Puzzling headline? Fascinating story. In the Ardeche region of southern France, 20 years ago, the Pont d’Arc cave was discovered and found to contain over a thousand examples of the best-preserved pre-historic art. The work is twice as old as at the famous Lascaux caves nearby.
But years of public visits to Lascaux resulted in damage to the art, from changes in temperature and humidity and even light. Eventually, a replica was constructed and the original closed to visitors. At Pont d’Arc, that step’s been taken first, with the construction of huge replica cave, ten times the size of Lascaux. Both the cave itself and the artwork was built from precise laser measurements; the work took over two years. The site will open on July 25.
The Guardian (UK) has an interesting feature on the project, with incredible photographs, such as the one here.
