Although the hypothesis seems attractive at first sight, it doesn't work. It has been observed for some time now that there is a discrepancy between the species dominating the art (horse, bison seem on the whole most common) and the species dominating the faunal assemblages of contemporary sites (often esp. reindeer).

See e.g. https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/CMPL/article/viewFile/CMPL9494120303A/29969

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/aa.1985.87.1.02a00080/full

Thanks a lot, Gerrit.

I will move along the lines that you have kindly pointed out.

I believe there must be something for me :)

Warmest.

Further.....

Dear GLD,

This is an eye-opener:

" - Titis study comparestite frecuency of animal representations in (he Cantabrian cave art lo thai offoad remains iii tite sorne regían. Titis campar/son is])rst establishedfor each site, when possible, and titen it is globally analyzed Tite results show no correspondence and even a contraposition between boit sample groups."

Is an English translation of the article available by any chance?

Kindly let me know if/when you read this note. After that I will remove my question. :)

Unfortunately I don't know of an English translation of that specific paper. Rice and Paterson also published a paper on the Spanish situation though: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/aa.1986.88.3.02a00090/full

I stand corrected :)

Thanks for your patient and contributive participation, Gerrit.

I will be grateful to any RG researcher who can lead me to papers that zoom in on the divide between animals that are painted on cave walls and animals that were killed for food.

As lions are painted there hunting together, the point is lost perhaps. As far as I know, the animals are arranged within the caves, often floating or inhabiting space, some possibly dead, but each image may carry meaning. They were painted over a period of time so sometimes superimposed. There are also statures of bears strategically placed.

"As lions are painted there hunting together", it could be a pointer to a strategy -- the same way a corporate (on the sly) is studying the strategy of a competitor. Apart from that, I perfectly understand your point. The symbolism attributed to representation can't be ruled out, for instance.

Nevertheless I tend to wonder. Those ancient hunters have seen and interacted with "more" nature that we could ever imagine. But why not a dragonfly or an ant or scorpion? Why not even a bat that is certain to have shared a cave with them.

Anyways, thanks a lot for your refined reply, Stanley. I will keep what you've said in my mind, as I keep pursuing the topic.

Warmest.

Rad, I think they learnt from lions, yes.

But one view, cannot remember author, considered these caves temples where shamanistic rituals were done for ancestors or the dead, ancestor or not, on the other side of the cave walls. Some of the animals appear to drift into or disappear into the walls.

The paintings can be seen thereby as offerings or for shamanistic inhabitation. There is in one the image of a man dressed as a stag to underwrite this theory. Statuettes of lion headed men have also been discovered.

These are not nature-orientated paintings, as there is no flora, etc.

The recent cave painting now thought to be by Neanderthals has what appears to be a ladder, indicating symbolic intentions.

Stanley, the shamanistic view stands to reason, I suppose.

And I have always been following Steven J. Waller's awesome Rock Art Acoustics. Waller has tested the abundance of echoes in all ancient sites of arts. Echoes were spirits to the ancients. Waller mentions something like the fear of being trapped inside a rock (like an echo). It goes well with "Some of the animals appear to drift into or disappear into the walls."

There are several points to be connected. Ultimately it could be a constellation.

When all is said, we can only marvel at the immense beauty of some cave paintings, unmatched as of now.

I agree with their beauty and if ideas on composition are correct, that they are interrelated then we have true 'wonders'.

There is evidence of immense sophistication not the club-wielders of cartoons. The Venus amulets, etc, indicate widespread cultural connections that has tempted Paleaentologists to divide Europe up into cultural entities. There is also evidence of proto-language.

That is amazing.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180221122923.htm

Stanley, pease follow the link. It is an interesting research.

Waller's work is alluded to and internalised in it.

Warmest.

Incised bones have been found with images on them that appear to provide information not decoration. Maybe just about when prey animals migrate, but probable proto-language. Also, birds'-feet images around cave entrances (and elsewhere) that also may intimate vaginas, but, whichever appear symbolic.

Dear Gerrit, Peter and Stankey,

Any update on the topic, if you come across one, will be deeply appreciated.

Warmest.

Fiann Paul

Dear Fiann, I didn't get you, I am sorry.

Can you please put it in another words?

I am still on the subject, and I put all the feedback from here into article, giving full credit to each contributor. It was a long way from Robert Ardrey's question why all this precious art in places which are dark and still mostly formidable?

P.S. It was unfortunate that the first person to respond to my question deleted his profile (it is like a cave painter vanishing into oblivion :)

Fiann Paul

"A method of coal mining in which the working face extends entirely across the seam, the work proceeds either away from or toward the main shaft, and the roof is allowed to cave in behind the workers."

Did you mean this?

Dear Fiann, Are you saying they were rather logbooks?