On November 12, 2024, La Poste issues a stamp on the Grotte Chauvet located in the territory of the commune of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in Ardèche on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its discovery.
The Ardèche region contains one of the most beautiful jewels of parietal art known to date, the Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc, whose oldest representations date back 38,000 years. It is a vast cavity, decorated with numerous concretions, which contains more than 1,000 graphic representations as well as many other traces of human and animal presence.
Its discovery in December 1994 was a considerable event. The scientific research campaigns carried out without interruption since 1998 by multidisciplinary teams have made it possible to considerably advance many of our knowledge on parietal art and Paleolithic societies.
This magnificent decorated cave, which has reached us in an extraordinary state of preservation, is fragile. As a protective and conservation measure, it cannot be opened to the public. A replica called Grotte Chauvet 2 – Ardèche, created on the initiative of the Ardèche department and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and supported by the Syndicat mixte de l’Espace de restitution de la Grotte Chauvet, was opened in 2015 to reveal to the public this unique prehistoric monument and the exceptional nature of the works of the Aurignacian artists who lived at that time. It has already welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors.
Thirty years have passed since the discovery of the original cave by Éliette Brunel, Jean-Marie Chauvet and Christian Hillaire on December 18, 1994. Since June 22, 2014, this treasure has enjoyed international recognition thanks to its inscription by UNESCO on the World Heritage List. This discovery and recognition make Ardèche a top-notch cultural and heritage territory and destination.
