Humanoid beings that created art thousands of years ago existed. This somewhat blows my mind especially since it was mentioned that ash from torches left behind, after carbon dating, indicates that it was from over 28000 years ago. This is very telling of the inhabitants and their ability to conjure fire as a tool. Generation after generation, humanoid inhabitants have been visiting that cave. It was stated in the film that some of the paintings had been drawn thousands of years apart so there in no telling how many different people from different generations has visited the cave. The works of art within the cave where gorgeous and brought to life the living creatures at the time that captured the inhabitant’s imaginations and thoughts enough for them to draw them. I was also impressed at the detail the images had. Regardless of the fact that they are just cave paintings, the line thickness and smoothness on the majority of them really captures the essence of the animal and made them come to life.
When the film touched on the subject of how one of the drawings resembled the legs of a female and head of an animal, it reminded me of the vast amount of ancient creation stories that involve human/animal hybrids. This is not far off from the gods that the mound builders had in the early Americas with birdman or the Minotaur from Greek mythology. To me the contemplation and creation of concepts within the mind of self-reflection and forming ideas about the origin of ones-self seems to be the emergence of higher intelligence in a creature and to me the paintings suggest this sort of intelligence. Media would paint cave people as being rather inferior to our modern day nature but I would say that the paintings in the cave alone challenge that idea.
The scientists who are given the responsibility of studying and preserving the cave face a very hard dilemma. In my point of view, I would be so torn on focusing mainly on preservation or excavation. The amount of tools or remains or any sort of archaeological findings that are preserved under the calcium that has built up over the years would be very tantalizing to say the least. I do wonder what else could possibly be there that could give us clues and more insight into the different groups of human like groups that had lived before us.
These sorts of hidden caves that have become time capsules for all of the inhabitants are fascinating and it really makes you think about all of the secrets the earth is still keeping from us from unexplored caves to other unexplored human activity in parts of the world unreachable like under the ocean or buried in snow.
The video on this cave really interested me as well. The fact that the cave is so strictly preserved really shows how delicate the cave and its context is. I agree with you about the cave paintings; they are no doubt amazing and I can fully appreciate the site and its essence. It amazes me that people who existed so long ago could draw so precisely and incorporate symbolism. For example, the people in the film were pointing out how some of the paintings had motion to them or how there were portrayals of stories, and even creatures that bound a woman and an animal. All these things represent complex thought and symbolism. I found it particularly interesting that the drawings were so well brought to life. I love to do artwork but I do not think I could paint horses and other animals as well as these people once did. Another example of symbolic thought is the placement of the skull on a pillar at the original entrance of the cave. I thought that was sort of unique; it made me wonder why it was placed there.
The interior of the cave has so much more than just the paintings, though. There are also very old skeletons, such as the cave bear. It caught my attention that there were a few different animal remains but zero human-like skeletons were found, meaning they must not have inhabited the cave itself. Other important features of the cave include animal footprints or animal scratching on the cave walls. These are all essential pieces to the whole context of the cave and what the stories inside it included. Overall this cave was an amazing find.
I thought the video on the Chauvet Cave was fascinating. I thought the non-traditional approach that he took towards the documentary made it much more interesting to watch, and the subject matter was, of course, absolutely stunning. While I understand why they do it, it’s upsetting to know that pictures are most likely the closest I will ever get to seeing these amazing paintings.
At home, I watched the end of the video, and he went into some detail about a nearby nuclear power plant. The emissions from this power plant (the hot water) is funneled to tropical greenhouses close by where it is converted to steam and used to warm the climate inside. Inside of these, they have many tropical plants and have even introduced crocodiles, which have flourished. However, these are steadily expanding, and lying very near to Chauvet Cave this seems like it could be a problem. I’m surprised that Werner Herzog did not address this in his documentary when he mentioned them. It seems like, as they expand, they could become potentially dangerous to the cave. While they are sealed to keep their warmer climate in, they could still possibly have an effect on the cave – especially in regards to all the humidity they carry.