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Lascaux in France is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its Upper Paleolithic cave paintings, dating back 16,000 years. The site was discovered in 1940 and opened to the public after World War II, but was closed due to damage caused by tourists. A replica of the Painted Gallery and Great Hall of the Bulls is now open for visitors. The paintings feature over 2,000 images, including animals and non-figurative images. The area surrounding Lascaux offers other Paleolithic sites for exploration.
Lascaux is the name of a region of France, famous above all for its cave paintings. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 1979. The cave paintings are, arguably, the most famous in the world, and a visit to Lascaux is a must for anyone interested in Paleolithic art.
The Lascaux paintings date back to the Upper Paleolithic and are all approximately 16,000 years old. They are some of the oldest remaining examples of art and have fascinated people since their discovery. Their images have become some of the most iconic artistic images in the world and are easily spotted on everything from logos to pop art reproductions.
The Lascaux caves were first discovered in 1940, by a group of French teenagers and their dog. Word spread quickly, and Lascaux’s paintings made a huge splash in academia. After the Second World War the site was opened to the public and quickly became one of the most famous archaeological attractions in the world.
Within a few years, art like Lascaux began to show wear and tear due to the carbon dioxide being produced by the constant flow of tourists. Lascaux was closed to the public and the paintings were meticulously restored. Paintings like Lascaux are now under constant surveillance to make sure they don’t degrade further, and in 2008 the cave was closed to everyone, including scientists, to further protect the images.
Many visitors are disappointed to learn that Lascaux is closed to the public, and indeed has been since the 1960s. Recently, however, a perfect reproduction has been made of two of the most important chambers of the cave immediately adjacent to the current Lascaux cave. This replica can be visited most of the year, and guided tours are available that last only about an hour. The replica cave was created using what scientists believe to be the original methods and materials, relying solely on natural pigments, such as charcoal, iron oxide and ochre.
The two rooms reproduced as Lascaux are the two most famous: the Painted Gallery and the Great Hall of the Bulls. The Great Hall of Bulls contains more than 35 different animals, four of which are large black bulls. One such bull is 17 feet (5 m) long, making it the largest animal found in a cave painting.
All told, there are more than 2000 distinct images represented at Lascaux. More than 900 of these are animals and just over 600 of these have been accurately identified. Some non-figurative images at Lascaux appear to be just random dots, which some have speculated are representations of stars in the night sky. Another intriguing figure is The Crossed Bison, an animal figure that makes striking use of perspective. The visual effect was not more widely reproduced until the 15th century.
While Lascaux may prove something of a disappointment to many, simply because the site isn’t fully open, the replica is a wonderful substitute, and the information available on the site is fascinating. The area surrounding Lascaux is also rich in other Paleolithic sites, many of which are less protected and sensitive caves than Lascaux, and therefore offer more opportunities for exploration.
