# A natural varnish was discovered on 37,000-year-old horse paintings in Chauvet Cave using ultraviolet light

Source: [Earth.com](https://www.earth.com/science/chauvet-cave-calcite-varnish/) · 2026-11-09 · Earth & Climate
Page: https://themorning.science/story/a-natural-varnish-was-discovered-on-37-000-year-old-horse-paintings-in-chauvet-c-b1564cbf75466f40
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In brief

- Researchers found a natural varnish on horse paintings in Chauvet Cave, in the Ardèche gorge of southern France.
- The discovery was made using ultraviolet light.
- The horses were drawn in charcoal about 37,000 years ago, according to the source.

## Why it matters

The finding adds detail about how Palaeolithic cave paintings have changed over time and what natural processes have shaped them, which matters for conservation and dating work.

## Coverage

- [A natural varnish was discovered on 37,000-year-old horse paintings in Chauvet Cave using ultraviolet light](https://www.earth.com/science/chauvet-cave-calcite-varnish/) — Earth.com, 2026-11-09

Tags: cave-art, archaeology, palaeolithic, chauvet-cave, ultraviolet-imaging

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science