Female bison engraved on stone slab
Montastruc Rockshelter, Bruniquel, France.
Limestone
Length: 10.8 cms
The British Museum
Palart.658
When originally engraved the incised lines of this image showed up fresh and light against the water worn surface of the stone slab. The drawing utilises all the space on the slab and the distinctly flat nose of this animal is ingeniously portrayed by incorporating the rounded right edge of the stone. Within the body and around the head, a few faint, obliquely incised lines indicate the characteristic contours, mane, fringe and beard. Below the nose there are two wavy lines and diagonal lines converge into the animal’s side. The tail is raised and coloured with a patch of red ochre.
It is difficult to assess the bison’s behaviour from this drawing. If the wavy lines below the nose are interpreted as blood and the diagonal lines in the flank as spears the animal may be staggering in its death throes. The way in which a hachured shoulder hump and the dewlap are indicated might suggest that the animal was actually drawn from death lying on the ground. However, the hachured shoulder hump may not belong to this animal and the ‘blood’ may be saliva drooling from the mouth as is typical in bovids. Furthermore, the raised tail and reddened rump may suggest a readiness to mate. The depiction is now ambiguous and the artist’s message lost to us.
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