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| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Cave Art (World of Art) | $24.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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The Cave of Lascaux: The Final Photographs | $73.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Cave Painters: Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists | $15.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux | $23.39 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Dawn of Art: The Chauvet Cave (The Oldest Known Paintings in the World) | $72.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Lascaux Cave was discovered on 12 September 1940, when four teenagers near Montignac, France, enlarged an opening Marcel Ravidat had noticed beside an uprooted tree and climbed inside. Ravidat was with his dog, Robot, when he first spotted it—but the documented account does not say that the dog fell into the cave. The paintings and engravings inside are dated to about 18,000–20,000 years ago, rather than exactly 17,000.
Did a boy follow his dog into Lascaux Cave?
That familiar version compresses a more precise story. On 8 September 1940, 17-year-old apprentice mechanic Marcel Ravidat noticed an opening near an uprooted tree while out with his dog, Robot. He tried to explore it but did not have the tools he needed. Four days later, he returned with three friends: Georges Agnel, 16, and Jacques Marsal and Simon Coencas, both 15.
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The four boys enlarged the opening and entered on 12 September. The French Ministry of Culture’s archaeology portal calls them the cave’s discoverers. The popular dog story has a real starting point—Robot was with Ravidat when he noticed the opening—but the official account does not establish that the dog fell into it or led him underground.
What did the boys find underground?
After descending a vertical shaft, the boys walked along a gallery about 30 metres long and saw paintings in the Axial Gallery. They later explored another shaft, about eight metres deep, and found the scene of a man confronting a bison. Lascaux’s art includes animals, humans and signs, rendered through drawings, bichrome and polychrome paintings, and engravings.
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The cave is near Montignac in the Dordogne region of southwestern France. The Ministry of Culture dates its paintings and engravings to between 18,000 and 20,000 years ago. “17,000-year-old” is a popular rounded description, but that official date range is the more precise formulation.
How was the discovery confirmed and studied?
The boys’ teacher, Léon Laval, entered the cave on 18 September 1940. Henri Breuil, a prehistorian, made his first visit on 21 September to authenticate the figures. The following month, Fernand Windels began an initial photographic campaign, while Maurice Thaon started drawing the figures. Excavations led by Breuil and Séverin Blanc began in 1949.
The four teenagers’ lives took different paths after the discovery. Ravidat and Marsal guarded the entrance through the winter of 1940–41 and later became guides when the cave opened to visitors in 1948. Coencas and his family were deported to Buchenwald.
Why is the original Lascaux Cave closed?
As visitor numbers grew, tourism began to damage the cave’s delicate environment. The Ministry of Culture reports that attendance reached as many as 1,800 people a day. Removing scree from the entrance changed air exchange and destabilized the cave’s climate and humidity, contributing to mould. The original cave closed to the public in April 1963 and is now rigorously monitored.
Visitors today see reproductions rather than entering the original. These replicas make the art accessible while limiting the risks that public access would pose to the cave environment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What are Lascaux II, III and IV?
| Experience | What it offers | Opened or began |
|---|---|---|
| Lascaux II | A fixed, partial replica. The official visitor site says it reproduces about 80% of the paintings; the Ministry of Culture describes the reproduced areas as 90% of the paintings. | 1983 |
| Lascaux III | A touring exhibition of replicas, presented internationally. | 2012 |
| Lascaux IV | The complete reproduction of the cave, at the International Centre for Cave Art. | 2016 |
The different percentages given for Lascaux II reflect how the two official sources describe its scope; they should not be treated as a single agreed figure. Lascaux IV is the complete reproduction, while Lascaux III brings reproductions to audiences through a traveling exhibition.
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What to remember about Lascaux’s discovery
- Four teenagers entered Lascaux Cave on 12 September 1940 after Ravidat noticed an opening near an uprooted tree while with his dog, Robot.
- The paintings and engravings are dated to about 18,000–20,000 years ago.
- The art includes animals, humans and signs, made using several painting and engraving techniques.
- The original cave closed to visitors in 1963 after tourism damaged its environment; replicas now provide public access to the art.
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