Lascaux cave

Dordogne holidays • Discover Lascaux cave

The Lascaux cave 

In 1940, The Lascaux cave (Not the Lascaux Caves) was “ found” by four Périgourdin young boys (from Montignac). Montignac is situated in the Vézère Valley in the Département of Dordogne-Périgord.

After the Second World War, Lascaux got open to the public for several years until 1963. Lots of visitors came to visit the site, around 1500 visitors a day, but the carbon dioxide in the human breath soon begun to damage the prehistoric paintings of the painted cave.

Today , the original Lascaux cave is closed. The painting cave is under close surveillance in order to preserve this site which is registered among the World Heritage of the Humanity by the UNESCO (Unesco world Heritage site)

History of the Lascaux Discovery

In September 1940, Marcel Ravidat found a cavity on Lascaux Hill. On the 12th September 1940, He came back to the place with Gerorges Agniel, Simon Coencas and Jacques Marsal. The 4 young boys decided to explore the hill, they made the cavity larger so as to slip into the cave. Just with a lamp, they were the first ones to discover the painting caves. They did found some great and unique treasures… The Lascaux cave, the finest of all prehistoric painted caves made by the Cro Magnons.

Lascaux II

So as to unable anybody to discover the prehistoric masterpieces,  The Lascaux cave was entirely and meticulously reproduced - same paintings, same techniques, same pigments.  It is now known as Lascaux II

The Prehistoric Masterpieces of the Vézère Valley in Dordogne Périgord are exhibited in Lascaux II and in the Thot. The guided tours (Lascaux II) or free tours (The Thot) enable to be keen on fabulous art of the prehistoric men. 

More Generally speaking, the Vézère Valley is one of the unique  cradles of human art : a site thanks to which many other prehistoric sites can be imagined.

How can you visit Lascaux 2?

The Cro Magnon Art

The Cro Magnon man is one of the first artists of Humanity. When you visit the painted caves of the Vézère Valley, you are often very captivated and enthralled by these masterpieces and even more surprised by the supports they used to use. In fact, the drawing, the painting, the engraving, and the carving techniques were very elaborated. Different supports were used to get the best impressions …. 

Three painting techniques were used, line drawing with a finger or crayon, dabbing with tufts of hair or clumps of moss and dye spraying through a hollow bone or a blowpipe.  Besides, the Cro Magnons used different techniques to glorify and excel in art expression. 

A carved line can sometimes be superimposed on a painted line to set the outline off. The paintings often represent animals.  Human representations are scarcer (the “Sorcerer Cave” for instance). Lastly, even though the Art of the Ornate Caves is the most spectacular and the most famous one, the Cro magnons also left many tools and objects such as flints which are exhibited in the National Museum of Prehistory in the Eyzies de Tayac.