AN ASTRONOMICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE HALL OF
BULLS IN THE CAVE OF LASCAUX
FRANKLIN L. EDGE
Mitchell Community College, 500 West Broad Street, Statesville, North Carolina 28677, U.S.A.
ABSTRACT. One Great Bull image from the “Hall of Bulls” of the cave of Lascaux is identified with known star groupings.
Speculation that the entire frieze, which was executed as a composition, might then be interpreted as a celestial representation is
pursued with the result that the frieze is recognized as a picture of the star groups that appeared from dusk to dawn along the ecliptic
at the season of the summer solstice (c. 15,000 B.C.) at the time Lascaux was painted. This frieze and the star pictures it represents
could have been used, in conjunction with observation of the lunar phases, to keep track of the passage of the summer season.
Appreciation for the astronomical significance of the frieze in the “Hall of Bulls” begins with the
recognition of the strong correlation between the painted dots above and within the face of the Great Bull
(Figure #18) in the frieze and the respective star groups of the Pleiades and the Hyades (with Aldebaran)
in the modern constellation of Taurus. Beyond this comparison of painted dot patterns with star patterns,
one must also notice that other attributes of the painted face of Figure #18 correspond closely with forms
suggested by the related portions of the star field within Taurus. In particular the line of the front of the
nose of the figure, the line of the shadow across the nose of the figure, and the position and shape of the
ear of the figure all strongly correspond to the position and arrangement of stars in the related star field.
Together these correspondences give compelling support for the recognition of the face of Lascaux
Figure #18 as a representation of the star field in and around the modern constellation of Taurus.
Figure #18
Taurus Star Field
Related Elements
Further recognition of the astronomical representations of the “Hall of Bulls” depends upon the
argument of art historians that the frieze was originally painted as a composition, (Sieveking, 1979) and
that the styalistic similarity of the figures painted in black manganese outline suggests that these figures
were painted together by one artist, or by a small number of contemporaneous artists (Bahn & Vertut,
1988; Ruspoli, 1987). When combined with the above recognition of Figure #18 as astronomical, it
follows that the black manganese figures of the frieze should all be considered to have possible consistent
astronomical interpretations.
Black Manganese “Backbone”
Thus, in order to understand the layout of the frieze of the “Hall of Bulls”, one must understand the
relationships among the figures painted in black manganese outline, which together form the backbone of
the frieze. These figures include (from west to east) the four great bulls (Figures #18, 15, 13, & 9), the
“Horses Head” (Figure #3), and the “Unicorn” (Figure #2). The two other primary figures of the frieze,
the two polychrome horses, were painted in a different style, and were obviously fitted in later so as not
to cross over the black manganese figures already in place.
Since Figure #18 of the frieze has been identified with the constellation of Taurus, and since Taurus
lies along the ecliptic, it seems natural to attempt to correlate the other figures of the frieze consecutively
with the layout of the constellations of the zodiac lying to the east of Taurus. As both the sweep of
figures from the Lascaux frieze, and the procession of constellations along the zodiac are semi-continuous
lines of figures, simply laying one set of figures over the top of the other is guaranteed to give some set of
correspondences between painted figures and constellations. This is the approach taken recently by C.
Jegues-Wolkiewiez (2000). Still the results are not convincing due to the fact that in the correspondences
derived by this method the painted figures look little or nothing like the star patterns with which they are
correlated.
If it does nothing else, the identification of the many correspondences between the face of Figure #18
and the constellation of Taurus should alert us to look for similarities of form between the painted figures
and the constellations they are supposed to represent. Such similarities of form should be evident in the
outline of the individual figures, in the spacing and orientations between and among the figures, and even
in the details within the figures. When one looks for such correspondences of form, the correspondences
are found readily, and clear identification can be assigned to several additional figures in a compelling
way. Consider the following correspondences for other figures painted in black manganese outline.
From the images above it can be seen that Lascaux Figure #2, the “Unicorn”, matches in form many
specific attributes of the combined modern constellations of Sagittarius, Scorpius, and Libra. Within the
star patterns one can find specific arrangements of stars corresponding to the distended belly of the figure,
to the face, to the hump on the shoulder, and to the long straight horns. Further, the circular spotted
markings within the painted figure correspond closely with luminous regions of the Milky Way within
Sagittarius/Scorpius (specifically the Sagittarius Star Cloud, and the luminosities around M7 and M62).
Leo
Gemini
Orion
Figure #9
Figure #13
When one considers the combined images of the two great facing bulls, Figures #9 & 13, one can
correlate these two images with the constellations of Leo/Virgo, and Gemini/Orion respectively (with all
star positions corrected for proper motion). The triangular face of Bull #9, its horns, and its shoulder
hump can be directly correlated to the form of the constellation of Leo. The horns, face, body, hind legs,
and genitals of Bull #13 can be directly correlated to specific elements in the combined constellations of
Gemini and Orion. And further, the orientation and spacing between the constellations of Leo and
Gemini is matched by the relationship between these facing bulls.
The strong correspondences between the painted figures of the Lascaux frieze and specific attributes
of their related star groupings suggests the term “figurative celestial literalism” as a descriptor of the
relationships. Figurative – creating figures (images), parts of figures, and groupings of figures; Celestial
– from interpretation of apparent groupings and arrangements of stars and star patterns; Literalism –
while maintaining (within and among the figures or images) the approximate relative sizes, orientations,
and identifiable figurative elements suggested by (and within) the corresponding identifiable celestial
groupings. Within the frieze of the “Hall of Bulls”, the spacing among the figures, the positions and
shapes of figures’ heads, the position and length of their horns, the outlines of their bodies, and in some
cases the positions of their legs and even the markings on their bodies are all direct figurative translations
of corresponding identifiable celestial groupings of objects, or of the spacing between these groupings.
