"First observations of two layers of dots at Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave (Pont-d'Arc Valley, Ardèche, France)" by Dominique Baffier and Valérie Feruglio

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At around fifty meters from the present entrance, in the Brunel Chamber, there are two ensembles of painted, red dots. Through detailed observations, the researchers have revealed the technique by which they were created. They are in fact prints made with the palms of right hands. Certain anatomical details are identifiable, such as the separation of the thumb on the left side, small circular marks in the upper part of the print, made by the first phalanx of the middle finger, and the slightly quadrangular profile of the Thenar eminence . We can also perceive light, elongated, parallel ochre stains made by fingers that unintentionally marked the wall. The prints of the smallest ensemble were made by a moderately sized person, probably a woman or an adolescent. The other panel was created by a larger individual. The size of the hand and the higher position of the prints probably correspond to a man around 1.8 meters tall. In both cases, a sufficiently thick layer of the pasty colorant had to be applied to the palm of the hand. The finger traces permit us to orient each print and thus to imagine the position of the artist. This is the first time this technique has been encountered in parietal art. It bestows a symbolic dimension to the dots since they are both points and partial positive handprints.

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