Lascaux: Controversy Over The Status of The Prehistoric Cave

The black spots “caused by a fungus that appeared in some parts of the cave a few years ago” are in decline, “he has continued at a press conference. “We’re happy but vigilant, and also worried,” to see that these spots fall without knowing why, he said.

These statements, and the work of the Scientific Committee, did not convince the advocates of a return to the cave on the list of UNESCO’s “World Heritage in Danger”, the International Committee for the Preservation of Lascaux.

This committee, established in 2005, called the rankings in 2008, to support this report. He continues to strongly criticize the work of the Scientific Committee, by declaring it non-independent administration and research programs. And considers that the priceless heritage of painted cave is always at risk of damage. Located in the village of Montignac, in Dordogne, and closed to the public since 1963, after the appearance of green algae, the cave of Lascaux is the most famous cave paintings dated to 18,000 years ago.

Statements by members of the Scientific Council and its president contradict this view. Thus, for Thierry Heulin, microbiologist, white mushrooms that threatened the paintings and engravings in the early 2000 “almost disappeared” and the other fungus black spots is known and identified.

Scientists believe the same board that no treatment is needed immediately, noting that the paintings are not altered. An attitude that is probably due to the setbacks when previous interventions (fungicide) have resulted in power … a fungus insensitive to this product. So … wait and see the strategy appears: “There is some thinking that we must observe and study” the phenomenon, even in the longer term to characterize the entire ecosystem of the cave, “said Thierry Heulin.

Horse For more information, it is useful to read the Journal du CNRS. A publication distributed primarily within the research organization, but which is available free on the net and download pdf. The latest issue offers a fairly complete record of the Lascaux cave. Here it is in separate pdf file. It will read include an interview with Yves Coppens responding in anticipation of the controversy raised by the International Committee for the Preservation of Lascaux, saying: “The previous scientific committee, whose mandate expired in July 2009, depended directly from the Ministry of Culture, its former president as an inspector general of the archeology of the Ministry. It has often been criticized for this committee to be both judge and jury, which can not be the case with the current scientific council, whose representatives should participate, otherwise, to any of the research programs on the site Lascaux. A situation that allows to consider the health of the cave for the sake of independence and freedom of arbitration proceedings around its conservation. “

The composition of the Scientific Committee, published in the Official Journal (I add the list at the end of note).

For all those who have not yet gone to see the facsimile (and them) a good idea to visit the virtual tour on the website of the Ministry of Culture. It is a beautiful and wonderful experience where you walk into the cave with the eye of a camera. And almost better than real, since we can zoom in on photos at your leisure, read the detailed explanations. A must.

If the cave is doing well, “from the moment it is closed to the public,” it generates “suspicions,” said Yves Coppens. He hoped that a small number of journalists, four or five at a time, to visit the cave twice a year “so that there is more evidence than ours” on the health of Lascaux. I volunteer …