Mustang News

Written by: Sasha Wintersteller

The history of the Lascaux Cave is quite interesting, and so is what happened to it over the years. Did you know, the Lascaux Cave includes paintings, drawings, engravings, and sculptures. Many people do not know that there are also sculptures and engravings, but there is actually quite a few. The Magdalenian people (the painters of the caves) used mostly charcoal, minerals, and other raw materials to paint the caves. Since they were so limited in their materials, the colors they used consisted of, black, brown, and other warm colors. Unfortunetely, the cave now has a mold or fungus, and it is said that this was caused by 2000 people who were working in the cave, and did not disinfect their shoes properly. There is actually a way to help, you just have to go on to Sacred Sites,and there is an online petition to help the Lascaux Caves. As you can see, the Lascaux Cave is a very amazing subject, and maybe you will sign the petition and help the Lascaux Cave.

Written by: Kaylee Young

The Magdalenian people who lived in the Lascaux Caves have a very interesting history. Did you know the Magdalenian people dated from 17,000 to 12,000 years ago! That’s before Jesus was alive, and a lot of generations ago! Also, they killed animals with spears, snares, and traps! It’s super cool how they found ways to get food without the civilization we have now! Finally, the Magdalenian people were craftsmen, jewelers, and blacksmiths. It’s amazing how they used the same methods we use today. As you can see, the Magdalenian people have a really cool history!

What is the Axial Gallery? The Axial Gallery is one of the many rooms in the Lascaux Caves in France. The fascinating part of the caves is that they are filled with paintings. The Magdalenian People painted the caves about 17,000 to 12,000 years ago. The paintings in the cave include animals, symbols, people, and signs. One of the amazing paintings is the Axial Gallery is the painting of the black stag. The interesting thing about the painting is that it is actually a painting of a megaloceros, a creature from the Pleistocene era. Another cool painting is the painting of the upside down horse. The painting can plant many questions in your mind, like why is it upside down? Why did they paint it like that? As you can see, the Axial Gallery and the Lascaux cave is a fascinating part of our history.

Because of too much human activity, the ancient cave paintings on the walls of the Lascaux Caves are slowly being destroyed, and the caves had to be shut down. In the first place, carbon dioxide is slowly damaging the cave art. This excessive amount of carbon dioxide was coming from the breaths of many visitors who came to the caves before they were closed. In addition, lichen, crystal, and white mold were growing on the walls of the caves, which could be very harmful to the paintings. The crystal, lichen, and white mold are the results of an air conditioning unit that was installed inside the caves. Finally, bacteria is growing on the walls and deteriorating the art. Some say this bacteria was caused by people not properly sanitizing their shoes before entering the caves. As you can see, human activity has caused the prehistoric paintings of the Lascaux caves to be in danger of vanishing completely.