Question

No society that we know of has lived without some form of art. An example of this is found in the Chauvet cave walls that are decorated with images. This cave created a sensation when what happened?

a) It was discovered by archaeologists in the 19th century
b) The French government opened it to the public
c) Radiocarbon dating revealed its ancient origin
d) The images were linked to a specific ancient civilization

Answer 1

The Chauvet Cave caused a sensation when radiocarbon dating revealed that its art was over 30,000 years old, providing significant insights into the earliest forms of human artistic expression.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sensation around the Chauvet Cave was created when c) Radiocarbon dating revealed its ancient origin. The cave, which was discovered in 1994 in the Ardèche department of southern France, contains some of the earliest known paintings and evidence of Upper Paleolithic life. The Chauvet Cave's artworks were revealed to be more than 30,000 years old, providing a glimpse into prehistoric humanity's engagement with art and its surroundings. The radiocarbon dating of these paintings marked a milestone in our understanding of human prehistory, illustrating the sophistication and potentially sacred nature of the art created by our ancestors from this period.