Lascaux Caves Closed to Protect Ancient Artwork
“Lascaux Caves Prehistoric artwork decorates the walls of the Lascaux Caves in southwestern France. Discovered in 1940, the caves contain thousands of paintings created more than seventeen thousand years ago. Early visitors unknowingly damaged the fragile environment inside the cave through carbon dioxide, humidity, and microorganisms. Within years, the paintings began deteriorating. To prevent further destruction, authorities closed the original cave to the public in 1963. Today, only a small group of conservation experts may enter under tightly controlled conditions. The decision protects priceless cultural heritage created by early humans during the Ice Age. Experience history through a nearby replica instead of the real cavern. Lascaux IV, an exact reproduction open to tourists, allows visitors to see the remarkable artwork without harming the original paintings. Scientists constantly monitor the real cave to prevent mold or bacterial growth from spreading across the ancient surfaces. Each animal figure—horses, bulls, and deer—offers clues about the lives of prehistoric communities. Closing the cave may have disappointed travelers, yet preservation ensures those images survive for centuries to come. Protecting irreplaceable history sometimes requires locking the door.”
Summary
The Lascaux Caves were indeed discovered in 1940 and contain Paleolithic paintings dating back roughly 17,000 years. Visitor traffic introduced carbon dioxide, humidity and microbes that damaged the art, prompting the French authorities to close the original cave to the public in 1963, limiting entry to a small number of conservation experts under strict controls. A precise replica, Lascaux IV, now welcomes tourists, while the authentic cave is continuously monitored to prevent mold and bacterial growth.
Sources 60 searched
- France Saves Lascaux Grotto, But Public Is Still Barred - The New York Times
PERIGUEUX, France — After six ... organic deterioration. But this vic tory of science does not mean that the grotto, closed since 1963 because of microbiotic contamination brought in by visitors, will be reopened in the near ...
- THE LASCAUX CAVES; Prehistoric Grotto Remains Closed As France Acts to Save Paintings - The New York Times
PERIGUEUX, France—Last Easter, the Lascaux caves near here were closed to the general public because of a mysterious green mold that threatened to destroy the centuries‐old paintings on the grotto walls.
- LASCAUX CAVE ART CLOSED TO PUBLIC; French Seeking Ways to Protect Old Wall Paintings From Green Splotching INDEFINITE BAN IMPOSED Perigord Region Hopes for Quick Solution to Avert Big Loss of Tourist Business. - The New York Times
Fitting tourists with masks and disinfecting them are being talked of as solutions. Others include building protective linings of glass or plastic along the walls. ... The Lascaux Caves (cross) have been closed to save their prehistoric paintings.
- Lascaux - Wikipedia
Consequently, the cave was closed to the public in 1963, the paintings were restored to their original state, and a monitoring system on a daily basis was introduced. Conservation problems, such as protecting crystal growth and conserving the paintings in the original cave, have made the creation ...
- Lascaux Cave - Linda Hall Library
The cause was easy to ascertain – thousands of humans were breathing on the paintings every day, depositing moisture, spores, bacteria, and all those other things that humans exude.
- Lascaux Cave - World History Encyclopedia
The original cave was closed to the public in 1963 CE after it became clear that the many visitors caused, among others, the growth of algae on the cave walls, dealing irreparable damage to the paintings.
- Lascaux Cave – Sacred Land
Exposure to light, changes in air circulation, and the increase in carbon dioxide caused lichen and crystals to grow along the walls, thus endangering the preservation of the paintings.
- Lascaux Caves Guide: Bergerac Prehistoric Art UNESCO
The UNESCO designation brought ... globally. The decision to close Lascaux to tourist access, though economically painful for the local region, received validation and support through World Heritage status....
- Why Was the Lascaux Cave Closed to the Public? | TheCollector
But in 1963, the Lascaux Cave closed its doors to the general public, and became a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site under close surveillance, with steel doors and security cameras.
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