Parietal art is the archaeological term for artwork done on
cave walls or large blocks of stone. One of the most famous examples of parietal art is the
Grotte Chauvet in France. Also called "cave art", it refers to
cave paintings, drawings, etchings, carvings, and pecked artwork on the interior of rock shelters and caves. The purpose of these remains of the
Paleolithic and other periods of
prehistoric art is not known. However, some theories suggest that these paintings were not solely for decoration as many of them were located in parts of caves that were not easily accessed.