Illuminating the cave, drawing in black: wood charcoal analysis at Chauvet-Pont d'Arc

Théry‐Parisot, Isabelle; Thièbault, Stéphanie; Delannoy, Jean‐Jacques; Ferrier, Catherine; Feruglio, Valérie; Fritz, Carole; Gély, Bernard; Guibert, Pierre; Monney, Julien; Tosello, Gilles; Clottes, Jean; Geneste, Jean‐Michel

doi:10.15184/aqy.2017.222

Cited by 29 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The adopted lighting system of several sticks enabled a longer period of lighting, as inferred from the fire wood illumination bundles adopted by the Bronze age salt miners at Hallstatt (Grabner et al, 2007; Grabner et al, 2010). Lighting bundles were usually made of resinous wood (Scots pine or Mountain pine), and called torch wood (Ast, 2001; Théry-Parisot et al, 2018). This interpretation fits with the archaeological evidence from the Bàsura Cave.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

Romano

Citton

Salvador

et al. 2019

eLife

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Based on the integration of laser scans, sedimentology, geochemistry, archeobotany, geometric morphometrics and photogrammetry, here we present evidence testifying that a Palaeolithic group of people explored a deep cave in northern Italy about 14 ky cal. BP. Ichnological data enable us to shed light on individual and group level behavior, social relationship, and mode of exploration of the uneven terrain. Five individuals, two adults, an adolescent and two children, entered the cave barefoot and illuminated the way with a bunch of wooden sticks. Traces of crawling locomotion are documented for the first time in the global human ichnological record. Anatomical details recognizable in the crawling traces show that no clothing was present between limbs and the trampled sediments. Our study demonstrates that very young children (the youngest about 3 years old) were active members of the Upper Palaeolithic populations, even in apparently dangerous and social activities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

Romano

Citton

Salvador

et al. 2019

eLife

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“…Some of the images depicted in Upper Paleolithic caves are located in halls deep in the cave interior, which are connected via narrow passages, or in the narrow passages themselves, as we will show in Section 4. Fire was used as artificial light in order to reach the depths of the cave and allow a unique human activity in these completely dark spaces: the creation of the depictions themselves (Lewis-Williams and Théry-Parisot et al 2018). In Chauvet-Pont d'Arc, for example, various traces of fire use were found, such as formal hearths, scattered charcoal, lamps, torch marks, and thermal modification of the cave walls (Ferrier et al 2014;Théry-Parisot et al 2018).…”

Section: Oxygen Ventilationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…About 400 decorated caves have been found in Western Europe, mostly in Spain and France, and are dated to ca. 40,000 to 14,000 BP (Clottes 2008;Cuenca-Solana et al 2016;Dachary, Plassard, and Valladas 2016;Martin-Sanchez et al 2012;Pastoors and Weniger 2011;Quiles et al 2016;Théry-Parisot et al 2018;Verbrugge 1958). The images are often found in dark, narrow passages or in dark halls with narrow passage access (Clottes 1999;Medina-Alcaide et al 2018), although depictions were executed in a large variety of contexts, including large halls inside caves, cave openings, rockshelters, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The scan demonstrates that early humans, together with their children, entered the deep interior of the cave by crawling in narrow passages and using torches for light. The use of torches for light was documented in other decorated caves as well (Casabó et al 2017;Lorblanchet 2001;Medina-Alcaide 2015;Théry-Parisot et al 2018). Scholars simulated the number of torches required for creating the images (Hoffmeister 2017;García and Castillejo 2015), and it is agreed that the parietal images could not have been created without artificial light.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hypoxia in Paleolithic decorated caves: the use of artificial light in deep caves reduces oxygen concentration and induces altered states of consciousness

Kedar

Kedar²,

Barkai

2021

Time and Mind

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In this paper, we present a novel hypothesis as to what led humans in the Upper Paleolithic to penetrate and decorate deep, dark caves. Many of the depictions in these caves are located in halls or narrow passages deep in the interior, navigable only with artificial light. We simulated the effect of torches on oxygen concentrations in structures similar to Paleolithic decorated caves and showed that the oxygen quickly decreased to levels known to induce a state of hypoxia. Hypoxia increases the release of dopamine in the brain, resulting in hallucinations and out-of-body experiences. We discuss the significance of caves in indigenous world views and contend that entering these deep, dark environments was a conscious choice, motivated by an understanding of the transformative nature of an underground, oxygen-depleted space. The cave environment was conceived as both a liminal space and an ontological arena, allowing early humans to maintain their connectedness with the cosmos. It was not the decoration that rendered the caves significant; rather, the significance of the chosen caves was the reason for their decoration.

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“…in periods prior to that of the human frequentation of the Bàsura Cave. This suggests that the pine genus was one of the most suitable entities for this type of use (Théry-Parisot et al 2018).…”

Section: Charcoal Remains and Insights On The Illumination Of Cavesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Following the Father Steps in the Bowels of the Earth: The Ichnological Record from the Bàsura Cave (Upper Palaeolithic, Italy)

Avanzini

Salvador

Starnini

et al. 2021

Reading Prehistoric Human Tracks

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The chapter summarizes the new results of the Bàsura Revisited Interdisciplinary Research Project. The integrated interpretation of recent archaeological data and palaeosurface laser scans, along with geoarchaeological, sedimentological, geochemical and archaeobotanical analyses, geometric morphometrics and digital photogrammetry, enabled us to reconstruct some activities that an Upper Palaeolithic human group led inside a deep cave in northern Italy within a single exploration event about 14 ka calBP. A complex and diverse track records of humans and other animals shed light on individual- and group-level behaviour, social relationship and mode of exploration of the uneven terrain. Five individuals, composed of two adults, an adolescent and two children, entered the cave barefoot lightening the way with a bunch of wooden sticks (Pinus t. sylvestris/mugo bundles). While proceeding, humans were forced to move on all fours, and the traces they left represent the first report of crawling locomotion in the global human ichnological record. Anatomical details recognizable in the crawling traces show that no clothing was present between limbs and the trampled sediments. Our study demonstrates that very young children (the youngest about 3 years old) were active members of the human groups, even in apparently dangerous and social activities, shedding light on behavioural habits of Upper Palaeolithic populations.

show abstract

Illuminating the cave, drawing in black: wood charcoal analysis at Chauvet-Pont d'Arc

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 29 publications

References 31 publications

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

A multidisciplinary approach to a unique palaeolithic human ichnological record from Italy (Bàsura Cave)

Hypoxia in Paleolithic decorated caves: the use of artificial light in deep caves reduces oxygen concentration and induces altered states of consciousness

Following the Father Steps in the Bowels of the Earth: The Ichnological Record from the Bàsura Cave (Upper Palaeolithic, Italy)

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