Near the village of Montignac-sur-Vézère, in the heart of the Black Périgord, the Lascaux cave is the masterpiece of prehistoric art. This cavity of medium size for the region extends over about 200 m and consists of an alternation of more or less circular chambers and corridor galleries.
The animal figures number around 600. Horses dominate, with about 355, followed by 107 bovids, aurochs and bison, 88 deer, 35 ibex, a few felines and one bear. The reindeer is represented only once, despite being the favoured game of the Magdalenian period, and the mammoth is absent. The figure known as "The Unicorn", whose interpretation has given rise to many hypotheses, remains enigmatic.
Organic debris found in the cave has been dated to around 15,000 BC, which agrees with the very numerous remains collected, attributable to an early phase of the Magdalenian. The paintings themselves have not yet been directly dated by physical methods, but a number of arguments suggest their contemporaneity with the archaeological remains: bones and lamps decorated with the same signs as the walls, presence of pigments, palettes, cups and mortar, flints probably used for engraving.
France's most prestigious cave welcomes you in the Black Périgord: come and spend your holiday in our rural gîtes and you will be able to discover the historical treasures of Dordogne.
