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The Dordogne River is one the cradles of human civilization and is a good area for viewing prehistoric art. The world famous Lascaux cave is located in this region, however this cave has been closed to the public since 1963. Fortunately, Lascaux II was built as a facsimile of the Lascaux cave. This exhibit is an exact paint and cement replica of the most important section of the original. The reproduction of the bison, horses, and reindeer are very clear. It is easy to see why the original Lascaux cave was called the "Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art". Our tour guide explained how prehistoric artists created the cave paintings by using their hands to define the outline of the animals on the 3-dimensional surface of the cave walls. Some of the animals were painted around curves and turns of the cave walls. We saw pigmented rocks that the prehistoric artist used for the paintings. The only hues available to these artists were black, rusty red, and gold.
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