Ancient art gives us a glimpse into cultures that existed thousands of years ago.
In Spain, theAltamira caveis a well-preserved example of paintings made in the Stone Age.
However, it is not the only exhibit of prehistoric art.
Scroll down to learn more about Lascaux cave and its paintings.
What is the Lascaux Cave?
It is believed that these galleries of images were made over generations about 17,000 years ago.
Abbe Breuil in Lascaux caves at La Mouthe (Photo:Wikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
The site was first discovered in 1940 by a teenager just outside of the village of Montignac.
He returned with a local priest, who recorded the findings in a series of drawings.
By the mid-1950s, the cave was open to the public and received a thousand visitors every day.
Lascaux Museum (Photo: FreeProd/DepositPhotos)
However, no preservation methods were being implemented and the paintings deteriorated at a rapid rate.
As a result, the caves have beenclosed to the public since 1963.
Replicas of Lascaux have been made in Paris and for theLascaux Museum.
A painting of the Giant Deer from Lascaux (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
This corridor leads to two separate galleries, one of which is a dead end.
At the center of Lascaux is a semi-circular room called theApse.
Measuring about 15 feet in diameter, this area is completely covered in engravings of animals and abstract symbols.
Interior of Lascaux Cave (Photo:Wikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Most of the art of the cave is centered in this branch of it.
One of the most narrow passageways in the cave is theChamber of Felines.
This 100 feet long galley includes numerous images of felines and some horses at an unusual angle.
Painting of a bull (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Some pictures also portray predators like large felines and bears.
Others images depict abstract symbols which have no clear meaning.
These include dots, various lines (straight, parallel, divergent), and shapes.
Interior of Lascaux Caves (Photo: arzu çakır viaWikimedia Commons, Public domain)
These are typically placed around the figurative drawings.
Wall paintingsof this period were not produced with paintbrushes.
There is evidence that the inhabitants built a scaffolding system so you can create pictures on the ceilings.
Painting of a bull (Photo:Wikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO International)
Engraving of a stag (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
