Lascaux Cave

Grotte de Lascaux

France · Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Dordogne

CaveUnknownUNESCO · 1979
Approximate period19,600 BCE — 19,100 BCEUpper Paleolithic See on the map ↓

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?

  1. It documented the use of portable lamps to produce art in dark parts of the cave.
  2. It demonstrated the connection between some flint tools and engraving work through use-wear traces.
  3. It revealed that the distribution of animals in the paintings cannot be directly equated with dietary habits.


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12.000

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