On-site spectroradiometric analysis of Palaeolithic cave art: Investigating colour variability in the red rock art of Points cave (France)

Lafon-Pham, Dominique; Konik, Stéphane; Monney, Julien

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103384

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…During evaporation, the solution becomes supersaturated and new calcite growth, which leads to the gradual recrystallization of the calcite/limestone surface. Such a process could be a potential risk for the conservation of prehistoric cave paintings such as in the well-known Altamira Cave (Sánchez-Moral et al 1999 ; Gázquez et al 2022 ), Lascaux Cave (Guerrier et al 2019 ), or other caves worldwide, for example, French Points Cave (Lafon-Pham et al 2022 ) or Chinese Mogao Caves (Mikayama et al 2015 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of water exhaled out by visitors in show caves: a case study from the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)

Lang,

Faimon,

Pracný

et al. 2024

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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The anthropogenic impact of the water and CO2 exhaled by visitors was studied in the show caves of the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic), especially in the Balcarka and Výpustek Caves. Two alternative models based on (1) the known/presumed composition of the breathed air and physical activity of visitors and (2) the detailed monitoring microclimatic data were proposed. The CO2 fluxes of 2.4 × 10−4 and (2.0–3.9) × 10−4 mol person−1 s−1 and the water vapor fluxes of (3.2–8.9) × 10−3 and (0.6–1.2) × 10−2 g person−1 s−1 were found for a slightly increased physical load. The total attendance and cave tour duration were the main driving factors. For the available data on attendance and accessibility periods, the total mass of water vapor exhaled by visitors in all show caves in the Moravian Karst was estimated between 9.6 × 106 and 4.3 × 108 g with significant seasonality. According to the geochemical model, this mass of water is capable of dissolving 1280 to 59,038 g of calcite, assuming a mean winter and summer CO2 concentration in the cave air of 1000 and 3000 ppmv. The larger extent of water condensation can lead to the so-called condensation corrosion, whereas the lower extent of condensation probably causes a recrystallization of calcite on the surface of speleothems and rocks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of water exhaled out by visitors in show caves: a case study from the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)

Lang,

Faimon,

Pracný

et al. 2024

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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“…It includes 72 red drawings and paintings, including five animal figures (three ibexes, one horse, one bison), five indeterminate tracings, two bilobed signs, one open‐angle sign and 59 palm prints produced by pressing pigment‐covered palms onto the rock (Figure 1b; Monney, 2018b). The rock art shows a high colorimetric homogeneity (Lafon‐Pham et al, 2022) and is attributed to a single painting phase (Monney, 2018b). Its closest iconographic equivalent is to be found in the entrance sectors of Chauvet Cave, where we also find bilobed signs and palm print clusters accompanied by small line drawings of animals (Baffier & Feruglio, 1998; Chauvet et al, 1995; Gély, 2005).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The rock art shows a high colorimetric homogeneity (Lafon-Pham et al, 2022) and is attributed to a single painting phase (Monney, 2018b). Its closest iconographic equivalent is to be found in the entrance sectors of Chauvet Cave, where we also find bilobed signs and palm print clusters accompanied by small line drawings of animals (Baffier & Feruglio, 1998;Chauvet et al, 1995;Gély, 2005).…”

Section: Site Description and Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronology of Upper Paleolithic human activities recorded in a stalagmite at Points Cave (Aiguèze, Gard, France)

Richard,

Pons‐Branchu,

Valladas

et al. 2024

Geoarchaeology

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In this article, we propose an approach to reconstruct the timing of human activity at Points Cave, an Upper Paleolithic rock art site located in the middle of the Ardèche River Gorge (Rhône valley, France), based on the dating and characterisation of a stalagmite containing soot. Points Cave (‘Grotte aux Points’ in French), also called the ‘little sister of Chauvet Cave’, is famous for its parietal art including a series of dots made of palm prints. A large number of stalagmites formed in the cave during the last 500 ka. However, quarrying of the cave floors during historic times led to the partial destruction of the sedimentary deposits, and many of the stalagmites were found lying on the floor. In particular, one of them (STM‐18‐04) showed the presence of at least four dark layers in cross‐section, which appeared as possible remnants of fire‐related activities in the cave. Despite being present at the same site, no other specific link between STM‐18‐04 and the rock art has been documented. This stalagmite, however, allows us to identify phases of human presence, located at the cave entrance. To do so, we performed a series of analyses to determine its period of growth and the nature of the dark layers that it contains. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman microspectroscopy confirmed that the dark layers include soot, and uranium‐series dating indicated that the fire events occurred, respectively, around 14,200–14,100 and 12,500 years ago, in agreement with the radiocarbon ages of charcoal specimens recovered from the excavation areas nearby. We thus highlighted phases of human activity at the site during the Upper Magdalenian and/or beginning of the Epipaleolithic. By comparing our results with the regional paleoclimatic record, the soot layers trapped in the stalagmite appear to be synchronous with two cold periods, likely the Older Dryas and the Younger Dryas.

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“…It comprises five animal figures (3 ibexes, 1 horse, 1 bison), five indeterminate tracings, two bi-lobed signs, one open-angle sign and four clusters containing a total of 59 palm-printed dots, commonly referred to as "palm dots" (Monney 2018a). On-site spectroradiometric analysis showed that Points Cave rock art is homogenous in colour (Lafon et al 2022). Moreover, pieces of colouring matter were found during the archaeological excavations in the sedimentary sequence at the entrance of the cave (Chanteraud 2020: 62;Chanteraud et al 2019).…”

Section: Points Cave Rock Art and Pictorial Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

Light in the cave: Opal coating detection by UV-light illumination and fluorescence in a rock art context

Quiers,

Chanteraud,

Maris-Froelich

et al. 2023

JLS

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The formation of silica coatings on the cave walls of the Points cave raises questions about the analytical access to the specificities of the pictorial material (geochemistry and petrography); and about the state of conservation of the rock art. Conventional in situ spectroscopic techniques (pXRF, pRaman) are ineffective to identify and characterize these coatings. In this study, we propose to use a UV fluorescence method for the detection and recognition of opaline coatings, based on the fluorescence specificities of the uranyl-silica complexes composing these deposits. Spectral identification using UV laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with UV illumination was performed on samples, µ-samples and on the walls of the Grotte aux Points rock art site. The well-defined peaks observed in the fluorescence emission spectra due to uranyl ions validate the detection of the complex opal-uranyl and its correspondence with the green fluorescence observed under UV light at micro and macroscopic scales. In situ optical measurements under UV illumination reveal the presence of an opal layer, in particular on the rock art walls of the cave. Observations on the occurrence and distribution of opal provide the first insights into the evolution of the walls and the chronological constraints on the development of the opal layer. regarding the interactions between the silica coating and the pigment suggested by the multi-scale observations of the µ-samples, it opens the question of rock art conservation. Thus, by developing a specific method of non-destructive characterization of opal coatings, this study starts a new approach for the study of the taphonomy of decorated walls and proposes to use siliceous mineralization both as a marker of the natural history of caves and as an index of their use by ancient human groups.

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On-site spectroradiometric analysis of Palaeolithic cave art: Investigating colour variability in the red rock art of Points cave (France)

Cited by 4 publications

References 20 publications

Impact of water exhaled out by visitors in show caves: a case study from the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)

Impact of water exhaled out by visitors in show caves: a case study from the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)

Chronology of Upper Paleolithic human activities recorded in a stalagmite at Points Cave (Aiguèze, Gard, France)

Light in the cave: Opal coating detection by UV-light illumination and fluorescence in a rock art context

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