What do the Lascaux paintings depict? They can be divided into 3 categories
The Lascaux paintings are one of the most valuable discoveries of the 20th century. Can tourists see them with their own eyes? Learn about the history of the famous cave drawings.
The Lascaux paintings were discovered in 1940. They are between 15,000 and 17,000 years old. As with many historical finds, they were discovered by accident. Let’s go back in time more than 80 years.
Lascaux cave: history of discovery
On a hill overlooking the town of Montignac there was a located a fox hole. According to local legend, it was supposed to be the entrance to an underground passage that led to the Lascaux estate. Marcel Ravidat, a young apprentice mechanic, decided to check it out. However, he did not have the right tools.
He returned to the site on September 12. This time with three colleagues. Together they enlarged the hole, then slid inside. By the light of a makeshift lamp, they walked down a corridor about 30 meters long. This is how they discovered the first cave drawings. The next day they returned to go even lower. There they discovered another painting. One of them depicted a fight between a man and a bison-like animal. The boys told their teacher Léon Laval about the discovery.
