In 1940, a boy followed his dog through the forest and stumbled upon a sealed cave: today it is the ‘Sistine Chapel of Prehistory’

A monumental discovery was made on September 12, 1940, when four local teenagers explored a small opening and squeezed through it, uncovering paintings that are now known as the Axial Gallery of the Lascaux Caves.

The story goes that the initial discovery happened four days prior because a dog led the boys to the entrance. When Marcel Ravidat slipped on a small stone chasing the dog it fell down a hole and made such a sound when it reached the bottom of the shaft that it drew attention.

Without proper equipment to go down into the opening and explore what had been found, he and his friends left with plans to return. They thought it might be a long-lost underground passage that led to the Montignac and the Lascaux manor house.

He came back with a lamp and a knife, but had to employ the help of three other boys from the village as the others were too scared to enter. The four upon shining their lamp on the walls and ceilings, encountered multiple paintings of animals.

After an initial exploration of the cave complex, they stumbled upon a dark hole that they couldn’t get down without a rope. So they returned the next day and Ravidat was lowered down a roughly 26-foot shaft where he laid eyes on one of the most debated scenes in Lascaux: a human figure facing a bison.

600 painted figures

The caves are not a single mural but a complex network of decorated spaces. According to the Ministry of Culture, they contain around 600 painted figures and over 1,500 engravings spread across roughly 771 feet.

Animals are the main subjects in these works, including bulls, horses, and deer. Some figures reach up to about 6.5 feet in height, suggesting advanced planning despite very limited lighting conditions.

Studies date the paintings to between 17,000 and 20,000 years ago, depending on the sample and method used.

Open to the public

An interesting detail is that the cave was opened to the public in 1948, and some of its original discoverers even worked as guides. However, between 1958 and 1959, green algae began appearing on the walls.

In 1960, a scientific review warned that as many as 1,800 daily visitors in such a confined space were generating heat, humidity, and increased carbon dioxide levels, putting the paintings at risk. As a result, the cave was closed to tourism in 1963.

However, replicas of the caves and paintings are now open to the public and are a major tourist destination. One of the replicas, Lascaux III, is made up of a series of light-weight panels that can be put on displayed anywhere in the world.

Preservation is the goal

Today, the goal is to preserve this heritage for as long as possible. The Ministry of Culture emphasizes that the mission is to protect Lascaux as well as possible, for as long as possible, focusing efforts on studying how water and carbon dioxide affect the underground environment.

In addition to banning visits, vehicle traffic in the area has also been restricted to minimize environmental impact.

Today, Lascaux has become a benchmark case in environmental management, where factors such as carbon dioxide, humidity, and microorganisms define the limits of conservation. The conclusion is clear: the best way to preserve the cave is to leave it undisturbed.

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