Stone Age Art Discovered in French Cave
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PARIS — A cave with walls covered in 300 Stone Age paintings of animals, apparently untouched for 20,000 years, has been discovered in southern France in a display that experts say eclipses the cave art of Lascaux.
The Culture Ministry announced Wednesday that, on Dec. 24, archeologists inching through a cave in the Ardeche River canyon suddenly found themselves amid a stunning variety of painting depicting horses, lions, bison, bears, panthers, mammoths, owls, oxen, goats and rhinoceroses.
“We have there a selection of animals infinitely more varied than the other sites and with exceptional features,” said Genevieve Martin of the Archeological Service of the Rhone-Alpes region.
The discovery was not announced until Wednesday so the site could be protected. The cave was quickly secured by a heavy door and TV surveillance. “Preservation is our priority at the moment,” Culture Minister Jacques Toubon said.
The ministry said it plans to show the paintings to the public using video, CD-Rom or other techniques.
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