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Now de Sautuola had come to the cave to excavate the floor, to poke around for prehistoric relics, such as bones and tools, it was Maria who made the discovery for which Altamira became famous.
"Papa, look, oxen."
"I was overcome with amazement, what I saw made me so excited, I could hardly speak."
Young Maria had caught sight of the first gallery of prehistoric paintings ever to be discovered. Now many more have since come to light in caves all around the world, but these at Altamira are still considered among the most beautiful.
Dominating the ceiling were dozens of paintings of aurochs, a species of ox that had long been extinct. They appeared to be standing, sleeping and running. As soon as he saw them, de Sautuola was convinced that the images had been painted by prehistoric people. But others weren't so sure. When de Sautuola announced his discovery to the world, archeologists immediately began to question its authenticity, the images were simply too good. It was unthinkable that they'd been created by prehistoric savages. Experts claimed that the paintings had been faked, and that de Sautuola was either the victim or perpetrator of a hoax.
He stood by his discovery. "It's hard to believe that someone would have decided to shut himself away in the dark to paint extinct animals, there was absolutely no reason to doubt that these paintings came from an ancient period in time." de Sautuola fought hard to clear his name, but his fellow archeologists were consistently skeptical. Within a few years, he died, here at his family home, not far from Altamira, a disbelieved and disillusioned man. His supporters said that the accusations of dishonesty had broken his heart and caused his death. But the time would come, when de Sautuola was vindicated.
Over the decades, discovery after discovery was made, in France as well as Spain, that proved beyond doubt that the cave paintings were prehistoric.
aurochs
(n.) large recently extinct long-horned European wild ox; considered one of the ancestors of domestic cattle 欧洲野牛
authenticity
(n.) The quality or condition of being authentic, trustworthy, or genuine. 确实性, 真实性
perpetrator
(n.) One who perpetrates; esp., one who commits an offense or crime 犯罪者, 作恶者
vindicate
(vt.) To clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments or proof 为…平反
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