Lascaux caves: 17,000-year-old art gallery
France's 17000-year-old Lascaux caves hold 600 bull and horse paintings in mineral pigments deep underground.
1940 boys and a dog found it
In September 1940 four boys and a dog named Robot chased a rabbit near Montignac and fell into a 20 meter shaft that opened to halls with 600 paintings 17000 years old.
The main hall is 20 meters long and 10 meters wide, with bulls 5 meters long, horses, deer and 1500 engravings mapped across 250 meters of passages in 4 connected caves.
Mineral pigments fungus and a replica
Artists ground manganese black, ochre red and charcoal, mixed with 5 liter fat lamps and scaffolds, painting 2 meter bulls that used rock curves for 3D muscle volume.
After 1948 over 1 million visitors brought breath and fungus that spread across 60 percent of walls, so France closed the cave in 1963 and opened the 50 million euro Lascaux 2 replica 200 meters away.
- Found in 1940 by 4 boys and dog
- 600 paintings 17000 years old
- Bulls 5 meters long in 20 meter hall
- Closed in 1963 after fungus spread
- Lascaux 2 replica 200 meters away