Reconstruction of an artist at work in the Chauvet Cave, where the oldest known cave art has been discovered.
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The La Madeleine Bison, thought to have been carved onto a spear thrower fragment during the late Palaeolithic.
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The 'Faon aux l'Oiseaux' spear thrower found in southern France, carved from reindeer antler between 12,000 and 17,000 years ago.
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This scene inscribed on bone is thought to show a hunting party armed with spears or darts.
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Cave Lion teeth modified by human hands, to turn them into either a necklace
or clothing decorations.
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A selection of harpoon heads, carved from either bone or antler. The lugs at the base may have been to prevent them rotating on the wooden shaft, or possibly for lining up additional heads.
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One of the hardest parts of discovering cave art is recognising it. The red outline surrounds an ancient carving of an Ibex found
in the ceiling of the Abri Pataud rock shelter. Its large curved horns can be seen in the upper part of the outline. |
Archaeological layers in the Abri Pataud Palaeolithic rock shelter site. The natural cliff face can be seen in the top right of the photo. Occasional roof collapses sealed ancient occupation debris for millennia.
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