Kapova Cave (Shulgan Tash)

Main article: Paleolithic in Russia

In the Burzyansky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan, on the right bank of the Belaya River, there is the Kapova Cave (Shulgan-Tash), which is a multi-level karst cavity. Back in 1959, archaeologists discovered wall images left by Paleolithic artists in it. The subsequent scientific research made it possible to identify and clear in the halls of the Dome, Chaos, Signs and Drawings images of mammoths, horses, rhino and other animals, as well as zoanthropomorph and numerous geometric signs. Uranium-thorium dating showed that the oldest drawings in the Cape Cave were made 36,400 years ago.

The sanctuary in the Cape Cave looks most like the famous monuments found in Franco-Cantabria.

In addition to images, archaeologists have found so-called clades in this sanctuary, which are accumulations of powdered pigment of different colors - from black and yellow to rich red. Excavations also brought numerous finds, including hearths, stone and bone tools, a clay fat lamp, tusk and mollusk shell jewelry, and osteological materials.

2022: Archaeologists discover prehistoric artist's marked path in Chaos Hall of Cape Cave

Members of the South Ural archaeological expedition from Moscow State University, led by Vladislav Zhitenev, discovered a prehistoric artist's path in the Cape Cave. About 19-17 thousand years ago, he walked through Chaos Hall and marked his route with small strokes and drops of red paint. It passed through almost the entire hall - from the panel "Horses and Signs" with a camel pattern to the figure of a zooanthropomorph. This was reported in a press release from Moscow State University.

In addition to the spilled paint, archaeologists have discovered a fine powder not yet diluted with water to make it. In addition, among the finds were deliberately painted stones in red. It is probably also evidence of symbolic actions.

Vyacheslav Zhitenev noted that such paths are known only in a very small number of caves with Paleolithic wall images in France and Spain. Other finds also included previously unknown evidence of artistic practices found on the cave walls. Their unusual nature is that the drawings were made in black and brownish-brown paint, whereas most other images in the Cape Cave are made in red paint.