Prompt: Write a scene based on a story we know happened, but didn’t actually witness.
A Magical Discovery
Students of Art History 101 are often taught in the beginning of class about the fantastic Lascaux, France prehistoric cave paintings. Lauscaux is a network of caves in southwestern France, and the paintings stretching along the caves are estimated to be at least 17,000 years old.
A lesser known fact about Lascaux is the story of the discovery of the cave on September 12, 1940 by four teenage boys. It’s a truly intriguing tale. According to the boys, there was a local story about a secret tunnel that led to a buried treasure and the boys thought they had found it when one of the boy’s dog named Robot investigated a hole left by an uprooted tree. Lacking the appropriate tools to investigate, the boys had to come back the next day.
When they reconvened, they enlarged the hole, then carefully slid down a 50 foot shaft which they described as terrifying into the cave. Using a hastily constructed lamp, the boys made their way down a long, narrow passageway which opened up and then they came upon the first cave paintings. Historians describe this as one of archaeology’s most exciting discoveries. Little did the boys know they were opening up a new era in our knowledge of prehistoric art and human origins.
Holding up their crude lamp, the boys beheld a fabulous collection of stenciled animal drawings done with iron oxide, charcoal and ochre. There are three major animal themes: horses, cows and bulls, and deer. Also a bear is depicted, along with arrows and traps. Called the “Sistine Chapel of Prehistory” in Art History texts, the boys described the paintings as a “cavalcade of animals larger than life that seemed to be moving.”
The boys would go on to explore the entire cave, which contains approximately 600 wall paintings covering the interior walls and ceiling of the cave. Historians say the paintings represent the combined effort of many generations of painters.
Tremendously excited, the boys promised each other to keep the discovery a secret, then explored the cave together again the next day. After that, they decided to show it to friends for a tiny admission fee. The news quickly spread in the village and so many came to see the cave that the boys decided to notify their teacher.
When their teacher saw the paintings, he instantly recognized them as prehistoric and insisted that no one be allowed to touch the paintings, and that they must be guarded against vandalism. The appropriate historical authorities were notified, and for a time, guided tours of the cave were permitted. But eventually the original Lauscaux cave was closed to the public in 1963, due to the paintings’ deteriorating condition.
I guess we can say the boys’ search for buried treasure was successful. I am remembering back to the days when I was young and fascinated by the prospect of finding a treasure myself. I can only imagine the excitement the boys felt when first seeing the Lauscaux paintings, and I laugh when I think of the boys charging an admission fee for their friends to get a tour. To be young and filled with adventure! I miss those days. Here’s to all the wonderment and excitement with a fantastic discovery. And this tale is magical.
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