Finding Altamira Page #2

It's broken.

See how they split the bone

to reach the marrow fat,

the richest part.

Where did you find it?

There.

Moving pictures!

Mafia?

Maria!

Oxen, Papa, oxen!

Look, Papa.

- Dancing drawings, papa.

- Let's go back. It's cold in here.

No! See? They move.

Let's see, my dear. What moves?

The stones!

What is it? The stones look like oxen?

No, look.

There are many.

It's wet.

Wet.

What is this?

It's a whole herd, Papa.

This one's standing

and this one isn't finished yet.

- Who painted them, Papa?

- I don't know.

Was it the primitives?

I don't know, Maria.

"Sealed up like a tomb"?

And you let our daughter go inside?

It was thousands of years ago,

alandslide.

There could be another landslide

at any moment.

How could you...?

Do you forget what day it is tomorrow?

Our baby's name day.

Of course I don't forget.

I know how you feel, my love,

but if we took no risks at all,

not even sensible, careful risks,

our lives would be very poor.

Maria made a real discovery today.

The wall paintings

in the church are very old.

But these paintings are older,

perhaps.

How old?

Ten thousand years. Maybe more.

This is even before the time

of Adam and Eve. How can that be?

You truly believe your cave people

could have been painters?

Whoever did this was a great artist.

As great as any in history.

Miss Maria.

Conchita, it's a miracle.

It's incredible.

If I wouldn't have seen it

with my own eyes...

I have to talk Professor Vilanova.

And then we should get in contact

with Cartailhac.

- This discovery is worthy of his genius.

- Enough!

- Yes, Cartailhac.

- Maria!

My discovery is worthy

of Cartailhac's genius.

What do you say to that?

Never heard of him.

Papa told you about the oxen?

Yes. And that you found them.

You're not cross with me?

Of course not, darling.

And you're not cross with Papa

about Adam and Eve?

Don't worry about such things.

Go to sleep.

Paleolithic, Palaeolithic.

Will you show me

your "long haired oxen", young lady?

They aren't hairy oxen, Professor,

but bison which inhabited

this region during the Ice Age.

Ahah! A young archaeologist.

Look at this.

And over here.

Look at this.

Look at his head.

It looks as if it were painted

yesterday.

I wonder if this dark cave

may have preserved them

perfectly down the centuries.

Dating the work is problematic

without geological layers.

The cave was sealed and we have found

nothing more recent

than the Upper Paleolithic,

10.000 years by your calculations.

There are carvings and engravings

from this period

but they're small, portable, much like

the work of primitive peoples today.

Nothing like this.

We found this shell

just there by the wall.

Traces of colour.

Which could be red ochre.

Yes, yes, it's quite possible.

So, Professor Vilanova,

what is your opinion?

I've never seen anything like it:

I don't believe anyone has.

It simply doesn't fit

our ideas of Prehistoric Man.

Perhaps all our ideas are wrong.

Gentlemen, please!

Respect for our distinguished visitor.

Some of you have yourselves seen

the evidence of the cave:

a polychrome wall painting

of extinct creatures

in pristine condition.

There is no other example

of such work

from the Paleolithic Era anywhere.

Because they aren't Paleolithic.

Sir.

This is Paleolithic.

And... this is Paleolithic.

I have an extensive collection

which the Council

is very welcome to see,

having made Prehistory

my study for several years.

I realise this is a profoundly

shocking discovery.

Or an absurd mistake

which will make us Cantabrians

the laughing stock

throughout the world.

May I ask, sir, how you would account

for the paintings?

Certainly.

They are the work

of runaway slaves

when this was a Roman province

some two thousand years ago.

No doubt this beasts

were still prevalent

in their barbarian homeland.

There isn't one shred of evidence

to support that.

There's nothing in the cave

less than ten thousand years old.

Nothing that you've presented,

but how can we be sure?

Do you think

I would distort the evidence?

Sir?

Gentlemen, please!

Allow the Professor to finish.

I know what we are suggesting

appears extraordinary

but these are the facts.

That's monkeys with paintbrushes!

We believe that if the cave

is properly cared for,

the international experts

we have invited to see the paintings

will share our view

that this discovery,

in our province,

is of enormous significance

in the History of Mankind.

- Isn't that the wife?

- Yes.

A good woman,

devoul.

a great supporter of our church.

She must be in need of guidance.

Extraordinary.

Consider this:

a complete novice takes up

the latest Paris fashion

and immediately it makes an "extraordinary"

discovery on his very doorstep.

Don't you smell a fish?

Professor Vilanova

is a true friend of the Church.

He exposed the wild assumptions

made by the Darwinists

to support their theory.

I am surprised he should be party

to such rash speculation.

Exactly.

Only a child could be taken in

by such nonsense.

"Oh, my clever papa!"

Excuse me.

Father Tomas, Monsignor.

I hope you don't think...

Tush, tush.

Glory, glory, my child.

You'll come to me.

Listen to this. Tablanca writes:

"Sautuola seems more interested

in personal glory

than allowing proper investigation."

Who is this Tablanca?

His column is very popular.

A moral commentary

on affairs of the day.

An immoral commentary.

Every word is twisted.

No reply from Cartailhac.

Perhaps he disagrees with you.

No one can believe

it till they see them.

You know?

I was thinking

if I sent

some well-executed paintings.

My rough sketches give no idea

of the colours, the artistry.

That painter you have working

at the church,

what's his name again?

Paul?

Paul Ratter.

You want me to ask him?

Yes.

Monsieur Ratter.

- Madame, what a pleasure.

- Good day.

How is our mother, Eve?

Very cheerful

for someone about to bring

disaster on all Mankind.

Just wonder

if I should lessen her smile?

It's her last moment safe

in the Bliss of God.

Don't take that from her.

- I knew you would have the answer.

- Are you allowed to change it?

Maria, I am sure Monsieur Ratter

knows what he is doing.

No, it's a good question.

Sometimes a painting

is so faded or broken

it's hard to know what was intended.

You see here,

at the corner of her mouth.

Is that a curving lip

or a crack in the plaster?

But you'll be changing History.

Well, improving it a little.

Did you come to see Father Tomas?

I think he's in the sacristy.

No, it's you I wanted to see.

Me?

Isn't he handsome?!

Maria Justina!

It's a plain fact, Mama.

One need not be afraid

of stating facts.

A lady should avoid stating facts

whenever possible.

It's most unbecoming.

Did you know that earthworms

can dig up to six feet underground?

Really?

That's what Mr. Darwin says.

Did your father tell you that?

Only about the earthworms.

He never tells me anything

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