The Chauvet-Pont d’Arc cave and the Bas-Vivarais volcanic field.

<p>(A) Digital elevation model of France (Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech) showing the MIS 2–3 active volcanoes and the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc cave; C.P: Chaîne de Puys; B.V: Bas-Vivarais. (B) Digital elevation model of the Bas-Vivarais and Ardèche (Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech). The volcanic centers investigated are highlighted in bold italic fonts. (C) Detail of the spray-shape sign engraving from the Megaloceros panel. (D) View from the plateau above the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc cave showing several strombolian cones located 35 km Northwest (Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech).</p

Plateau spectra for the three volcanic centers dated.

<p>Uncertainties are given at the 2σ level. Plateau steps are plotted at the 1σ level.</p

Example of a spray-shape sign from Chauvet-Pont d’Arc cave compared to the oldest known depictions of volcanic eruptions.

<p>(A) Map of the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc cave. (B) General view of the Megaloceros panel. The green dot marks the location of the ¹⁴C AMS date [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621#pone.0146621.ref008" target="_blank">8</a>] (picture credit D. Genty). (C) Detail of the Megaloceros panel chronological succession [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621#pone.0146621.ref008" target="_blank">8</a>] (pictures credit V. Feruglio-D. Baffier). (D) Petroglyphs depicting the Porak volcano eruption and dated from the 5^th millennium BC in the Syunik region of Armenia [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621#pone.0146621.ref003" target="_blank">3</a>]. The figure is similar to [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621#pone.0146621.ref003" target="_blank">3</a>] but not identical to the original image, and is therefore for illustrative purposes only. (E) Çatalhöyük mural painting (Turkey) considered the oldest depiction of a volcanic eruption dated from the 8^th/7^th millennium BC [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621#pone.0146621.ref001" target="_blank">1</a>].</p

Volcanic centers ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages and spray-shape sign TL and ¹⁴C AMS dates.

<p>In red: ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of the three volcanic centers studied; blue: TL age on reddened limestone in the Megaloceros Gallery [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621#pone.0146621.ref026" target="_blank">26</a>]; ¹⁴C AMS dates correspond to the first occupation of the Megaloceros Gallery in the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc cave [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621#pone.0146621.ref005" target="_blank">5</a>]. The ¹⁴C AMS in green corresponds to the date obtained for the sample taken from the rump of the Megaloceros [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621#pone.0146621.ref008" target="_blank">8</a>]. Uncertainties are reported at the 2σ level excluding TL age where uncertainty is an estimated standard deviation [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0146621#pone.0146621.ref026" target="_blank">26</a>].</p