Review of Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) by Colm M — 11 Nov 2011

As a student of Archaeology I can only thank the genius of Werner Herzog for giving us the opportunity to glimpse inside the Chauvet cave. To watch this is an almost spiritual experience in itself. I can only imagine what it must be like for the lucky Archaeologists who study the cave and its secrets at first hand.

As amazing as experiencing these paintings must be, nothing tugged at my gut more than the clip that showed the 30,000 year old ash markings on the cave roof where individuals had scraped their torches to re-ignite the flames.

.....the charcoal flakes from this action where still on the floor below. My heart beat a little faster in my chest at that point. The phenomenological approach is combined with advanced scientific methods, comparative studies and artefacts and Herzogs talents to give us as clear a picture as possible of what these paintings can tell us about palaeolithic man and his pliable relationship with the spiritual and the material world.

Our imagination does the rest. Wonderous.