The Chauvet Cave

Last weekend we watched a fantastic film about the Ice Age artwork discovered in the Chauvet Cave situated in the Ardèche region of Southern France. On December 18, 1994, three friends discovered a tiny opening, barely large enough to admit them. They soon realised that what they had come across was of very great significance. The entrance they found has now been widened and a steel door has been put in place to protect the site. The public are not allowed to visit the cave because of the age and fragility of the discoveries there. The French Government have since taken on responsibility for the conservation and protection of the cave, and here's a link to the official website:  The Chauvet Cave 

In 2010 German director Werner Herzog and a small crew were allowed to film inside the cave. Cave of Forgotten Dreams is most certainly eighty-seven minutes of worthwhile viewing. The wall paintings are extremely beautiful and demonstrate a flair and artistry that truly take the breath away. For reasons unknown to us now, the makers of the wall paintings of some 32,000 years ago, and at intervals since, deliberately came here and set about leaving their marks. They appear to have scraped back the walls to help enhance the effect of their work. The sheer skill and sophistication of the creators of the art is extraordinary and it's hardly surprising that at first questions were asked about their authenticity - no longer in any doubt. Literally hundreds of animal bones were discovered scattered throughout the caves, however there appears to be no evidence of human habitation. In one place, there is the footprint of a child, estimated to be about eight years of age imprinted in the clay along with the paw print of a wolf - possibly from the same era or possibly separated by millennia. The original entrance to the cave was lost after a rock fall some 27,000 years ago.

There are plans afoot to recreate the cave and the art they contain at a location a few miles away from their natural situation, which, although only a facsimile, would at least allow the public to visit and experience it for themselves.