Lascaux+2

There used to be a tour of the cave after world war II but the carbon dioxide from the tourists breath was destroying the paintings and the tour was closed in 1963. In March 1980 the dordogne department tourism authority was given the responsibility to make a life size replica of the cave because the government wanted to compensate for the loss of the real cave. The workers made a half buried structure identical to the shape of the real one. Stereoscopic photos were taken of the walls of the real cave to help the workers make the walls accurately, as a result the uneven walls of the real cave were reproduced with the utmost precision. To have the paintings in the exact color and position a picture of the original paintings were projected on the wall.

Soon the work was finished. The replica was officially opened to the public on the year 1983. You can still go to see the replica today.



Here is a map to show you the distance from the Lascaux cave to Lascaux II

"The cave of Lascaux." __Accueil du site du Ministère de la Culture et communication - Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication__. 4 Sep. 2009 .