Chauvet Cave

ancient art · cave paintings · upper paleolithic · france

Incredibly old paintings. The paintings in Chauvet Cave were made by humans during the Upper Paleolithic period, making them some of the oldest known figurative art in the world. Scientists believe they're over 30,000 years old.

Mostly animals. The cave walls feature paintings of lions, bears, horses, rhinoceroses, and mammoths. These animals tell us what lived in ancient France and what people hunted or feared back then.

Hidden in limestone. The cave is carved into a tall limestone cliff above what used to be the Ardèche River in southeastern France. The stone walls protected these paintings so well that they stayed bright and clear for thousands of years.

Perfectly preserved. Unlike many other ancient caves, Chauvet's paintings are unusually well-preserved. The cool, dry conditions inside the cave kept the pigments from fading or being damaged by moisture.

Window into the past. Besides paintings, the cave contains other clues about how Upper Paleolithic people lived, from tools to footprints to charcoal from their fires.