The Chauvet cave: conservation of a heritage

From the moment of its discovery exceptional protective measures were taken for the Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc cave. Recognised as the earliest of the Palaeolithic decorated caves, it has surprised the scientific community and the world as a whole by the perfection of its parietal art, the abundance of itsfaunal remains and the beauty of its rock formations. The closure of the cave and the installations in it were dictated by the desire to preserve this fragile gem of mankind's heritage. It is under permanent surveillance, both from a pollution and climatological point of view and for its security. Having remained intact for 20000 years, it contains a unique potential for research which must be preserved for both present and future scholars.