The Horse - May 28, 2010 to January 2, 2011

Horses & Hunters

How did the relationship between horses and people begin? No one knows precisely, but prehistoric evidence from western Europe tells part of the story. Wild horses roamed the Ice Age landscape of Europe tens of thousands of years ago. By around 40,000 years ago, our own species began settling in the region as well.

In Ice Age Europe, people were predators and horses were prey. Early hunting weapons and horse remains found in the area show that long before humans rode horses or used them as beasts of burden, they hunted these animals for food. Ancient images carved in bone or painted deep inside caves suggest horses also played an important role in the rituals of prehistoric people, as they would in many cultures for centuries to come.

  • Wild One © The Granger Collection, New York, U.S.A. [Lascaux]

    Wild One

    Around 14,000 years ago, a horse was painted on a wall deep inside Tito Bustillo Cave, near the northern coast of Spain. The painting depicts an erect mane, pale belly and striping on the shoulders and legs — features still found in wild horse populations today.

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  • Nature in Motion © Jean Clottes

    Nature in Motion

    The shadowy walls of Chauvet Cave, in southern France, are adorned with some of the world’s oldest paintings, dating back some 33,000 years.

    The four horses in this painting look almost alike, but they actually display different behaviours. The second horse from the left has its ears flattened, a sign of aggression; the third horse has its ears perked, as if calm and attentive.

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  • Wild One © The Granger Collection, New York, U.S.A. [Lascaux]
  • Nature in Motion © Jean Clottes
    Date Created: May 27, 2010