The document summarizes key information about the Lascaux cave in France, known for its Paleolithic cave paintings from around 15,000-13,000 BC. The cave contains over 600 paintings of mainly animals like horses, bison, and bulls. A particularly notable area is the Hall of Bulls containing four large bull paintings. While the real cave is now closed to prevent damage, a replica cave was created to allow visitors to view copies of the original paintings and appreciate this important archaeological site.
2. About Lascaux
Lascaux is a karsts cave in
Aquitaine, region in south-
western part of France,
which was discovered in
1940 by four children.
The cave is about 17-16
thousands years.
On walls there are paintings
from the Paleolithic.
3. Paintings
The chronology of the paintings is referred to the
early Magdalenian culture period (15 000 - 13 000
BC). The team adorning the walls of the cave
paintings from different eras and shows above all
animals - horses, bison, ibex, rhinoceros, mammoths,
big cats, bulls and stags.
At about 150 meters of corridors is located about
150 paintings and over 15 000 rock engravings. One
can observe a progressive improvement of the
drawings by the Palaeolithic artists - the individual
drawings were created probably in large intervals of
time (even decades).
4. The biggest frieze formed during the Paleolithic,
in the central part shows the three animals: a horse,
bull and reindeer. It is the most famous passage of
paintings belonging to the most interesting elements
of this wonderful monument. Rarely appeared in
human form, if it is already shown in a primitive
manner.
5.
6. Hall of Bulls
Particularly interesting is the
so-called Hall of Bulls, where
four monumental bulls bordered
with black outline filled with
thick patches of red and black.
Creator applied the so-called
elements. twisted perspective: for
example in the painting depicting
a bull (picture size 3 m) the artist
shows the profile of a running
bull, whose horns are shown from
the front.
7. Painting technique
The paintings were made with paint obtained using
natural dyes:
* Black - were obtained from charcoal
* Red, yellow and purple - with iron compounds,
mainly ocher
Paints were applied with fingers or brushes made
from hair or moss. Also used as a primitive hollow
bones airbrush.
8.
9. Save the Lascaux
Unusual cave paintings of Lascaux suffered
greatly as a result of changes in the microclimate
by crowds of people visiting the underground
gallery. Already in 1963, researchers closed the
cave, but it did not do the paintings much safer.
After installing a few years ago, a new ventilation
paintings began to disappear shockingly fast as a
result of the emergence of a mysterious fungus.
The struggle to preserve the masterpieces in
progress.
10. The real cave is closed, but for the visitors created a
copy of the cave, which mapped cave paintings.
The following is short video, showing a second cave:
11. Thank You for your attention!
A presentation prepared by
Ewa Mędrzecka, II F
