Over the course of the semester, Professor Watrall talked to us about many sites and their archaeological relevance, all of which were very interesting to learn about. I personally found the Chauvet Caves to be the most intriguing site we talked about throughout the semester. There are several components of this specific site that really grabbed my attention. For example, the site was sealed off from the outside world for years by a large rock face, making the site unknown to the world until its accidental discovery. The discovery in and of itself was personally astonishing to me. A cave of such great magnitude was accidentally stumbled upon simply by explorers feeling drafts of air coming from the cracks within the rocks in that area. It is so fascinating to think about as I probably would have attributed the drafts to an abnormal wind pattern! I never would think to explore the region in great detail because of feeling such a draft. Ultimately, the investigations based on the drafts led to some great discoveries of art found within the cave.

What I found particularly interesting about this site is that no human remains were found here. The site predominantly consists of artistic artifacts and cave paintings. That goes to show that the cave held a specific purpose- not that of survival but rather of being a canvas for their art. Interestingly enough, very little of their artwork portrays any form of human depiction. Most of the work found in the cave depicts animals, such as mammoths, bison, and rhinos. This again reveals that the cave was not really a ways of communicating the importance of themselves and their roles in society but rather what they found as important contributors to their lifestyles. Such animals were drawn in intricate detail, revealing the significance of their roles.

This cave has helped me understand the role of archaeology as a whole. Its significance can be revealed in many aspects. For example, the discovery of the cave demonstrates that archaeology is not simply the study of human history, but rather that it is a process that is constantly happening all around us. Such discoveries lead us to many great findings, such as the intricate art found in the cave, and ultimately to discover how people lived in the past and what they found important in their culture. This ultimately helps us make connections between the past and the present and allows to see how we evolved over time.