The Human Archives
Rhinoceros drawings from Chauvet Cave
Chauvet Cave Rhinos, 5 of 10 in LifeIdea 1 of 4: Firelight, Charcoal, and Memory
Life 004—005

Chauvet Cave Rhinos

31 thousand years ago

From the archiveLife10 artifacts
From the record · 01 / 04

Firelight, Charcoal, and Memory

Radiocarbon dating places much of the black pigment art in Chauvet in an early Upper Palaeolithic layer, around 32,000 to 30,000 years before present. The rhinoceroses are shown in profile, with careful attention to horn shape and body posture. Some animals are drawn on top of each other, as if the artists were layering moments of observation onto the same rock surface.

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Radiocarbon dating places much of the black pigment art in Chauvet in an early Upper Palaeolithic layer, around 32,000 to 30,000 years before present. The rhinoceroses are shown in profile, with careful attention to horn shape and body posture. Some animals are drawn on top of each other, as if the artists were layering moments of observation onto the same rock surface.