More Pleistocene Hunting

I am in the midst of reading what I am coming to believe is an extraordinary book, The Nature of Paleolithic Art by R. Dale Guthrie. It is not just an "art" book - it uses art as a window to look back into the Pleistocene to learn about extinct animals, human social systems, religion, and lots more during that period. Steve is reading it, too, and I believe you will be hearing more about it from both of us in the future.

One of the things that is extraordinary about this book is that it is the first scientific work (Guthrie is a paleobiologist/anthropologist) I have seen in a while where the author has felt free enough to insert original poems at points in the text. Matt's description of how hunting with his friends feels "right" put me in mind of this poem of Guthrie's. He placed it at the end of a chapter where he uses hunting scenes engraved on bone and antler artifacts to interpret ancient hunting techniques.


Can we divine these old souls from bony refuse and incised line?
Borne on the roll of chase-driven lust and comradeship of the pack, foray after
foray, hunting with risk, chance, risk, success. Grilled heart and liver
at the kill, not so much feast as toast. Packing back to camp dry-crusted
magenta bounty, sustaining noisy kids and warm bonds. Hanging in the
tents, fat and meat fueling a new elegance. Resting, drawing lines of
animal beauty, watching them spread on the smooth antler surface like magic
reincarnation - yes, incised lines from the
soul.