advantage of the extremely dense oil and fat layers that protect the Great Auk against icy water, lipids that made the Great Auk inflammable. There is clear evidence that nineteenth-century hunters burned piles of their carcasses as fuel.[36] Also, more than 130 natural and modified limestone lamps have been found at Lascaux, along with torches, spare wicks, and flints, suggesting the possibility that our Cosquer Cave artists may have used these flat, fat-burning lamps, too, and fueled them with auk oil.[37]

<--Return to Examples from the Book

Plate 17 Auk in Cosquer Cave,Alpes Maritimes, France, c. 17,000-16,000 BCE. Charcoal on rock wall. © Photo: J. Clottes. In J. Clottes, J. Courtin, and L. Vanrell, Cosquer Redécouvert (Paris: Le Seuil, 2005). Science Art--Birds.

Plate 18 Modified Detail of Auk in Cosquer Cave,Alpes Maritimes, France, 2005/2007, by Darryl Wheye.   © Darryl Wheye. Science Art-Birds

© 2008 Darryl Wheye and Donald Kennedy