Cave Art

Jean Clottes (b. 1933) is one of the world's leading specialists in prehistoric art. A researcher and academic, Clottes is an expert for the International Committee on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS- UNESCO) and president of the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations (IFRAO). He is the author and co-author of numerous reference works about Palaeolithic art, including Chauvet Cave: The Art of Earliest Times (2001), World Rock Art (2002) and The Shamans of Prehistory (2007).

A comprehensive, accessible guide to prehistoric art in Europe and beyond.

The book is arranged chronologically and geographically, by caves. The first three chapters correspond to three major periods of time, each taking a key cave as its focal point: 35,000 - 22,000 Years Ago (The Chauvet Cave), 22,000 - 17,000 Years Ago (The Lascaux Cave), and 17,000 - 11,000 Years Ago (The Niaux Cave). Within each chapter, the first section is devoted to the emblematic cave of that period, which often yielded spectacular finds, and is followed by a guided tour of other caves of the same period. In total 85 caves are covered. The final chapter features examples of similar prehistoric artistic expressions around the world, from Africa to Australia, made after the last ice age. Introduction 35,000 - 22,000 Years Ago (The Chauvet Cave, Aurignacian and Gravettian Art) 22,000 - 17,000 Years Ago (The Lascaux Cave, Solutrean Art) 17,000 - 11,000 Years Ago (The Niaux Cave, Magdalenian Art) From 11,000 Years Ago (After the Ice Age) Endmatter: Glossary, Chronology, Maps, List of Sites Open to the Public, Index