Bison and Aurochs, Emblematic Figures of the Upper Paleolithic in Southwestern Europe

International audienceThroughout the Upper Paleolithic, between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, large bovids, and especially bison, were present and even sometimes abundant in southwestern Europe. Their presence in the environment, as shown by the paleontological and archaeological records, finds an echo in the symbolic Paleolithic world. This paper presents a comparison between their representations in Paleolithic art and their chrono-biogeographical distribution. Aurochs and particularly bison are among the most frequent faunal themes found in caves as well as on decorated objects. They are also among the rare species represented in interactions with humans, suggesting that large bovids were the major actors..