France’s most famous prehistoric cave paintings are at the Grotte de Lascaux, 2km southeast of Montignac. Completely sealed and protected for ages, it was discovered in 1940 by four teenage boys out searching for their lost dog. It contains a vast network of chambers adorned with the most complex prehistoric paintings ever found.
From mid-April to mid-October, tickets (either same-day or for the future) are sold only in Montignac at a ticket office next to the tourist office; the rest of the year you can get them at the cave entrance.
The original cave was opened to visitors in 1948, but within a few years it became apparent that human breath, temperature changes and introduced elements were causing irreparable damage, and the cave was closed in 1963. A cm-by-cm replica of the most famous sections of the original cave was created a few hundred metres away – a massive undertaking that requiring the skills of some 20 artists and over 11 years.
Lascaux has often been referred to as the prehistoric equivalent of the Sistine Chapel, and it’s a fitting comparison. Renowned for their artistry, the 600-strong menagerie of animal figures are depicted in technicolor shades of red, black, yellow and brown, ranging from reindeer, aurochs, mammoths and horses to a monumental 5.5m-long bull, the largest single cave drawing ever found. After a visit in 1940, Picasso allegedly muttered, ‘We have invented nothing’.
Carbon dating has shown that the paintings are between 15,000 and 17,000 years old, but it’s still a mystery why the prehistoric painters devoted so much time and effort to their creation, and why this particular site seems to have been so important.
Although the idea may sound contrived, the reproductions are beautifully done using the original techniques, and they are certainly better than nothing. But, inevitably, they can’t quite match the thrill of seeing original paintings.
Frequent, large 50-minute guided tours include several in English and Spanish.
