Montignac
Lascaux is located in the commune of Montignac, a village that developed along the banks of the Vézère, at the foot of the castle of the Counts of Périgord.
The Tourist Office is located on the left bank, near the church and the Musée Eugène Le Roy. The museum is dedicated to the author of “Jacquou le Croquant“, a popular novel inspired by the peasant revolt in Périgord. Some rooms display prehistoric objects and examples of ancient craftsmanship.
The village is renowned for its charming half-timbered and limestone houses line the narrow streets and the banks of the river, however, Montignac’s international renown rests on the famous Lascaux cave!
Four boys and a dog
It all began on September 8, 1940, when four teenagers from Montignac, Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agniel and Simon Coencas, embarked on a treasure hunt on the hillside overlooking the village, accompanied by their faithful dog. However, their dog truly deserves credit for discovering the cave, as it went into a small cavity and refused to come out! Worried about their pet’s safety, the boys ventured into the narrow entrance to rescue it.
To their great surprise, they discovered the cave intact and its exceptional paintings. Although they initially decided to keep their discovery secret, they could not resist the urge to share their extraordinary adventure with their former teacher, Mr Léon Laval. Recognising the importance of the discovery, Laval did not hesitate to inform the famous archaeologist, Abbé Breuil.
During his visit to the cave on September 21, the abbot was captivated by the beauty, variety and quality of the wall paintings and sculptures. Impressed by what he saw, he christened the cave the “Sistine Chapel of Prehistory” and worked successfully to have Lascaux immediately classified as a historical monument.
Lascaux Cave, the most important prehistoric site of Europe
The Lascaux cave is an exceptional site! Classified as a historical monument by the French Ministry of Culture in 1940 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, it holds immense cultural importance.
The remarkable mural paintings that adorn its walls were created by our distant ancestors, the Cro Magnon men, about 20,000 years ago. Their occupation of the cave ceased, however, around 8,000 years ago, coinciding with the development of animal husbandry and the emergence of organised communities. This marked the beginning of a new era for human civilisation.
The collapse of the cave entrance shortly after the paintings were completed, due to natural causes or human intervention, sealed Lascaux for millennia. This fortunate coincidence protected these magnificent works of art from excessive humidity and light, thus ensuring their remarkable preservation.
Another crucial factor contributing to the exceptional preservation of Lascaux is the presence of an impermeable marl layer. This layer, located above the limestone cave, effectively prevented water infiltration, thus preserving the precious rock art.
The Sistine Chapel of Prehistory
The wealth of archaeological objects unearthed in the Lascaux cave, including bones, grease lamps, spear points, flint tools, pigments, palettes and fragments of charcoal, offers a valuable insight into the lives of these distant ancestors. Carbon-14 dating indicates that these objects were used approximately 17,000 years ago.
Studies confirm that the cave was never inhabited. Extending to a depth of approximately 2,000 metres, the Lascaux cave features poly-chrome paintings from the Solutrean and Magdalenian periods, distributed across four galleries and circular rooms named after the subjects depicted.
The Great Hall of the Bulls and the Axial Gallery house 90% of the paintings of Lascaux. A narrow corridor connects the Hall of the Bulls to the Apse, which leads to the Nave and the Gallery of Felines. The Well Gallery, located to the right of the apse, also features a rare depiction of a human figure being pursued by a wounded bison. Nearly 600 animals are depicted on the walls of the Lascaux cave, mainly horses, bison, aurochs and deer, as well as cave lions and a bear.
Surprisingly, there is only one representation of a reindeer, despite its importance in Cro-Magnon culture. Mammoths are also absent from the paintings because they had already left the region by that time. A particularly enigmatic representation at Lascaux is that of an animal resembling a unicorn. The very existence of such a creature at that time remains a subject of speculation and curiosity.
The Cro-Magnon artists left more than 400 diverse signs scattered among the animal representations in the Lascaux cave. The meaning of these signs remains a mystery to this day.
The animal representations demonstrate a remarkable originality in their graphic execution, revealing an exceptional mastery of techniques and styles. The irregularity of the cave walls was often exploited to accentuate the perspective, while various techniques were employed to depict animals in motion and sometimes in confrontation.
