Paris - Prehistoric engravings uncovered in a cave in western France could be just a foretaste of the treasures held in the dank interior, but the public would probably never get a glimpse, an archaeologist said yesterday.
Art experts have hailed the find at Cussac in the Dordogne valley as a major discovery, with the grotto chamber covered in spectacular drawings of wild animals, hybrid beasts, birds and women and erotic imagery. Initial estimates have suggested the vivid engravings are between 22,000 and 28,000 years old - much earlier than the wall paintings in the nearby Lascaux cave complex that are reputed to be more than 16,000 years old.