Lascaux Cave
Grotte de Lascaux
France · Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Dordogne
In brief
Lascaux is more than a painted cave; the first excavations took place in the Shaft section in 1941. Excavations uncovered lighting equipment, stone tools and bone points.
What was found?
- 1Animal paintings and engravings
Horses, aurochs, deer, and other animals were painted or engraved on the cave walls. This selection, dominated by horses, is not a list of animals that directly reflects the diet of the period.
- 2Red sandstone lamp with a handle
The lamp, found during excavations at the bottom of the Shaft Scene, was fully shaped, polished, and decorated with engravings. It is a tangible example of the portable lighting that made it possible to work in the dark parts of the cave.
- 3Flint tools
An assemblage consisting of blades, backed bladelets, and flakes was found. Use-wear traces on some pieces have been associated with engraving activities.
- 4Bone spear points
Decorated and undecorated bone points were found in the cave. Researchers note that their presence inside the cave remains difficult to explain.
- 5Perforated seashells
Some of the shells found are perforated. According to researchers, these specimens must have been used as ornaments.
What does it point to?
Lascaux shows that producing art inside the cave required lighting and the use of specialized tools. According to researchers, the animals selected for the walls reflect a visual world different from everyday dietary habits.
What did it teach us?
- It documented the use of portable lamps to produce art in dark parts of the cave.
- It demonstrated the connection between some flint tools and engraving work through use-wear traces.
- It revealed that the distribution of animals in the paintings cannot be directly equated with dietary habits.
Images
Record
- First modern dig
- 1941
- Coordinates
- 45.0536°, 1.1700°
Sources
- whc.unesco.org
- archeologie.culture.gouv.fr
- archeologie.culture.gouv.fr
- archeologie.culture.gouv.fr
- en.wikipedia.org
- Fransa Kültür Bakanlığı — Lascaux'nun betimleme konuları
Nearby excavations
- Abri Pataud 18 km
- La Ferrassie Rock Shelter 21 km
- La Roche-Cotard Cave 260 km
- Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave 267 km
- Arago Cave, Tautavel 277 km
- Bibracte 304 km
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- 12.000
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All excavation sites (395)
Türkiye
- Acemhöyük
- Aizanoi
- Alabanda
- Alacahöyük
- Amos
- Ani
- Aphrodisias
- Arslantepe Mound
- Aspendos
- Assos
- Ayanis Fortress
- Aşıklı Höyük
- Barcın Höyük
- Blaundus
- Boncuklu Höyük
- Can Hasan I
- Carchemish
- Claros Sanctuary
- Clazomenae
- Domuztepe
- Ephesus
- Euromus
- Gordion
- Göbekli Tepe
- Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia
- Hattusha
- Hierapolis
- Iasos
- Kaman-Kalehöyük
- Karahantepe
- Karatepe-Aslantaş
- Kaunos
- Kibyra
- Knidos
- Kültepe-Kanesh
- Laodicea on the Lycus
- Letoon Sanctuary
- Limyra
- Magnesia on the Maeander
- Medieval City of Beçin
- Metropolis in Ionia
- Miletus
- Myra
- Nemrut Dağ
- Nysa on the Maeander
- Olympus in Lycia
- Oymaağaç Höyük — Nerik
- Patara
- Pergamon
- Perge
- Phaselis
- Priene
- Sagalassos
- Sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma
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- Sapinuwa
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- Side
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- Troy
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- Yenikapı – Theodosian Harbour Excavations
- Yeşilova Höyük
- Yumuktepe
- Zerzevan Castle
- Zeugma
- Zincirli Höyük — Sam'al
- Çatalhöyük
- Çavuştepe Fortress
- Çayönü
- Çukuriçi Höyük
