Introduction

The Lascaux Cave, discovered on September 12, 1940, by four adolescents—Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agniel, and Simon Coencas—accompanied by a dog named Robot, revolutionized our understanding of prehistoric art and human origins. A monumental masterpiece, the cave continues to captivate the collective imagination and inspire awe in new generations worldwide.

Lascaux is renowned for its extraordinary decor, remarkable in its quality, diversity, and scale. It challenges conventional perceptions of prehistoric human behavior. Recent analyses date the cave to 21,000 BCE, at the junction of the Upper Solutrean and Badegoulian periods of the Upper Paleolithic. It contains 680 frescoes and 1,500 engravings.

The cave entrance, situated at an altitude of 185 meters, overlooks the Vézère Valley by 110 meters. The total length of galleries accessible to humans spans 235 meters. The cave floor slopes downward, with a vertical drop of -13 meters at the far end of the Axial Gallery and -19 meters at the bottom of the Shaft. A monumental creation, the cave continues to inspire wonder and stir the imaginations of people around the globe.



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