Loading ... The chairman of the Federation of Romanian Spelaeologists says it is for the first time that Paleolithic paintings so old are certified in Central Europe. Judged by their composition, they could be rated as Gravettian or Aurignacian.
Those who discovered the paintings nearly three months ago are spelaeologists Tudor Rus (the Spedova Stei cave exploration club), Mihai Besesek, Valentin Alexandru Radu and Roxana Laura Toiciu (the Seowest of Arad cave exploration association), Marius Kenesz (Speo Club of Zarand), who explored that Dealul Secaturii – Coliboaia Cave on the Sighistel Valley, the village of Campani.
After the discovery, protection was secured for the paintings while French specialists, who arrived in Romania on May 16, conducted further research for certification.
The Coliboaia Cave is crossed by an underground river that branches off in several sumps, which makes cave exploration even more difficult. The paintings were conserved in a high gallery. Other paintings were probably destroyed by water.
The black cave paintings depict animals, including a bison, a horse and possibly a feline; one or two bear heads and two rhinoceros. Some engravings were also discovered at the same place, which floor is scattered with bear bones. During their stay in the cave, the bears are said to have scratched the cave walls luster.
A French teams composed of spelaeologists Marcel Meyssonnier and Valerie Plichon; Michel Philippe, a paleontologist specialising in cave bears; historian Francoise Prudhomme and cave art specialists Jean Clottes and Bernard Gely has attested to the authenticity of the paintings. Clottes is also an honorary General Heritage Conservationist and cave art expert for ICOMOS and UNESCO.
The cave has been placed under conservation care of the Federation of Romanian Spelaeologists and the Apuseni Natural Park Administration, under the archeological authority of the Cris Lands Museum of Oradea and the Bihor County Council.
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