How old is the Cosquer cave?

27,000 years
Stencil of human hand, Cosquer Cave, 27,000 years B.P.

How was Cosquer cave discovered?

The Cosquer Cave (Marseille, France) was discovered in 1985 by a diver, Henri Cosquer, deep under the sea (the original entrance is about 115 feet below present-day sea level) but its paintings were not mentioned until 1991 after three divers died in the cave when they got lost. Several large caves are next to Cosquer.

What is the Cosquer cave art?

Cosquer Cave is home to 500 paintings and engravings which were made during two distinct periods of occupation, the first 27,000 years ago and the last 19,000 years ago. Half of them depict animals drawn in bold lines, such as bison, antelopes, ibex, seals, auks and numerous horses.

What are ancient cave drawings called?

Cave art, also called parietal art or cave paintings, is a general term referring to the decoration of the walls of rock shelters and caves throughout the world. The best-known sites are in Upper Paleolithic Europe.

How did the Cosquer Cave get its name?

The entrance to the cave is located 37 m (121 ft) underwater, due to the Holocene sea level rise. The cave contains various prehistoric rock art engravings. It was discovered in 1985 by and named after diver Henri Cosquer, but its existence was not made public until 1991, when three divers became lost in the cave and died.

How big is Cosquer Cave in Calanque de Morgiou?

The Cosquer Cave is an underwater grotto in the Calanque de Morgiou, 37 m (121 ft) underwater, that was once inhabited during the Paleolithic when the sea level was much lower than today.

How tall is the entrance to Cosquer Cave?

The cave can now be accessed by divers through a 175 m (574 ft) long tunnel; the entrance is located 37 m (121 ft) below sea level, which has risen since the cave was inhabited.