The social construction of caves and rockshelters: Chauvet Cave (France) and Nawarla Gabarnmang (Australia)

Caves and rockshelters, often perceived as naturally occurring spaces exploited by humans, are revealed to be dynamically shaped by human action with significant symbolic meaning. A study applying the concept of 'aménagement'—the reshaping of material space—demonstrates that both Chauvet Cave in France and Nawarla Gabarnmang rockshelter in Australia were intentionally modified. At Chauvet, fallen blocks were repositioned to enhance natural structures like The Cactus, while at Nawarla Gabarnmang, ceiling blocks and supporting pillars were removed and discarded. This challenges the notion of these sites as purely natural environments, illustrating their social construction through deliberate human intervention.

Delannoy, J.-J., David, B., Geneste, J.-M., Katherine, M., Barker, B., Whear, R. L., & Gunn, R. G. (2013). The social construction of caves and rockshelters: Chauvet Cave (France) and Nawarla Gabarnmang (Australia). Antiquity, 87(335), 12–29. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003598x00048596