In the creeks near Marseille, 37 metres underwater, lies the only submerged cave on the planet that's covered with cave paintings. On its damp walls, people have painted horses, bison, ibex and even penguins – animals that were present in the south of France during the Ice Age. The oldest paintings date back some 27,000 years.
Fully discovered in 1991 by local diver Henri Cosquer, the cave is an archaeological treasure, but is doomed to disappear because of rising sea levels: within a few decades, the cave will be completely flooded.
As a result, a team of scientists armed with ultra-modern technology have created a near-perfect replica of the cave, as the only way to save this priceless prehistoric art. It's now on display in central Marseille.
