Cave paintings can be found on the walls and ceilings, the term cave painting is used predominantly to describe cave art dating back to prehistoric times.


The oldest cave paintings are those found in Chauvet France. According to radiocarbon dating these paintings date back 35000 years.


Radiocarbon dating can give inaccurate results due to contamination from older or newer materials. Advances have made it possible for paintings to be dated by sampling the pigments from the paint or from torch marks left on the walls.


Over 80 radiocarbon samples have been taken at Chauvet with samples from the paint and torch marks to determine the dates of the paintings.