Chauvet Cave, discovered in 1994, contains the world's oldest known figurative cave paintings, dating to roughly 36,500 years ago during the Aurignacian period. The artists depicted at least 13 different animal species, many now extinct, including cave lions, bears, and woolly rhinoceroses. Notably, the most elaborately decorated chambers show little evidence of daily habitation, leading experts to theorize the space was used for symbolic or ritual purposes. The site's exceptional preservation,

26,000 years ago, a child and a dog walked together through Chauvet Cave in France. Their footprints, preserved in wet clay, are the oldest evidence of humans and dogs moving side by side. This discovery suggests that the bond between humans and canines, whether for hunting, protection, or companionship began far earlier than once believed, stretching all the way back to the Paleolithic era. | Ancient History Revived