Chauvet Cave's advanced ancient human art

(mehrozali) Scientists enter 30,000-year-old cave with unbelievably advanced art/paintings

Paintings found in Chauvet Cave, France

The Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave (French Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc) in the Ardèche department of southeastern France is a cave that contains some of the best-preserved figurative cave paintings in the world [1], as well as other evidence of Upper Paleolithic life [2].

It is located near the commune of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc on a limestone cliff above the former bed of the river Ardèche, in the Gorges de l'Ardèche.

Discovered on Dec. 18, 1994, it is considered one of the most important prehistoric art sites. On June 22, 2014, the United Nation's cultural agency UNESCO granted it World Heritage status [3].

Romania stamp (Steppe Wisent Chauvet Cave)

The cave was first explored by a group of three speleologists: Eliette Brunel-Deschamps, Christian Hillaire, and Jean-Marie Chauvet (for whom the cave was named) six months after an aperture now known as "Baba's Hole" (Le Trou de Baba) was discovered by Michel Rosa (aka Baba) [4].

At a later date the group returned to the cave. Another member of this group, Michel Chabaud, along with two others, travelled farther into the cave and discovered the Gallery of the Lions, the End Chamber. Chauvet has his own detailed account of the discovery [5].

Ancient lions painting found in Chauvet Cave

In addition to the paintings and other human evidence, they also discovered fossilized remains, prints, and markings from a variety of animals, some of which are now extinct.

Further study by French archeologist Jean Clottes has revealed much about the site. The dates have been a matter of dispute, but a study published in 2012 supports placing the art in the Aurignacian period, approximately 32,000–30,000 years ago.

A study published in 2016 using an additional 88 radiocarbon dates showed two periods of habitation, one 37,000 to 33,500 years ago and the second from 31,000 to 28,000 years ago, with most of the black drawings dating to the earlier period. More: Chauvet Cave

• Lascaux Cave art