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Look at this picture. Imagine you are an archeologist who has been searching for ancient artifacts through the caves in france, and you come upon this picture. What do you think it shows? write a paragraph to explain what the picture shows, the artist who painted it, and why it was painted

User Rahil Ahmad
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2 Answers

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17 votes

Final answer:

Cave paintings in France, like those at Lascaux and Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc, are believed to represent prehistoric hunting rituals and could have had religious significance. The exact meaning remains unknown, but their presence serves as a testament to humanity's long-standing ability to symbolically depict the world around them.

Step-by-step explanation:

As an archaeologist encountering a cave painting in France, it's clear that these ancient artworks are more than mere decoration. They are believed to represent hunting magic, a concept suggested by Priest Henri Breuil. Breuil, using ethnography, theorized that the prehistoric peoples conducted rituals involving the creation of these images to ensure successful hunts, essential for their survival. Given the depictions ofLascaux and other sites like Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc, the presence of animals and humans suggests a form of archiving human experience and storytelling.

However, interpretative caution is advised. The lack of direct insight into the creators' minds and cultures necessitates careful speculation. The existence of these paintings, dating back over 30,000 years, exposes the artists' ability to symbolically represent their world, an ability that is distinctively human. Scholars also contemplate a possible religious purpose for these paintings, perhaps performed by shamans seeking connection with spiritual forces.

Due to their fragility and the potentially damaging effects of modern human presence, these caves are largely inaccessible, with authentic reproductions made available for public view. They represent a time when even in a world hostile and demanding, humans found the time and the means to create intriguing art,

User Mohammad Dohadwala
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18 votes
18 votes

Answer:

The cave painting on the image is representing the animals, or rather the environment that was seen by the artists of the painting in their surroundings. We can see that there are wild horses depicted on it, but also a rhino. The wild horses were probably a prey animal, while the rhino was a respected animal and feared one, thus they were avoiding it. The artists that painted it were the Cro-Magnons, early Homo-sapiens in Europe, in what is now France. The reason why it was painted is probably because the artist wanted to depict the environment, but also maybe for teaching the youngsters about the animals from early age, so that they know which ones are to be hunted, and which ones to be avoided.

User Malcolm Anderson
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