Which cave in France contains prehistoric paintings estimated to be 17,000 years old and is a World Heritage Site? The answer is Lascaux Cave.
Lascaux is a cave complex near Montignac in southwestern France, famous for hundreds of paintings and engravings of animals, including horses, deer, aurochs, and ibex. Teenagers discovered the cave in 1940, and archaeologists soon recognized its extraordinary importance. The artwork is generally associated with the Upper Paleolithic Magdalenian period, roughly 17,000 years ago.
The original cave was closed to the public in 1963 after carbon dioxide, humidity, heat, and microorganisms began damaging the paintings. Visitors now see carefully made replicas, including Lascaux IV, rather than the fragile original chambers. The cave itself is part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley, listed in 1979.
A common mix-up is Chauvet Cave, whose paintings are much older—about 30,000 to 32,000 years old. Altamira Cave, in Spain, is also famous for prehistoric art but is not Lascaux.