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Carl's saga

23 September 2000

Reprinting Carl Sagan’s 1973 collection of essays Cosmic Connection
is doing us a favour. It’s as fresh as ever, and Sagan’s gift for clear and
stylish explanation is a delight as he opens up the wonders of space
exploration, actual and potential. Start with public reaction to the design of
the plaque sent up with Pioneer 10, which included nude figures, male and
female, and be hooked. (Some called it “spreading filth beyond the Solar
System”.) Published by Cambridge University Press, £17.95, ISBN
0521783038.

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Lascaux Cave is a Palaeolithic cave situated in southwestern France, near the village of Montignac in the Dordogne region, which houses some of the most famous examples of prehistoric cave paintings. Close to 600 paintings ??? mostly of animals - dot the interior walls of the cave in impressive compositions. Horses are the most numerous, but deer, aurochs, ibex, bison, and even some felines can also be found. Besides these paintings, which represent most of the major images, there are also around 1400 engravings of a similar order. The art, dated to c. 17,000 ??? c. 15,000 BCE, falls within the Upper Palaeolithic period and was created by the clearly skilled hands of humans living in the area at that time. The region seems to be a hotspot; many beautifully decorated caves have been discovered there. The exact meaning of the paintings at Lascaux or any of the other sites is still subject to discussion, but the prevailing view attaches a ritualistic or even spiritual component to them, hinting at the sophistication of their creators. Lascaux was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1979, along with other prehistoric sites in its proximity. Valley, France.

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