Chauvet Cave

Humanity's first great masterpiece listed as an UNESCO World Heritage siteOne of the oldest decorated Palaeolithic caves in the world dated back 38,000 yearsAn unprecedented visual immersion (200 colour illustrations with full size photographic details on the paintings) and 3D visionsAn updated and pedagogic scientific survey aimed to a wide audienceInternationally renowned expert and author on Chauvet CaveA site in the tourist area of Archede region (near Provence) with the world's largest cave replica attracting more than 300,000 visitors every year, among them 20% from foreign countriesDiscovered 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.