in the Dordogne region of southwestern France.
Scenes From The Stone Age – The Cave Paintings of Lascauxjosetteking.com
The polychrome images in vivid black, brown, red, yellow and white, are estimated to date back between 17,000 and 20,000 years. They represent ...
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