Lascaux caves
Ancient painted grotto
Lascaux caves are a network of caves in southwestern France containing prehistoric wall paintings dating to roughly 17,000 years ago.
The paintings depict animals—horses, deer, bulls, bison—with remarkable naturalism and are among the most significant examples of Paleolithic art.
Discovered in 1940, the original caves were closed to visitors in 1963 to prevent deterioration; replicas now serve tourists.
- Paleolithic artIce-age creative works
- excavation sitesPlaces for archaeological digging
- carbon datingIsotope-based age measurement
- limestone formationsCalcium carbonate cave deposits
- underground chambersEnclosed spaces below ground
painted walls · preservation techniques · hand stencils · artistic techniques · prehistoric fauna · bison herds · rock shelter · dating methods · environmental monitoring · hunter-gatherer societies · fossil records · geological history · Dordogne · stratigraphy · restoration projects · temperate climate · aurochs · public awareness campaigns
Lascaux cavesLouvre
Paris art museum
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