In the caves, there are drawings of many animals, many which one can identify with precision. The animals includes stags, cows, birds, and rhinos. It is certain that these animals existed in the wild and thus these painters would not have an idea of them. One animal is conspicuously missing; the reindeer. Reindeers were plentiful in those days and bones were found in the caves, and probably they were included in their everyday diet.  But why were the reindeers not among the painted animals?

These painters, humans were, longed for something else. They did not appreciate the reindeers that were plentiful but instead, they wished for another type of game. Maybe they wanted to bring down a rhinoceros or even own a horse, which was a preserve of the rich.  They thought perhaps that their lives would be better if they were able to hunt more of these animals.  Through paintings, they depicted that scarcity placed value on objects.  The art shows that man has always wanted and wished for some things which were beyond his reach while not content with what they currently have.  Such dissatisfactions often lead to wishful thinking and longing, leading to depressions among humanity.  But are we always happy when we get the things we long for? Definitely, not all the time.  When our tides change, we want more of the things we have.

Did this happen in Lascaux? While it is not evident that they took down a rhino, it is likely that they wondered what horse meat tasted like. This situation effectively illustrates the state of man’s thinking and the quest to have more and more.  However, the cave paintings are not all about selfishness and dissatisfactions. It can reflect the human nature of having more to help others, or even make their lives more comfortable.  This is what the cavemen hoped for; a better life and a burning desire to achieve the new things they thought would bring them more happiness.

References

http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/#/en/00.xml