A 36,000-Year-Old Volcanic Eruption Depicted in the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc Cave (Ardèche, France)?

Researchers have identified the oldest known depiction of a volcanic eruption, dating back approximately 36,000 years, within the Decorated Cave of Pont d'Arc (Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc) in Ardèche, France. The study documents strombolian volcanic activity that occurred between 29 ± 10 ka and 35 ± 8 ka, located about 35 km northwest of the cave. This activity was visible from the hills above the cave entrance, suggesting that humans living in the Ardèche river area likely witnessed these eruptions. The findings overlap with the dates of the first Aurignacian occupations in the Megaloceros Gallery, as determined by 14C AMS and thermoluminescence dating. The spray-shape signs in the cave, which may represent volcanic activity, predate other notable depictions, such as Pliny the Younger's description of Vesuvius (AD 79) and the Çatalhöyük mural in Turkey, by over 34,000 and 28,000 years, respectively. The study provides evidence of intense volcanic activity in the Bas-Vivarais region during this period.

Nomade, S., Genty, D., Sasco, R., Scao, V., Féruglio, V., Baffier, D., Guillou, H., Bourdier, C., Valladas, H., Reigner, E., Debard, E., Pastre, J.-F., & Geneste, J.-M. (2016). A 36,000-Year-Old Volcanic Eruption Depicted in the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc Cave (Ardèche, France)? Plos One, 11(1), e0146621. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621