Cave Paintings

  What are cave paintings?
     Beautiful detailed and colorful representations found on the inside of cave walls and ceilings.
Name common themes in cave paintings.
     Australia, Africa, Western Europe, and China
How were these paintings created (tools, pigments)?
     Water, plant juice, animal blood, soil, charcoal, hematite, sticks, small stones, leaves, and animal hair
What is the most famous cave painting site? When was it discovered and by whom?
     Lascaux is the most famous and four boys and their dog discovered the cave painting in 1940.
Why did this cave have to be closed? What was done to satisfy public curiosity?
     Carbon dioxide that people were exhaling were destroying the paintings, so they opened a replica for viewers.
In Altamira cave, why do most of the paintings have a red hue?
     Red clay was used to make the paints used.
Who discovered this site? How old are the paintings confirmed to be?
     Marceline Sanz De Sautuola and his daughter Maria discovered the site, which is 19000 years old.
What is the oldest known cave painting site? When was it discovered and by whom?
     The oldest known site is Chauvet-Point Arc, which was discovered in 1994 by Eliete Brunell Deschamps, Christian Hillaire, and Jean-Marie Chauvet.
What was different about the painting techniques at this site?
     The cave was almost 3-D , and contained no debris or muck.
What is "speleology"?
      the scientific study of caves and their features
What three reasons do archeologists and historians believe prehistoric man created cave paintings?
     1) to tell a story
     2) to teach hunting skills 
     3) for magical or religious reasons