#it’ll just be entirely drawings from that one guy cmrmf

[paleolithic-art]

Do you have any more facts/info about the chauvet cave occupation? I’ve never heard of it before and would love to learn more!

So in general we don’t know much about the actual purpose of the art in the cave, which is true of all paleolithic art. We have NO idea. Chauvet is unique in its age [oldest know decorated site in Europe I’m pretty sure] as well as its preservation. It was pretty much totally sealed by a cliff collapse around 27,000 years before present and no large animal entered it again until it was rediscovered in 1994.

The actual arts also sorta unique in the species it depicts. In the vast majority of decorated sites, the main stars are the big ungulates- bison, deer, aurochs- and any predators that are depicted are usually hidden, disguised, or in hard to reach areas. [For example, in Lascaux almost every depiction of a feline is in a narrow chamber in the very back of the cave, then one in the axial gallery that is a vaguely feline-shaped collection of dots. Then a bear in the hall of the bulls is almost entirely inside the belly line of a bull, with only a paw, shoulders, and head visible.] In Chauvet, lions are very commonly depicted and in a very detailed and central way. Bears are also common. [There are other sites- Tres Freres and La Marche for example- that also have detailed lions. But yea it’s not common iirc!]

Anyway, I have lots of chauvet art on the way, so keep an eye out for that ! It is one of my favorite sites, and it’s also one with lots of easy to find info. It along with Lascaux and Altamira to a lesser extent are the most famous recognizable sites. You’ve probably seen lots of art from Lascaux like the ‘pregnant horse’ or the huge bulls.