Early in 1995, the world learned of the

dramatic discovery of the Chauvet-Pont

d'Arc cave. Hundreds of animal paintings

of outstanding aesthetic quality

were found in the cave, in a region where several

Ice Age painted caves were already known,

but none of high quality. The species mainly

depicted - woolly rhinoceros, cave lions, mammoths

- were rare elsewhere. The cave's exceptional

quality was further demonstrated a few

months later when radiocarbon dating showed

it to be the oldest painted cave in Europe. Since

1998, a team of scientists has been studying

all its aspects. Jean Clottes was in charge of the

project at first, until his colleague Jean-Michel

Geneste took over. Here he recounts this amazing

adventure.