Cave Art
At the foot of a cliff in the Ardeche Gorges, in south-eastern France, amateur speleologists discovered the world's oldest painted prehistoric cave. Discovered on December 18, 1994, this cave features art that dates back thirty-one thousand years. Jean-Marie Chauvet, Eliette Brunel-Deschamps and Christian Hillaire, were the amateurs who discovered the cave that has come to be known simply as the Chauvet cave.The explorers were in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, France some thirty feet below ground. While exploring a cave, they were intrigued by a draft of air. They followed the draft to the source and discovered a cavity. This cavity then led to a
He was able to verify that this was genuine Paleolithic art. Now, all that needs to be done is determine the age of these masterpieces. " The Ministry of Culture is quoted as saying that these datings "have revolutionized hitherto accepted concepts on the appearance of art and its development, and prove that homo sapiens learnt to draw at a very early stage. It is truly a magnificent wonder of the world. Suddenly, Eliette saw the image of a small mammoth on the wall in front of her. As they began to take a closer look, they saw columns of calc-spar, minerals in the walls, bones of bears. Before them, were some three hundred horses, rhinoceros, lions, buffalo, and mammoth. The Chauvet cave is the discovery of a lifetime. vast network of galleries and rooms. Some of the animals were alone, while some were drawn in packs. Jean Clottes, a specialist in cave paintings, is commissioned to appraise the cave. Bibliography none. Suddenly, the cave paintings at Vallon-Pont-d'Arc found themselveds promoted to the rack of "the oldest known cave paintings to date. Charcoal, sediment extraction points, sharpened flint stones, and imprints were among some of the clues founds.
Common topics in this essay:
Ministry Culture,
Jean Clottes,
Suddenly Eliette,
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc France,
Ardeche Gorges,
Discovered December,
Christian Hillaire,
Cave ART,
cave paintings,
chauvet cave,
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