The Chauvet Cave (also known as the Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave) is a Palaeolithic cave situated near Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in the Ardèche region of southern France that houses impeccably preserved, exquisite examples of prehistoric art. Now reliably dated to between c. 33,000 and c. 30,000 years ago, the numerous and diverse animals that dot the interior walls of the cave – both painted and engraved – show such high artistic quality that they were initially thought to have been closer in age to the similarly stunning, but much younger art in caves such as the Lascaux Cave. Its age and artistry have made us reconsider the story of art as well as the capabilities of these humans. The cave has been granted UNESCO World Heritage status.
More about: Chauvet CaveDefinition
Timeline
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c. 2600000 BCE - c. 12000 BCEThe Pleistocene epoch, ranging from c. 2,6 million years ago until c. 12,000 years ago. It is characterised by repeated cycles of glacials and interglacials.
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c. 2600000 BCE - c. 12000 BCEThe Palaeolithic (or Old Stone Age) period, ranging from c. 2,6 million years ago until c. 12,000 years ago.
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c. 40000 BCE - c. 28000 BCEAurignacian culture of Homo sapiens in Europe.
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c. 37500 BCE - c. 33500 BCEFirst period of human occupation of Chauvet Cave.
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c. 33000 BCE - c. 30000 BCEAge of the cave paintings in Chauvet Cave, France.
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c. 32000 BCE - c. 27000 BCESecond human occupation of Chauvet Cave.
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c. 17000 BCE - 15000 BCELascaux cave paintings.
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18 Dec 1994 CEChauvet Cave is discovered by Jean-Marie Chauvet, Éliette Brunel and Christian Hillaire.
