The black cows of Font-de-Gaume
Two black cows are painted flush with the ground, in a cramped area that is difficult to access. The animals are facing the gallery entrance. They have massive bodies and large lyre-shaped horns. These are female aurochs. This animal, common in prehistoric art, is rarely depicted at Font-de-Gaume, where it seems to have been relegated to the background, judging by its location. This is one of the unique features of this site, whose art is dominated by other animal species that are often magnified and always highlighted.
Black aurochs (© Olivier Huard / Centre des monuments nationaux).
The auroch is the ancestor of today’s cow
