Lascaux (English: la-SKOH, US also lah-SKOH; French: Grotte de Lascaux French pronunciation: [ɡʁɔt də lasko], Lascaux Cave") is a network of caves near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in southwestern France. Over 600 parietal wall paintings cover the interior walls and ceilings of the cave. The paintings represent primarily large animals, typical local contemporary fauna that correspond with the fossil record of the Upper Paleolithic in the area.
They are the combined effort of many generations. With continued debate, the age of the paintings is now usually estimated at 17,000 to 22,000 years (early Magdalenian). Because of the outstanding prehistoric art in the cave, Lascaux was inducted into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979, as an element of the Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley.The original caves have been closed to the public since 1963, as their condition was quickly deteriorating, but there are now a number of replicas.
Lascaux(English: / læˈskoʊ / la-SKOH, [1] US also / lɑːˈskoʊ / lah-SKOH; [2] French: Grotte deLascauxFrench pronunciation: [ɡʁɔt də lasko], [3] LascauxCave") is a network of caves near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in southwestern France. Over 600 parietal wallpaintingscover the interior walls and ceilings of the cave. Thepaintingsrepresent ...
LascauxCave is a Palaeolithic cave situated in southwestern France, near the village of Montignac in the Dordogne region, which houses some of the most famous examples of prehistoric cavepaintings... Lascauxvirtual visitLascaux3DLascauxvideo tour Discover the cave The discovery of the monumentalLascauxcave in 1940 brought with it a new era in our knowledge of both prehistoric art and human origins. Today, the cave continues to feed our collective imagination and to profoundly move new generations of visitors from around the world.
TheLascauxcave, as it's known, contains about 600 wallpaintingsand about 1,500 engravings etched on the sides of several chambers. Among the many animals depicted, horses are by far the most ... Learn about the exceptional quality and antiquity of the Palaeolithic cavepaintingsofLascaux, France, and the challenges of preserving them from fungus and mold.
Read the chronicle of the symposium that brought together experts to discuss the problems and solutions for the conservation of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. LascauxCavePaintings: Secrets of Prehistoric Art Archaeologists have been unraveling the truth behind the mysterious artwork ofLascauxCave, exploring the lives of our ancestors almost 20,000 years ago. Published: Apr 16, 2025 written by Jasmine Gandy, MSc Primate Conservation Lascaux, cave containing one of the most outstanding displays of prehistoric art yet discovered.
Located above the Vézère River valley near Montignac, in Dordogne, France, the cave is a short distance upstream from the Eyzies-de-Tayac series of caves. Discovered in 1940, theLascauxcaves in southwestern France contain thousands ofpaintingsdating back 17,000 years. These works depict animals, human figures, and abstract symbols, showcasing extraordinary skill and insight into Paleolithic life.
Themes and Imagery Animals dominate theLascauxart: aurochs, horses, stags, and bison. LascauxCavePaintings(17,000 BCE): Discovery, Dating, Layout, Materials andPaintingTechniques
