BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: And the secret's out. A French cave holding the key to new understanding of prehistoric life and art. From Paris now, CNN's Peter Humi.</s>PETER HUMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These pictures were taken by photographers working for France's Ministry of Culture. The outstanding collection of engravings carved onto the walls of the cave at Cussac, in Southwest France, were discovered by accident last September. But the French government is anxious to allow the experts all the time they need, and so far, the public has not been allowed near the prehistoric site. What archaeologists discovered, they claim, are some of the most important prehistoric engravings ever seen. The figures, though largely of horses and other animals, and could date, say the experts, to 28,000 years before Christ. It would not be oldest such discovery. Evidence of prehistoric art dating back to 32,000 B.C. were found eight years ago in another cave in France, but archaeologists say the Cussac cave contains some unique examples of early art, notably a silhouette of a woman, a rare expression of the female form from prehistory. Another important discovery: Seven graves containing the remains of at least four adults and possibly three adolescents, according to officials. Carbon dating is under way to determine whether the skeletons are as old as the engravings. Locals knew of the existence of the cave, but it was an amateur potholer who stumbled across the hidden galleries of engravings. The 900-meter-long network of caves had lain hidden behind a rockfall, probably for thousands of years. Peter Humi, CNN, Paris.
Prehistoric Engravings Found in France