France Cave Paintings - Niaux Cave and Cosquer Cave

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Chauvet Cave

The cave paintings and rock art of Chauvet

The Chauvet Cave is located near the Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in the Ardèche region of southern France. The Cave Paintings of Chauvet date to 30,000 to 32,000 years ago. In the Chauvet Cave hundreds of animal paintings have been found making Chauvet Cave one of the world's most important rock art sites.

iLecture Documentary Film
Niaux Cave

High up in the cliffs of the Pyrenees, above the medieval town of Niaux, lies the entrance to a Palaeolithic world, the secrets of which are slowly emerging. Less well known than other European caves such as Chauvet and Lascaux, an exploration of Niaux is an explanation of our artistic and spiritual identity. Learn how the lessons of other paleolithic galleries have made Niaux a model of rock art preservation.


	To watch the full film click here
	To watch the full film click here

France Cave Paintings

Niaux Cave

A female bison (below left) shown with two spear-like signs on top of it in the famous Niaux Cave (Ariege Pyrenees of France. Magdaleneian around 13,000 years BP. (below right), several bison, some bearing spear-like signs, and horses were drawn in black on one of the great panels in Niaux. The Niaux Cave features as part of the series one 'iLectures - Documentary Films' for more information click here.

Cosquer Cave

A horse with its eye left blank was painted on top of previous engravings in the Cosquer Cave.

The finger flutings under it were probably made about 27,000 years ago, where as the horse belongs to the second peiod in the use of the cave, around 19,000 years before present. (below) A unique depiction of Great Auks, a now extinct bird, from the Cosquer Cave, near Marseille. For more on the Cosquer Cave visit the Cosquer Section of the Bradshaw Foundation website.