Chauvet Cave
Discovered in December 1994 and inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2014, the Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave is a masterpiece of prehistoric art. Far more than just a decorated cave, it boasts an exceptional state of preservation, breathtaking underground landscapes, and drawings (depicting lions, cave bears, mammoths, horses, bison, and more) in red, black, and engraved forms of unparalleled magnificence, making it a treasure of humanity. This discovery has revolutionised perspectives on Paleolithic art research. The cave gradually reveals its secrets, with animal and human traces and footprints, and datings that push back the origins of these complex graphic representations and the rituals that accompanied them far into our past.
This book offers a visual tour of the oldest adorned cave on the Eurasian continent, showcasing the earliest images created by humanity 38,000 years ago, by the species that now populates the planet: Homo sapiens.
Carole Fritz is a renowned archaeologist and specialist in prehistoric art, particularly European Paleolithic art. She was a member of the pioneering team that first explored this cave in 1998, under the direction of Jean Clottes. Since 2018, she has been leading the scientific team working in the cave. She conducts her research at Sorbonne University (Paris) and at the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (Toulouse). With contributions from the research team handling Chauvet Cave study.