My visit gave me an exceptional chance to comprehend and engage with the on-going research process, staying with the team in the base camp, and going in and out of the cave each day. For maximum safety and preservation, no one enters the cave alone. At the entrance, we changed into lightweight rubber slippers that never leave the cave, reducing the likelihood that outside biota, such as fungal spores, might be tracked in. Everyone must also wear a safety harness when climbing from the entrance to the cave floor. Once inside, it is not particularly cold, but it is very humid.
Individuals work alone or in pairs, each at a different panel or area.
In the known inventory of animal species depicted in Paleolithic cave art, these dangerous animals are relatively rare. Oh yes, there is that engraved owl, and also, some dramatic large elk, Megaceros . Unlike most decorated caves in France, Chauvet displays a preponderance of predators, such as cave lions and dangerous animals like the cave bear and rhinoceros. With much of the basic recording now done, the really interesting work begins, and already, there are new insights. A panel of red dots can be shown to have been made using the palm of a hand.