ICE AGE ART AND THE BEAR CULT

womb and rib cage

This is a tracing of the famous 'Panel of Signs' from Chauvet Cave (36k BP). Jean Clottes, the first curator of the cave, has suggested there are a total of seven lobed signs associated with this panel, covered mostly by calcite. Only two are shown here. Jean Clottes has also remarked that each sign seems to be associated with a single line, yet in a different position.

Rib cage Chauvet

This is the barbed sign on the same panel. I have shown it here as it was originally constructed. The lines are all still visible. The single line to the lower right can be found at various stages during the cave in significant positions.

ribs with tracing b

I have suggested in my book that this sign represents a rib cage. Ribs are often found inserted into the walls of Ice Age Caves, which tend to be of a claylike nature. We possibly find resonances of such ancient practices in stories such as Genesis or the Sumerian Gilgamesh Epic.

ribcage sign

It is possible that signs like this were ritual markings that were donned by certain initiates to the cave. The red signs at Chauvet are different from the black images in the deepest parts of the cave.

Chest Sign with infill b

The red extention of the barbed sign is approximately the size of what would be the 'sternum' of the rib cage. It is possible that this is a reference to the 'thirteenth rib'. This sign has possible connotations with the lunar cycles in a solar year.

sternum1

This image of a sternum has a little extention at the bottom called the cyphoid process. Sometimes this has a hole in it. Holes inside stones and bones have deep meaning in northerns hemisphere shamanism.

Womb sign rock pendant copy

This rock pendant at Chauvet Cave (36k BP) shows a labrys/womb sign. A molded vagina is below the "handle"/womb-entrance. The left 'leg' has a pagan cross and a tau cross on it. To the right of this composition is a fissure in the rock with white calcite secretions. Two parallel red lines make it appear like a vulva.

womb sign

womb sign

womb rib

In this image from the Panel of [Red] Signs we see a diagonal line (rib?) 'fall' down into the womb.

lower body comparison

Here are the two phallic rock pendants that penetrate Chauvet Cave. Both have the lower body section of a woman represented on them. Note the phallic shape in the black vulva triangle that appears to have 'fallen' in.

lower body comparison 2

Sumerian labrys

These Sumerian labrys were shown above a depiction of harvest offerings. They are about 30 thousand years younger than the images at Chauvet Cave.

thirteen dots

In this composition from the Panel of [Red] Signs we see a circle, like a breath, emerging from the mouth of the lion head on the right. It is surrounded by twelve dots and a thirteenth dot veering off into another direction (a reference to the lunar cycles in the solar year).

owl

The Panel of the Owl probably shows the two sickle shaped Ilium bones of the pelvis. The owl may represent the sacrum (see following images). The line seems to represent the rib inside of the womb. This image is at the other end of the undecorated Candle Gallery that separates the White and Black Sector of Chauvet Cave from the red entrance sections.

pelvis

Here is a back view of a female pelvis. Note the sickle shaped bones Ilium bones of the Pelvis and the owl shaped sacrum.

owl pelvis

This is a stylized representation of the Panel of the Owl. Note that in the panel itself the owl is shown looking backwards over its back.

owl pendant

There are three spirals next to the Panel of the Owl. These probably represent the three seasons or ages: the young emerging spiral, the mature spiral (already slightly disconnected at the centre), and the dying spiral (without core and disintegrating).

megaloceros

This megaloceros is shown without its antlers. It has a black shadow around its neck where normally would grow a long tuft of fur. Its hump is also covered by a shadow. Its hooves are missing as is its tail. A diagonal line divides its body and its genital region shows elaborate markings. It is possible that this represents a spiritual map of its fur and power attributes.

black horse chauvet

This horse only shows its front section as if it is emerging from the wall into the cave. Its face, neck hair and legs are covered in black shadows.

aurochs chauvet

This bison has all of its significant fur on its head, neck and underside coloured black. It has also a round black shadow on its back that may outline a section of fur that was taken for a shamanic drum.

Reindeer panel

These images from the Panel of the Reindeer serve to demonstrate the variation of skill in the images at Chauvet Cave. The 'artist' here misplaced the eyes too high in the skull and painted them as slits, giving the images a childlike appearance. All significant sections of fur are covered in black.

multi horn rhino

Here an 'artist' added further outlines to a central rhino. Each dorsal line and significant power attributes/heavenly gifts are represented anew.

bison head string

The association of one image with another is also evident in this vertical line of bison heads. On this ridge the top bison was probably drawn first together with its back section. Further images were probably associated with time below it, becoming increasingly less detailed.

black rhino chauvet

At Chauvet Cave all whoolly rhinoceroses are shown without their characteristic fur. The central bocy section, cheek, hooves and horns are always coloured in black shadows and we may assume that they were removed as power tokens by shamans.

mammoth black Chauvet

These two mammoth are clearly shown without fur. This mammoth's tusks are missing and the whole body is shaded in black. It's small head clearly marks it as an adult.

mammoth black 2 Chauvet

This mammoth is also shown without fur. This convention was not uphold at Peche Mele and other caves in Southern France, suggesting that different sites had different conventions in depicting the same spititual content (probably in the hope of being more effective).

goddess panel

This ill named Panel of the Sorcerer shows a female body section below. A phallic shape is clearly visible inside of the vulva triangle. It is on a phallic rock pendant. A bison spirit seems to be stepping into the right leg from 'above', while a lion spirit emerges and follows on at the right, followed by a furry hide of a mammoth, indicating a succession of seasons, generations, ages (?)

musk ox Chauvet back of Sorcerer Panel

This unique image of a musk ox shows the fur lifting onto a shaman in transition. The image is on the reverse of the rock pendant of the Panel of the Sorcerer.

red edited rhino

This rhinoceros clearly has red editing that seems to be designes to spill out the power from its horns, cheek and body into the cave. It seems that someone managing the cave may have sought to undo a magic contract or to rob a shaman's power tokens of their spiritual prowess. This image (along with the structured layout of Chauvet cave) suggests that the cave was managed by some priesthood.