An exact replica of a cave painting in Lascaux showing a bison and aurochs facing each other, along with small horses and deer. | Patrick Aventurier/GettyImages Between 17,000 and 12,000 years ago ...

Lascaux cave paintings are perhaps the greatest masterpiece of parietal art ever found. They have fascinated generations of people and puzzled prehistorians since their discovery in September 1940 ...

In 1963, the French government closed the Lascaux cave, restricting access to some of the world’s best examples of prehistoric art over concerns that carbon dioxide from visitors’ breathing ...