Teenagers do what teenagers do - including finding a hole in the ground and exploring it... which sounds like a very dangerous plan to me! But in this case, it became one of the most amazing discoveries - ever... one that forever changed our perceptions of the ancestors.
(Cave painting of animals. Source)
In the Vézère Valley in the Dordogne departement of SW France is the commune of Montignac-Lascaux. Along the Vézère River, it has been the capital of the Montignac canton since 1790. It is an ancient town, probably predating its Roman colonization launching it to importance through the middle ages - at least until the destruction of Château de Montignac in 1825.
Since 1940, it became a tourist destination for anyone wanting to visit the prehistoric pictures found on the walls of the cave system there. However, it became necessary to close the caves to the public (in 1963) in order to prevent the pictures from being destroyed by all the visitors. Mold and fungus still endanger the paintings.
In 1983, a replica called Lascaux II opened with reconstructions of the most famous pieces. There are also reproductions housed in the Musée d’Art Préhistorique in Le Thot, France. Additionally, we have pictures of the 2,000 figures painted on the walls of these caves, allowing everyone to fantasize about our ancient past when people first discovered their artistic prowess.
Do spend some time on the sources below - especially the website for Lascaux II - and add this area to your bucket list of world exploration. It's definitely worth your time!
Sources
Previous issues
September * Sep 2, 1666 - The Great Fire of London * Sep 3, 301 - The Founding of San Marino * Sep 4, 925 - Crowning of Æthelstan in England * Sep 5, 1698 - Peter the Great's Tax on Beards * Sep 6, 1651 - The Royal Oak of King Charles II * Sep 7, 1888 - First US Baby Placed in an Incubator * Sep 8, 1883 - Completion of Northern Pacific's Transcontinental Railroad * Sep 9, 1919 - Alexander Graham Bell Sets Water Speed Record * Sep 10, 1846 - Patent Issued for Elias Howe Jr's Sewing Machine
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Lori Svensen author/designer at A'mara Books photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual (Buy my work at RedBubble, TeePublic, PicFair and DeviantArt.) verified author on Goodreads (Buy my books at Books2Read and at LBRY)
