The Shaft of Dead Man

Although most of our discussion was on the elements of religion and then how they relate to the Ur- religion, the cave drawing of the "Shaft of Dead Man" really stuck out in my mind from the class.

The scene of the painting at the back of Chamber of Engraving at the Cave of Lascaux plays out like this...

A detailed picture of a bison with spears through him and his intestines hanging out.... next to a simply drawn man (who may be a Shaman) with a bird shaped head and a beak for a mouth.. who was probably holding a stick with a bird on top of it that resembles the man's held (but that stick now lies next to the man, maybe after the struggle with the bison)... and nearby is a rhino who is also drawn in detail.

I find it very interesting that the animals ( except for the bird) are drawn in detail when the human is not. Maybe there is less care and respect for man than there is for animals at this time because of all that animals provide. The bird and the man look similar in the drawing (both with single lines making up their drawings) and maybe represent each other.

This piece of art seems to be telling a story of a specific event, more so than the other cave drawings we have seen from the Cave of Lascaux.

I wonder why humans aren't drawn in more pictures, just how a shaman is in this one; if religion is so important, wouldn't more pictures of shamans be present?

Also, since animals are revered, why was a bison shown in such a defeated state?