3D Cave Art: The Closest You Can Get to Time Travel: Cave lovers and explorers

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Werner Herzog’s latest documentary, “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” opens in theaters across the U.S. this weekend, and reveals in eye-opening 3D the dark, undulating, awe-inspiring interior of France’s Chauvet Cave, decorated by humans some 32,000 years ago with lifelike images of the animals with whom they shared the landscape. It reveals the oldest known figurative paintings in the world.

Photos of the highly restricted cave have been available since shortly after its discovery in 1994, but even being familiar with them cannot prepare you for the otherworldly experience of being immersed in the paintings and the cave itself in three dimensions.

Cue the Time Line
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A rough time line showing how very long ago the paintings of Chauvet were made.

Despite the vast amount of time that has passed since their creation, Herzog found the apparent freshness of the paintings to be one of the most stunning things about working with them up close. “It’s as if you were disturbing people right in the middle of their work,” he said. If we were disturbing them at that time, we’d all look a heck of a lot younger. This cave was painted long before the Roman Empire, the Pyramids of Egypt, or the life of the Ice Man. Think the paintings of Lascaux are old? They are only as old now as Chauvet’s were when Lascaux itself was painted.

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Werner Herzog and crew filming in Chauvet along the narrow path on which they had to keep. Photo Credit: Mark Valesella. A Sundance Selects Release

Source: newswatch.nationalgeographic.com...

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I found this Youtube video on the Cave. Very neat. Lucky folks they are to be the ones researching that cave.


So, I don't usually do threads that promote movies but this one is more of a history lesson than any other type of movie. There is a Promo Clip in the main article. Check it out.

So, and ATSers familar with this place? Been there? Would love to hear about your experiences.
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One thing for sure is that Someone or Something had some pretty good art talents a long time ago. I wonder what the other cave dwellers around him thought of him (or her). "Show-off"....

32,000 years...

The quality of the art is incredible.

Simply AMAZING. I could look at this stuff for hours. One of the neatest things I did personally, was visit the cliff dwellings in Sedona, AZ. Just putting my hand in an ancient handprint in the rock gave me chills. Thanks for posting this!

reply to post by anon72

yes, i have been there with my wife and kids, well worth the trek underground, you are not allowed to shine your lights at the pictures and have to walk the last few yards in almost pitch black with just the guides light. when they turn the light on to the pictures you cant help but gasp, brilliant, could have been painted yesterday, you have to see them in the flesh to really appreciate them

reply to post by THELONIO


You lucky man. And to be able to take your family along.

My wife and I are jealous.

So, I guess then, from you wrote, no photos/videos etc. I guess they want to protect their find etc.

Well, until this movie comes out this weekend. I am afraid they will do a movie more about the movie maker than the find itself. I sure hope not.

You have to admit. It makes you wonder doesn't it, about the abilities of those people back then?

Take care and thank you again for sharing.