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Grotte de Peche Merle in the Cabarets area is home
to some of the finest prehistoric cave paintings in South
West France. The area is incredibly rich in history and has
been called "the cradle of civilisation". Remains
of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon people have been found in the
region, a civilisation dating back between 16 and 20 thousand
years ago.
Peche means "hill" and the region of Peche Blackbird
is home to the most famous caves. The caves were discovered
by two teenagers in 1922 and have been open to the public
since 1926.
Peche Merle is a vast cavern, more than 2 kilometres
in length. Its geology is a fascinating Aladdin's cave of
discovery, with stalagtites, stalagmites, gours, columns,
discs and naturally formed calcite pearls created by millions
of years in formation.
The cave at Lascaux in Dordogne contain some of the
greatest stone age artwork and is often called the "Sistine
Chapel" of pre-history. Staircases have been carved in
the rock to allow visitors to walk through the cave. Art work
on display includes illustrations of bison, stag, horses,
mammoths, aurochs and even prehistoric teenagers. Large stags
seemed to awaken from a multi millenium sleep when the cave
was first discovered. The illustrations may be over 10,000
years old.
In 1955, the cave showed signs of deterioration, caused by
excessive carbon dioxide from so many visitors breath! The
cave was closed 8 years later. The local authorities set up
a recreation of the Palaeolithic santuary and during the 1980's
reproduced the Great Hall of the Pools and the Painted Gallery.
The original uneven surface of the caves were created before
the art work was re-painted according to its original style.
The cave is known as Lascaux II and is still a major
visitor attraction.
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