Located in southwestern France Discovered by four teenage boys in 1940 They kept it secret for a week before telling their teacher Made around 20,000 BC Best known example of Paleolithic Art (Late Stone Age) 180,000 years after homo sapiens, 8,000 years before Egyptians Before agriculture, no images of plants Prior to a known language, an important building block towards communication Paint was made of available minerals Applied to cave walls with matted hair or blown on with hallowed out bones

Cave contains over 2000 paintings and engravings of animals, human figures, and abstract signs Most animals are horses or cattle One bull painting is 17 feet long, the largest cave painting found to date The painting shown depicts early attempts of creating perspective. Various interpretations: Ritual paintings, celebration or accounts of hunting trips, to improve future hunting trips

The cave complex was opened to the public in By 1955, the carbon dioxide produced by 1,200 visitors per day had visibly damaged the paintings. The cave was closed to the public in 1963 in order to preserve the art. Tour the caves and see their current condition: v=jk8TAY5T8Mo