Supplementary Information for "Palaeolithic paintings: Evolution of prehistoric cave art"
Nature, V413, 479

 

Table 1 Radiocarbon dates for

charcoal from Chauvet cave

origin of charcoal

mg of dated carbon

year (BP)

error (1σ)

    
Cierge Chamber    

hearth
1.73
26,230*
280
torch rubbing
1.22
26,120
400
 
Hillaire Chamber (horse panel)
left rhinoceros
0.80
30,940
610
right rhinoceros
1.40
32,410
720
right rhinoceros
1.22
30,790
600
running cow
0.69
30,230*
530
horse
0.27
29,670H
950
torch rubbing
1.76
26,980
420
'''
2.30
26,980
410
 
Crâne Chamber
under bear skull
2.27
32,360*
490
under bear skull
1.12
31,390*
420
under bear skull
2.21
32,600*
490
 
Megaceros Gallery
giant deer (entrance)
0.85
31,350*
620
entrance (ground)
1.46
25,440*
250
entrance (buried)
1.36
31,430*
420
entrance (buried)
0.35
29,740*
390
hearth zone 1
2.07
31,910*
390
hearth zone 2
0.70
31,520*
360
hearth zone 3
1.88
31,860*
380
hearth zone 4
1.79
32,220*
400
hearth zone 6
1.70
32,080*
430
hearth zone 7
0.77
31,020*
350
hearth zone 8
2.30
32,500*
400
hearth zone 10
1.92
32,900*
490
under a rock
0.56
31,020*
370
hearth
1.17
26,590*
300
below two-mane horse
2.5gI
29,000
400th
Salle du Fond
large bison
0.83
30,340
570
 
 

Charcoal from the drawing itself is written in bold.

* Most recent dates.

H New date obtained on "humic acid fraction".

I Dated by conventional C14 in Lyon; all others were dated by the AMS method in Gif sur Yvette.5