🎨 Lascaux: the “Sistine Chapel” of Prehistory

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🌍 An accidental discovery

On September 12, 1940, four teenagers and a dog named Robot accidentally discovered the entrance to a cave near Montignac, in the Dordogne region.
They had just uncovered one of humanity’s greatest treasures.

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🐎 An extraordinary bestiary

Lascaux Cave contains nearly 2,000 figures, including around 600 paintings and 1,500 engravings.

🔹 The Hall of the Bulls

The Hall of the Bulls, one of the most impressive areas of the cave.

This is the most famous section. It features monumental aurochs (one measuring over 5 meters long!), horses, deer, and a mysterious animal nicknamed the “Unicorn”.

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🧪 The artists’ techniques

The painters of Lascaux were far from amateurs. They mastered complex techniques:

• Natural pigments: Use of iron oxides (for red and yellow) and manganese (for black)
• Application methods: Colors were applied with brushes, pads, or by spraying (blowing pigment) using a hollow bone
• Use of relief: Artists used the natural contours of the cave walls to give volume to the animals

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⚠️ Preserving a fragile treasure

Opened to the public after World War II, the cave had to be closed in 1963 because visitors’ breath (carbon dioxide) was damaging the paintings.

Today, visitors explore Lascaux IV, a full and highly accurate replica located a few hundred meters from the original, in order to preserve this sanctuary for future generations.

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🧠 Key takeaways

• Discovered in 1940 in the Dordogne region
• Dating from around 18,000 years ago (Magdalenian period)
• A unique testimony to the artistic mastery of Homo sapiens

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📸 Image credits

• Lascaux paintings — Prof saxx, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons