The Lascaux Caves, Lascaux
The Lascaux Caves, a cave complex in southwestern France, contain some of the most remarkable paleolithic cave paintings in the world. Known as "the prehistoric Sistine Chapel," the Lascaux paintings are at least 15,000 years old.
History
The Lascaux cave paintings were discovered on Thursday, September 12, 1940, by four French teenagers. The news of the discovery quickly spread and many villagers came to see it themselves. Soon archaeologists visited the site as well.
Shortly after World War II ended, the entrance to the cave was enlarged and the floor was lowered to enable easier access for visitors. Nearly 1,200 tourists visited the cave every day.
By 1955, it became apparent that the cave's popularity had begun to cause significant damage. A study showed that the primary cause was the high levels of carbon dioxide from the visitors' breath.
A system was implemented to monitor carbon dioxide levels, but soon patches of green algae on the walls and other damage began to appear. To protect the ancient site from further damage, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs closed the Lascaux cave to the public on April 20, 1963. The original climatic conditions were recreated, and the site is now in the state in which it was discovered in 1940.
A computerized system now monitors a variety of conditions in the cave, including temperature, moisture and carbon dioxide levels. To compensate for the great loss to the public in closing the cave, a detailed replica was created in 1980. The cave paintings were recreated by projecting images of the originals onto the replica wall. The recreated site, known as "Lascaux II," has been open to the public since 1983.
What to See
Inside the original cave, the first 20 meters slopes steeply down to the first hall in the network, the Great Hall of the Bulls. This vast fresco, covering some 20 meters, is composed of three groups of animals: horses, bulls and stags.
The Great Hall of the Bulls cave painting begins with a unicorn-like figure who seems to be chasing a herd of horses. This is linked with a large, partially drawn bull towards the back of the hall. On the opposite side, a similar illustration made up of three large wild oxen (now extinct) balances this composition. The meeting point of these two groupings is a group of small stags painted in ochre.
The few symbols are limited to isolated or grouped dots, often black, and to variously colored dashes. The color black dominates the figurative works: only the group of stags, three bovines and four horses, of which three are incomplete, are colored red.
The Painted Gallery, which is about 30 meters long, is a continuation of the same hall. Considered to the pinnacle of paleolithic cave art, the Painted Gallery covers the entire upper reaches of the walls as well as the surface of the ceiling. The iconography is based on classical prehistoric animal themes: wild oxen, horses, ibexes, the stag and, at the back, the bison. Notable among these are the "Chinese Horses," a triad surrounded by large red cows. At the back a horse seems to be dashing towards the inmost depths of the gallery.
The Great Hall of Bulls and the Painted Gallery are the most famous of the Lascaux paintings, and are recreated in Lascaux II. The remainder of the original Lascaux cave paintings are recreated at the Center of Prehistoric Art at Thot (Thonac - Dordogne).
A second, lower, gallery, the Lateral Passage, opens off the aisle to the right of Great Hall of the Bulls. It connects the Chamber of Engravings with the Main Gallery and, at its extremity, with the Chamber of Felines. The Shaft of the Dead Man is set a little apart, at the far end of the Chamber of Engravings, and the Silted-up Chambers are in the same direction.
The Chamber of Felines is notably different from the other galleries. Its paintings are of smaller proportions, several felines are included, and the wild ox is absent. Both engraving and painting have been used. The decorative work ends in a double line consisting of three sets of two red dots. This is very similar to the one in black in the Scene of the Dead Man, which suggests a topographical boundary marking the extremities of the sanctuary.
The Shaft of the Dead Man is a triptych centering on a confrontation between a man and a bison while a rhinoceros flees on the left. Nearby is a bird figure on a stick, whose head interestingly resembles that of the man.
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of the Lascaux Caves. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our France Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Quick Facts
Public visits to Lascaux I ceased in 1964. Permission to visit for research purposes is given only to qualified archaeologists who apply to Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles (D.R.A.C.), Service Régional de l'Archéologie, 54 rue Magendie, 33074 Bordeaux (tel. 05-57-95-02-02). If you want to contact the staff at the cave, call tel. 05-53-51-90-29.
Lascaux II, the replica, is located a short walk downhill from the real Lascaux cave. The 39m (131-ft.) long reproduction displays some 200 paintings and gives you a good idea of what the closed-off cave looks like inside.
Try to show up as close to opening time as possible -- the number of visitors per day is limited to 2,000, and tickets usually sell out by 2pm. During the winter, you can buy tickets directly at Lascaux II, but from April to October you must purchase them from a kiosk adjacent to the Montignac tourist office, place Bertran-de-Born.
Visitor Information for Lascaux II
| Location: | 2km (1 1/4 miles) from Montignac, off D706 |
| Phone | 05-53-51-95-03 |
| Hours | July-Aug daily 9am-8pm; Apr 4-June and Sept-Oct 3 daily 9:30am-6:30pm; Oct 4-Nov 11 daily 10am-12:30pm and 2-6pm; Feb 3-Apr 3 and Nov 12-Jan 2 Tues-Sun 10am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm. Closed Jan 3-Feb 2. |
| Cost: | 8€ adults, 4.50€ children 6-12, free for children under 6 |
Visitor Information for Le Thot Museum
| Location: | Thonac, 7km (4 1/2 miles) southwest of Montignac along D706 (follow the signs pointing to the hamlet of Les Eyzies) |
| Phone: | 05-53-50-70-44 |
| Hours: | July-Aug daily 10am-7pm; Sept-Oct 3 Tues-Sun 10am-6pm; Apr 4-June Tues-Sun 9:30am-6:30pm; Oct 4-Nov 11 Tues-Sun 10am-12:30pm and 2-6pm; Feb 3-Apr 3 and Nov 12-Jan 2 Tues-Sun 10am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm |
| Cost: | 5.20€ adults, 3.20€ children 6-12, free for ages 5 and under. Combination ticket to Le Thot and Lascaux II 9€ adults, 5€ children 6-12 |
More Information
- The Cave of Lascaux – French Ministry of Culture
