Chauvet Cave Virtual Tour Launched by Google Arts & Culture

Google Arts & Culture has launched the educational project Chauvet: Meet the Ancestors, offering unprecedented digital access to the Chauvet Cave in southern France. Discovered in 1994 by speleologist Jean-Marie Chauvet, the cave contains some of the world's oldest known cave paintings, created approximately 36,000 years ago. The site has never been open to the public due to conservation concerns. The project, developed in collaboration with the Syndicat mixte de l'Espace de restitution de la grotte Chauvet (SMERGC), aggregates over 350 digital contents, 54 virtual exhibitions, 6 3D models, and a virtual experience accessible via a 360-degree YouTube video or a VR tour on Steam. This initiative allows global audiences to explore the prehistoric site remotely, preserving its fragile environment while promoting cultural heritage.