Biography
Jean Clottes is a French prehistorian specialising in prehistoric cave art. Born in the French Pyrénées in 1933, he began studying archaeology in 1959 while teaching. He served as director of prehistoric antiquities for the Midi-Pyrénées from 1971 and later held national roles at the French Ministry of Culture, including General Inspector for Archaeology and Scientific Advisor for prehistoric rock art. He retired in 1999 but continued contributing to the field.
Clottes has authored or co-authored numerous books and over 300 scientific papers on rock art. He led research on major sites including the Cosquer and Chauvet caves. He appears as himself in the 2010 documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams, directed by Werner Herzog, discussing the Chauvet Cave paintings.