The paintings were frequently layered, but it is still unknown whether this had any particular significance or was simply a way to optimise wall space. Markings on the ground also suggest that Cro-Magnon artists used scaffolding to reach the upper parts of the walls.
Lascaux’ issues
The opening of the Lascaux cave to the public in 1948 was crowned by a dazzling success that almost led to disaster.
Indeed, before scientists could intervene, more than a million visitors had already entered the cave, unintentionally disrupting its fragile ecosystem. Carbon dioxide and moisture produced by respiration and body heat had indeed led to the appearance of white mould and green algae, which had begun to deteriorate the precious paintings.
These caves, despite their age, are living ecosystems, extremely vulnerable to contamination.
Fortunately, on March 20, 1963, André Malraux, then Minister of Culture, made the crucial decision to close the cave to the public. This measure was essential to protect this irreplaceable heritage from further degradation, and a replica was subsequently built.
White fungus in 2001
The decision to close the Lascaux cave to the public came, unfortunately, too late, and the site suffered two successive bacterial infections, the first in 2001 and the second in 2007.
The origin of the white mould that spread across the cave walls in 2001 has been the subject of controversy among experts. Many believed that the new ventilation system installed in 2000 was responsible for the appearance of this mould.
They indeed argued that the previous system, in service from 1967 to 2000, offered better conditions for the cave’s preservation. This earlier system had a low power (100 W) that maintained precise, optimal conditions, with the ambient air saturated at 99% humidity.
Critics of the new system argued that its high power and size necessitated dismantling the entrance airlock for installing it. This resulted in excess humidity in the cave because the work had been carried out in winter.
Moreover, the fans were stopped only two months later, unable to cool the cave, and instead generating harmful air currents.
Black fungus in 2007
Experts determined that the use of a fungicide, Devor Mousse, to eradicate white mould stains precipitated the appearance of black stains in 2007. However, even after the use of fungicide had stopped in 2004, the black stains continued to spread. The investigations carried out on the condition of the cave have probably worsened the situation. The constant comings and goings of the investigation teams, who were photographing the cave to track the progression of the fungi, unintentionally affected the internal climate, humidity and temperature levels. These fluctuations likely created conditions favourable to the proliferation of fungi, thus contributing to the spread of black spots.
The use of benzalkonium
The conservation of the paintings in the Lascaux cave became a major concern in the 2000s, particularly in 2007, when the appearance of two new species of fungi from samples taken from black spots increased concerns.
These fungi grew in the presence of nitrogen and carbon compounds resulting from the degradation of benzalkonium. The latter was a component of the fungicide used for years in the cave.
Although this fungicide posed no problem in a sealed environment, it was unsuitable for Lascaux!
The delicate balance between humidity and air circulation in the cave relies on natural processes such as water seepage through the walls and micro-orifices for natural ventilation.
The inappropriate use of the fungicide disrupted this balance. Fortunately, the situation has since stabilised, and the spread of the black spots has stopped. However, only experts are currently allowed to enter the Lascaux cave to ensure its preservation.
Lascaux replicas
Several replicas have been created so that the public can continue to admire the striking beauty of the Lascaux cave paintings.
Lascaux II, inaugurated in 1983 near the original cave, is particularly remarkable. Recreated with extreme care using state-of-the-art techniques and materials, it offers visitors an authentic glimpse into the wonders of the Palaeolithic era. Every detail, from the vibrant colours of the paintings to the intricate outlines of the rock formations, faithfully reproduces the original cave.
Lascaux IV was inaugurated in 2016. Located at the International Centre for Cave Art, this ultramodern installation uses cutting-edge technology to offer an immersive and educational experience. The centre displays meticulous reproductions of the cave chambers and high-definition projections of the cave paintings, accompanied by explanatory panels.
Department of Dordogne – Montignac
Coordinates: Lat 45.054132 – Long 1.166895
Wikimedia Commons photos: Black cow by PD-OUD Public domain – Abside Public domain – Bulls’ Gallery and Shaman and wounded bison by Peter80 CC BY-SA 3.0 – Grease lamp by Sémhur CC BY-SA 4.0 – Bison and horse by X Public domain – Megaloceros by HTO Public domain
