THE CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS
In 1994
explorers discovered a cave, which had been used by people, living about 35.000
years ago, during the last ice-age, when most of northern Europe and the Alps
were covered with ice. The climate in southern was (and is) much better and
nature flourished abundant. Horses, lions, mammut, rhino's and lots of other
animals roamed these fertile grounds.
The
cave-entrance had been blocked by a landslide and it was not entered for 25.000
years. It turned out to be one of the most beautiful caves ever found. At first
it just seemed an ordinary cave, but the first explorers reached an entrance to
a sub-cave, marked with ocre-dots. From then on, the cave-walls were beautifully
decorated. Groups of horses seem to gallop and rhino's were battling. These
paintings were highly expressive and dynamic. The stone walls were used to
realise optic illusions and even movement.
The
cave is named after its discoverer, monsieur dr. Chauvet, but it is better known
as : the cave of the Forgotten Dreams.
Part of
being of enormous artistic and cultural importance, the cave gave an insight
into the religious beliefs of these ancestors. The cave was littered with skulls
and bones of the cave-bear. On big skull of this “gentle, vegetarian giant” was
placed on an altar, surrounded with other objects and stones. In time the
dripping water had cristalised the skull, frozen in time. The artists, the
sjamans and the other visitors to this, important place of worship, used
torches. These torches left charcoal on the walls and floor. Carbon-dating
indicated, that the material was 26.000 years old. The cave is closed for
visitors and only a select group of scientists have entrance. There are plans to
build an amusement-parc in the area, with a copy of the
cave.
Besides
the paintings (sometimes only sketches) whe find dots and especially
hand-prints. Scientists have no idea what they mean. They call it “ice-age
graffiti”, like “Killroy was here”. Sometimes the hand is incomplete. I heard
explanations like self-mutilation. If that's what you do in a dangerous
environment. They had to hunt and their pray was bigger in size and numbers.
Cave lions, beautifully drawn in the Chauvet-cave, were dangerous and so were
rhino's. You don't handicap yourself by mutilating your body. The explanation is
much more simple. Handsigns are the oldest language in the world. It is
universal and still be used. You even me offend the police by using handsigns. I
don't think handsigns have changed that much.
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