3538) Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave (French: Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc) in the Ardèche department of southeastern France: La Poste, France has issued a 1.20 Euro Postage stamp featuring the over 30,000 year old cave paintings: Date of Stamp issued: 12.11.2024:
The Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave (French: Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc) in the Ardèche department of southeastern France is a cave that contains some of the best-preserved figurative cave paintings in the world, as well as other evidence of Upper Paleolithic life. It is located near the commune of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc on a limestone cliff above the former bed of the river Ardèche, in the Gorges de l'Ardèche.
Discovered on December 18, 1994, it is considered one of the most significant prehistoric art sites and the UN's cultural agency UNESCO granted it World Heritage status on June 22, 2014.
The cave was first explored by a group of three speleologists: Eliette Brunel-Deschamps, Christian Hillaire, and Jean-Marie Chauvet (for whom the cave was named) six months after an aperture now known as "Le Trou de Baba" ('Baba's Hole') was discovered by Michel Rosa (Baba).
At a later date the group returned to the cave. Another member of this group, Michel Chabaud, along with two others, travelled further into the cave and discovered the Gallery of the Lions, the End Chamber. Chauvet has his own detailed account of the discovery. In addition to the paintings and other human evidence, they also discovered fossilised remains, prints, and markings from a variety of animals, some of which are now extinct.
Further study by French archaeologist Jean Clottes has revealed much about the site. The dates have been a matter of dispute but a study published in 2012 supports placing the art in the Aurignacian period, approximately 32,000–30,000 years ago. A study published in 2016 using an additional 88 radiocarbon dates showed two periods of habitation, one 37,000 to 33,500 years ago and the second from 31,000 to 28,000 years ago, with most of the black drawings dating to the earlier period.
Hundreds of animal paintings have been catalogued, depicting at least 13 different species, including some rarely or never found in other ice age paintings. Rather than depicting only the familiar herbivores that predominate in Paleolithic cave art, i.e. horses, aurochs, mammoths, etc., the walls of the Chauvet Cave feature many predatory animals, e.g., cave lions, leopards, bears, and cave hyenas. There are also paintings of rhinoceroses.
Typical of most cave art, there are no paintings of complete human figures, although there are two partial "Venus" figures: one within a niche or vestibule of the End Chamber, and the other on a roughly conical or dental-shaped pendant several meters away; both are composed of what appears to be a vulva attached to an incomplete pair of legs. Above the pendant Venus, and in contact with it, is a bison head, which has led some to describe the composite drawing as a Minotaur.
There are a few panels of red ochre hand prints and hand stencils made by blowing pigment over hands pressed against the cave surface. Abstract markings—lines and dots—are found throughout the cave. There are also two unidentifiable images that have a vaguely butterfly or avian shape to them. This combination of subjects has led some students of prehistoric art and cultures to believe that there was a ritual, shamanic, or magical aspect to these paintings.
The artists who produced these paintings used techniques rarely found in other cave art. Many of the paintings appear to have been made only after the walls were scraped clear of debris and concretions, leaving a smoother and noticeably lighter area upon which the artists worked. Similarly, a three-dimensional quality and the suggestion of movement are achieved by incising or etching around the outlines of certain figures. The art is also exceptional for its time for including "scenes", e.g., animals interacting with each other; a pair of woolly rhinoceroses, for example, are seen butting horns in an apparent contest for territory or mating rights.
More about The Chauvet Cave - Ardèche:
- On November 12, 2024, La Poste, France has issued a stamp on the Grotte Chauvet located in the territory of the commune of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in Ardèche on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its discovery.
- The Ardèche region contains one of the most beautiful jewels of parietal art known to date, the Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc, whose oldest representations date back 38,000 years.
- It is a vast cavity, decorated with numerous concretions, which contains more than 1,000 graphic representations as well as many other traces of human and animal presence.
- Its discovery in December 1994 was a considerable event. The scientific research campaigns carried out without interruption since 1998 by multidisciplinary teams have made it possible to considerably advance many of our knowledge on parietal art and Paleolithic societies.
- This magnificent decorated cave, which has reached us in an extraordinary state of preservation, is fragile.
- As a protective and conservation measure, it cannot be opened to the public.
- A replica called Grotte Chauvet 2 – Ardèche, created on the initiative of the Ardèche department and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and supported by the Syndicat mixte de l’Espace de restitution de la Grotte Chauvet, was opened in 2015 to reveal to the public this unique prehistoric monument and the exceptional nature of the works of the Aurignacian artists who lived at that time. It has already welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors.
- Thirty years have passed since the discovery of the original cave by Éliette Brunel, Jean-Marie Chauvet and Christian Hillaire on December 18, 1994.
- Since June 22, 2014, this treasure has enjoyed international recognition thanks to its inscription by UNESCO on the World Heritage List. This discovery and recognition make Ardèche a top-notch cultural and heritage territory and destination.
Some paintings inside the Cave:
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The Stamp:
Links:
1) For more on the Olympics and Paralympics held in the past, including the origins and history of the Olympics and Commemorative coins issued both on London Olympics and Paralympics please read my post on the London Olympics 2012 link as follows: History of the ancient & modern Olympics and Paralympics & commemorative coins issued during the London Olympics and Paralympics
4) For Rio 2016, please click on the following link to get interesting insights into the mascots of the Rio Olympics Vinicius and Tom, the Games and the Commemorative Coins and stamps issue programme: 1)The 31st Summer Olympics "Rio 2016"2) Commemorative Stamps and booklets issued by the Department of Posts, India on 05.08.2016
5) For Ancient Olympic Games on Greek Coins of Antiquity, please click on the following link: Ancient Olympic Games on Greek Coins of Antiquity
6) For a set of Post cards titled "Olympic Events" : please click on the following link: "Olympic Events": A set of 12 Post Cards issued by the Karnataka Postal Circle, India Post on 11.07.2016
7) For a presentation set of two stamps titled "Spirit of Olympics, Athens, Atlanta" please visit the following link: Spirit of the Olympic Games, Athens-Atlanta: Celebrating the Centenary of the Modern Olympic Games
8) For a presentation set of four stamps titled "XXVIII Olympic Games" (2004 Summer Olympics Athens, Greece, please visit the following link: XVIII Summer Olympic Games, Athens Greece (2004)
9) For a presentation set of two stamps titled "XXIX Olympic Games" (2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, China, please visit the following link: XXIX Olympic Games Beijing, China: 08.08.08- 24.08.08: A Presentation set of four stamps issued by India Post on 08.08.08
Links to the Mutiny on the Bounty Coins/Stamps:
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Links to other Coins in the Cyborg Revolution Coin Series" issued in this Series:
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Most Haunted Places Coin Series:
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The 7-Summits Silver Coin Series:
For other interesting posts on honouring the work done for the blind/visually impaired persons please visit the following links:
1) A tour of Pune's Blind School and interaction with the students - a short story
2) A two-Rupee coin issued by the Indian Mints honouring Louis Braille on the occasion of his 200th Birth Anniversary in 2009 and a brief report on the Braille system
6) Honouring Louis Braille on the Bicentenary of his birth in 2009
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