When using figurative celestial literalism as a guide in the identification of celestial correspondences
for the remaining black manganese figures of the frieze (the Horse’s Head and Bull Figure #15), there is
one clear success and one identified conflict. The figure of the Horse’s Head corresponds nicely with the
stars of the “Legs of Virgo”, between Bull #9 (Leo/Virgo) and the horns of the Unicorn, Figure #2
(Libra). But the identified correspondences of the “Shield of Orion” with the rump of Bull #13, and the
“Horns of Taurus” with the horns of Bull #18, leave no room in the sky for a linear correspondence
between the star patterns and Bull #15. However, the five correspondences so far identified fit together
so precisely and are defined so completely, that an alternative must be proposed to the linear assignment
of a celestial correspondence for Bull #15. The star patterns corresponding to Bull #15 must overlap the
star patterns represented by Bull #13. The frieze is not a simple linear recreation of the zodiac.
Correspondences
of
spacing
between the figures of the frieze
and the related star patterns lend
strong support to the idea that the
frieze is not a direct linear
representation of the sky. The star
patterns corresponding to Bull #13
and Bull #15 appear to overlap.
A celestial correspondence for Bull #15 that overlaps the stars of Gemini/Orion can be supported
through further considerations. First, almost directly south of (below) the stars Castor and Pollux of the
constellation Gemini, lie the stars Procyon and Gomeisa, which form the constellation of Canis Minor.
These two pairs of stars often look like twin sets of twins, directly above and below each other in the sky.
Procyon is among the brightest stars in the sky, and in the era of Lascaux it would have been visible near
the southern horizon only during the four months of summer. This star would have been an important
marker of summer, lying below the zodiac constellation of Gemini, yet worthy of recognition in a painted
representation of the sky. Second, on the back of Bull #15 are dot markings which resemble the stars of
the “Belt” and “Sword” of Orion (with an unexplained fourth dot in the “Belt”), possibly suggesting that
Orion’s “Belt” and “Sword” were high on the back of Bull #15. The same “Belt” and “Sword”
correspond to the underbelly and genitals of Bull #13. Together these two observations suggest that Bull
#15 might correspond to the constellations Canis Minor/Orion, lying below rather than behind the star
groups corresponding to Bull #13. If the artists of Lascaux had attempted to paint Bull #15 below Bull
#13, then the lower bull would have fallen below the white calcite painting surface, and would also have
partially passed through the large gap in the cave wall which is the entrance to the Axial Gallery. The
suggestion made here is that the position of Bull #15 on the wall has been shifted from the relative
position of the corresponding celestial objects in order to allow for the Lascaux artists to paint a
representation of the constellation Canis Minor while staying on the available painting surface.
Having identified the probable constellations represented by the six prominent black manganese
figures of the Lascaux frieze, we can now understand the purpose of the frieze as a whole. The zodiacal
constellations represented by Figures #2, 3, 9, 13, and 18 are precisely those zodiacal constellations seen
from Lascaux between sunset and sunrise at the season of the summer solstice in the era of Lascaux’s
painting (c. 15,000 B.C.). The frieze of the “Hall of Bulls” is a picture of the night sky along the ecliptic
at the time of the summer solstice. Because the moon moves close to the ecliptic, the moon each month
moves across this celestial landscape from the horns of the Taurus Bull in the west to the horns of the
Unicorn in the east. The full moon most closely approaching and prior to the exact night of the summer
solstice would always stand full in the center of the celestial frieze, between the Leo Bull and the Gemini
Bull. The coming solstice could be predicted seven weeks in advance by first viewing the morning
crescent moon in the horns of the Unicorn. The last view of the evening crescent moon in the horns of
the Taurus Bull would mark seven weeks since the passing of the solstice. Through watching the motions
of the moon among the stars, the ice age hunter-gatherers could accurately mark the passage of the
summer season. Since this system of chronology is free of any reference to terrestrial landmarks, it can
be applied from anywhere one has a view of the night sky.
7 weeks before
3 weeks before
Summer Solstice
3 weeks after
7 weeks after
If the black manganese figures have been correlated correctly with their celestial equivalents, then it
follows that the two polychrome horses, fitted carefully within the frame of the earlier figures, should be
identifiable within this celestial framework. Such identification is indeed possible. The polychrome
horses have been shifted, one slightly and the other dramatically, from the positions of their celestial
equivalents and fitted in to the frieze so as not to overlap any of the existing black manganese figures.
Polychrome Horses in the Frieze
Corresponding Figures in the Sky
With the identification of the celestial equivalent constellations for the polychrome horses, all eight
of the primary figures of the frieze in the “Hall of Bulls” have been matched with their celestial
equivalents constellations. The frieze can clearly be seen as a representation of the summer solstice night
sky. This representation could teach any keen observer a system for following the progression of the
summer season from any location by simply watching the passage of the moon among the stars.
Acknowledgements
I wish to acknowledge the administration of Mitchell Community College for supporting my participation
in INSAP III, and Judy Phillips for help in preparation of this document.
References
Bahn, Paul G., Vertut, Jean: 1988, Images of the Ice Age, Windward, Leicester, UK, 60.
Jegues-Wolkiewiez, C.: 2000, Science et Vie, 77.
Ruspoli, Mario: 1987, The Cave of Lascaux: The Final Photographs, Harry N. Abrams, NY, 97.
Sieveking, Ann: 1979, The Cave Artists, Thames & Hudson, London, 118.