[OR_Archaeology] The Prehistoric Painted Caves of Europe: Oregon Archaeological Society to Host Free Talk May 6, 2014

[POULEY John * OPRD]

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Mike Taylor (culturewatch at gmail.com<mailto:culturewatch at gmail.com>)

The Prehistoric Painted Caves of Europe: Oregon Archaeological Society to Host Free Talk May 6, 2014

Noted international rock art expert and author, Dr. Jean Clottes, is coming to Portland on Tuesday, May 6! Dr. Clottes will discuss "The Prehistoric Cave Art of Europe" at a free presentation sponsored by the Oregon Archaeological Society.

Dr. Clottes will discuss the ancient images found in the famous painted caves and the techniques used to create them. There are now nearly 400 identified European sites with ancient wall art. Locations range from the south of Spain and France to the Urals in Russia. They include the famous caves of Lascaux, Chauvet, Altamira, and Niaux. The works of art testify not only to the artistic abilities of our remote ancestors but also to their ways of considering and celebrating their world.
The presentation is at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) at 7:45 PM, and is free and open to the public. The talk is preceded by a general business meeting beginning at 7 PM, that is also open to the public.

The existence of cave art was recognized for the first time in 1879 with the discovery of the Altamira cave paintings in Cantabrian Spain. In the past twenty years or so, new discoveries, sometimes spectacular, have been made. Chauvet is among the most well-known because of the age (30,000+ years), number, variety and originality of its representations. The entrance to Cosquer Cave is now 115 feet below present-day sea level and can only be reached by qualified divers. The cave of Cussac has not only numerous engravings but also several human burials. Foz Côa (Portugal) is an enormous ensemble of petroglyphs in the open air. Only four years ago, Coliboaia cave was discovered in Romania, testifying to the wide spread presence of the ancient culture across Europe.

Jean Clottes earned his PhD in Prehistory, and has held the positions of Director of Prehistoric Antiquities for Midi-Pyrénées of France; General Inspector for Archaeology at the French Ministry of Culture; and, Scientific Advisor at the same Ministry for everything relating to prehistoric rock art. He serves on a number of prestigious scientific committees, has taught at 6 universities and edits The International Newsletter on Rock Art (INORA). He has often been called upon to examine and validate new cave art discoveries and has published extensively on the topic.

See www.oregonarchaeological.org<http://www.oregonarchaeological.org/>; call 503-727-3507; or email culture watch at gmail for more information.

Ancient bulls, horses and other animals painted thousands of years ago in Chauvet Cave, France.
(Dr. Jean Clottes photo)
[cid:667fe4ad-4810-4222-9a74-a5285e751c3b at Oregon.gov]


John O. Pouley
Assistant State Archaeologist
Oregon SHPO
503-986-0675

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