Post 4. The Discovery of the Chauvet Cave (The Creation, Volume I: Chapter 1, Subhead 2)

The Discovery of the Chauvet Cave (Post 4. CVIC1S2)

The Chauvet cave is located in the gorges of the Ardeche River in southeastern France.  At the entrance of the gorges, the Ardeche River has carved a natural arch in the limestone through which the waters of the river flow.  This arch is the famous Pont d’Arc.  Nearby, located in the side of a cliff is the Chauvet cave (Figure 3).³ Click on the picture to enlarge the map.  The Chauvet cave is one of about twenty-eight decorated caves that have been discovered in the gorges of the Ardeche.   Most of these caves date from the Solutrean phase of the Upper Paleolithic period, that is, between 19,000 B.C. and 16,000 B.C.  However, the Chauvet cave dates to an earlier time, the Aurignacian phase of the Upper Paleolithic period, that is, between 35,000 B.C. and 25,000 B.C. 

 

 Figure 3.  A map of southern France showing the location of the

Chauvet cave and the Lascaux cave, as well as the general location of

the transfer activity grottobase complexes associated with those two

 caves.  These complexes are believed to have existed beneath the

surface of the earth near Rennes-le-Chateau and La Rochelle,

respectively.  Click on the picture to enlarge the map.

The Chauvet cave was discovered by three French speleologists, J. Chauvet, E. Brunnel Deschamps, and C. Hillaire on December 18, 1994.  Upon discovering a draft of air circulating through a rock-filled duct, the three cleared the duct and entered into a cave of large dimensions.  The primary cave would be found to be about seventeen hundred feet in length.  Caves of this length are very rare in the gorges, and the three explorers were beside themselves with joy and amazement as they made one discovery after another.  The first cave painting discovered by the three was that of a little mammoth painted with red ochre on a rock that projected from the ceiling.  It may be of interest to note that inspired sources reveal that the most advanced of the living entities that serve the Creator possess proboscidean-like physical features.  These living entities are members of the advanced interstellar civilization that is symbolized by alignment J in the multiple inspired source, “Lascaux Cave” (Figure 1).  See Chapter 1,Figure 1 (Post 3), and click on the pictures to enlarge the photographs.  Is it possible that the Creator had planned for this moment, and chose to reveal to the discoverers of the cave, by means of symbolism, something concerning the anatomical characteristics of the most ancient living entities that dwell in the universe? 

This discovery was followed by the discovery of a red rhinoceros with a large horn.  Until this time no painting of a rhinoceros had ever been seen in the decorated caves of the gorges. However, of the approximately two hundred and sixty-seven animals depicted in the Chauvet cave, rhinoceroses predominate, accounting for forty-seven of these animals.  As we shall see shortly, the rhinoceros, symbolically, depicts an advanced interstellar civilization that serves the Creator.  However, between 40,000 B. C. and 35,001 B.C., this civilization was only an advanced civilization (not an advanced interstellar civilization).  During this period of time, some of the living entities of this civilization intermarried with members of mankind on the surface of the earth.   Some of the descendants of these intermarriages, it is believed, transferred from their primitive culture on the surface of the earth to the advanced civilization, mentioned above, in the interior of the earth.  In The Creation, this activity is referred to as transfer activity.  The descendants of these intermarriages, and others, apparently, used the Chauvet cave as a transfer point during the period of time transfer activity was carried out by these people, that is, between 35,000 B.C. and 30,001 B.C.  The advanced civilization, mentioned above, became an advanced interstellar civilization about 31,000 B.C., and is symbolized by alignment G in the multiple inspired source, “Lascaux Cave” (Figure 1).  See Chapter 1, Figure 1 (Post 3), and click on the pictures to enlarge the photographs.  The symbolic association of this civilization with the rhinoceroses depicted in the Chauvet cave, as we shall see, is depicted in the symbolism of another inspired source, "Chauvet  Cave: The Panel of the Horses” (Figure 4).  We shall study this inspired source in the next post of this blog.

The three explorers had explored only half the cave, when they decided to return to their homes.  When they came back a short time later, they were accompanied by another person, the daughter of one of the explorers. Their party now numbered four.  In addition, they had brought with them more powerful lamps that allowed them to explore the cave more carefully. With the more powerful lamps, the cave paintings and the calcite formations of stalactites and stalagmites now could be seen more distinctly.  Then, as they arrived at that part of the cave that they had left unexplored earlier, their lamps illuminated a black painting of horses, aurochs, and rhinoceroses.  This frieze, called the “Panel of the Horses,” undoubtedly, is the most magnificent painting of the cave-not only in terms of its execution, but its symbolism, as well.  The transfer point within the Chauvet cave that was used by the people of the Aurignacian culture, who were involved in transfer activity between 35,000 B.C. and 30,001 B.C., may have been located here, near the Panel of the Horses.

Because of the natural beauty of the gorges of the Ardeche River near Pont d’Arc, this area was made a nature reserve in 1980.  This was several years before the discovery of the Chauvet cave in 1994.  This has enabled the cave to exist in its natural setting undisturbed since the time of its discovery  In addition, because of the undisturbed nature of the interior of the cave and the likelihood that it would yield considerable information about the use of the cave by man and other creatures, the French government considered the preservation of the cave most important. Therefore, in 1995, it was decided that the cave would not be opened to the public.  In both of the actions concerning the Chauvet cave, referred to above, it would not be unreasonable to assume that the Creator was involved in the decisions taken by the French government to preserve this cave.  Perhaps, the Chauvet cave, in the eyes of the Creator, is a sacred place, and he desired that it be treated with reverence by man.  The reasons why the Chauvet cave may be considered sacred in the eyes of the Creator will be discussed at the end of this chapter. 

Commentary 

It seems strange that the Chauvet cave was discovered in 1994, only two years prior to the discovery of the existence of inspired sources by man in 1996.  It also seems strange that more than a score of other caves containing Upper Paleolithic paintings were discovered in the gorges of the Ardeche River in southeastern France before the most important of these-the Chauvet cave-was discovered.  However, anomalies, such as these, are not uncommon when inspired sources are involved.  Therefore, because the Chauvet cave was the place, where the first inspired sources produced by man had their beginning about 30,000 B.C., it may be fitting from a symbolic point of view that inspired sources and the knowledge conveyed by the symbolism of these should begin to be revealed to man shortly after the discovery (or rediscovery) of the Chauvet cave by man  in 1994.  This is evidence, if one chooses to accept it as such, that the Creator’s purpose and plan for the creation and the life that dwells therein often involves long periods of time-sometimes incomprehensibly long-until that which the Creator set in motion comes to pass, and comes to pass in harmony with other aspects of his purpose and plan, which already have come to pass.

 

Credits

3   Hetrick, Jack:  The Creation:  Its Infinite Features and Finite Realms, Volume I:  The Mystery of Inspired Sources and Their Significance to Man, ©2013 (The blog:  Inspired Sources and Man’s Destiny by Jack Hetrick (http://www.inspired sources.blogspot.com).

 

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