Bear Skull

Over 36,000 years ago, this bear skull was placed purposefully on this limestone block by Paleolithic people. As it has not been moved, it appears that it was staged here to be seen by others.

Named after this skull that was found in the center of the chamber, the Skull Chamber resembles an amphitheater, with natural tiers built into the walls. It is known that bears hibernated in this chamber as there have been many bear bones found within the cave.

The Chauvet Cave is located in the Ardeche region of southern France and was visited by the Paleolithic people from 36,000 to 29,000 years ago. These people decorated the caves with animal symbols, abstract signs, and even some representations of human beings, such as handprints, which have been discovered and preserved today.