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Presentation of the symposium

p. 15-34


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1The symposium on “Lascaux and Preservation Issues in Subterranean Environments”, called for by Ms. Christine Albanel, Minister of Culture and Communication, was announced in Quebec on July 5, 2008 at a meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, by Ms. Catherine Colonna, French Ambassador to UNESCO. This promise has now become a reality on February 26 and 27, 2009 in Paris with two days devoted to these difficult problems.

2The conservation of Lascaux

3Lascaux is probably the best known decorated cave in the world. It is also the cave that has suffered and is suffering the most serious conservation problems. These two realities explain why the threats weighing on some of its art works have legitimately caused worldwide concern. A heritage such as this is not just that of the country where it happens to be situated—which naturally assumes responsibility for it—it is also that of humankind as a whole.

4The history of Lascaux is tragic. Like in any tragedy, the blindness of its protagonists is the primary cause of the misfortune. Indeed, there has never been any lack of good intentions and everyone, at every level, has always wanted to act for the best. But in the years following the cave’s discovery all were still unaware of the importance of the subterranean environment in terms of climatic and biological conditions. No one imagined that decorated caves could be mortal and that their preservation was the result of a fragile balance, never completely attained and always under threat. At the time, the priority was to make them known and to let them be admired, and for this purpose to modify them so that they could be opened to the widest possible public under the best possible visiting conditions. When an air recirculation system was installed it was certainly not to protect the environment and restore the initial conditions that had allowed the preservation of the art works, but rather to allow the tourists to visit the chambers and passageways without suffering from the heat and carbon dioxide given off. This led to the first major crisis, which occurred at the beginning of the 1960’s.

5As we all know, the cave was then closed by a ministerial decree. Pioneering studies were conducted and drastic measures were taken, and the crisis was halted. The new equilibrium lasted until the beginning of the 2000’s. Large-scale construction work was then undertaken to replace the faltering equipment. Immediately afterwards, Lascaux suffered its second and continuing major crisis. We can perhaps even speak of a third crisis, with the appearance and spread of black spots from 2005-2006.

6Serious mistakes have no doubt been made. These have added to those of the past and now contribute to or cause new disruptions to the cave’s equilibrium. The consequence was the proliferation of microorganisms that are detrimental to the preservation of the paintings and engravings. A scientific committee was appointed in 2002, chaired by Marc Gauthier, and the necessary financial and material resources were made available by the authorities in charge. Studies were carried out in various fields by French and foreign specialists, and measures were taken to halt and eradicate the pollution. However, as is the case for any living organism, a balance that has been upset is not easily restored and never returns to its exact status quo ante. Although much has been done and great progress has been made, the “black disease” has not yet been definitively conquered: paintings and engravings have been affected, which is always serious, and the threats continue.

7The goals of the symposium

8The purpose of this symposium is to contribute to the preservation of Lascaux and other decorated caves. Its organization is thus shaped by three main goals:

9To clearly present what has been done concerning Lascaux in recent years, meaning since the beginning of the second major crisis in 2001. The Scientific Committee has conducted, or has delegated to others, a large number of studies of the cave and has implemented a policy of prevention and combat against the contaminations. Emergencies have been confronted and decisions have been made that were all the more difficult since in this particularly complex domain, no one is ever sure they are “doing the right thing”.

10To seek improvements by calling on all relevant competencies, whatever they may be and wherever they may be found. This is the crux of the matter and of this symposium. The experiments already conducted elsewhere in decorated subterranean sites, the solutions adopted, and the problems encountered will no doubt be of immense help. If, during the presentations, discussions and debates, research paths are opened, new ideas are proposed and contributions from specialists from various horizons are found to be valuable, we will have worked, as I hope we will, in the right direction and will be able to be optimistic for the future of Lascaux.

11Finally, with a view to being as useful as possible, we must exploit the research and reflections realized at Lascaux and other subterranean decorated sites for possible applications everywhere in the world where similar problems arise or could arise. This concerns not only the techniques applied—meaning the remedies used to combat disease and the ways of implementing them—but also the doctrines and policies for prevention and healing; in a nutshell, the ethics of conservation in every shape and form.

Jean Clottes, Chairman of the symposium, presents the program of the sessions. Seen with him are Michel Clément, Director of Architecture and Heritage at the Ministry of Culture and Communication (left) and the presenters of the first morning session: Marc Gauthier, President of the Lascaux Cave Scientific Committee (right) and Jean-Michel Geneste, Director of the Centre National de Préhistoire (far right).

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© D. Plowy.

12Studies were carried out the ways of implementing them—but also the doctrines and policies for prevention and healing; in a nutshell, the ethics of conservation in every shape and form.

13Organization of the symposium

14We owe the conception and organization of this symposium in large part to Jean-Michel Geneste, Curator of Lascaux Cave and Director of the Centre National de Préhistoire, Marc Gauthier, President of the Lascaux Cave Scientific Committee, and members of the Archetis unit of the Architecture and Heritage Directorate, under the responsibility of Isabelle Balsamo. Noël Coye assumed the particular responsibility of implementing the concept and realizing the technical aspects of organizing the event. I sincerely thank them all for their work. In addition to this opening session, three other sessions will take place. They concern the major subjects of the geological and climatic environments that clearly determine what occurs in deep caves, the nature and role of microorganisms in a subterranean environment, a particularly crucial issue in the current circumstances, and finally, the more general problems of the conservation and valorization of decorated caves.

15These sessions will be divided into two main parts: the presentations— around ten in all, each lasting no more than half an hour—and the discussions. The discussions will be grouped together in the second part of the session, rather than after each paper. An overall time equal to that allocated to all the formal presentations will be allowed. I think this point is crucial. This symposium must provide a real opportunity for discussions and the exchange of ideas. The guest experts—six per session—will launch the debates, after which the discussions will be opened to the audience for a length of time at least as long. We were evidently not able to include as many experts as we would have liked, but there are many eminent specialists in the audience and they will be given the opportunity to speak. In addition to leading the discussions, the session chairpersons will have the task (always difficult) of ensuring that these timetables and speaking times are rigorously respected. I am sure the presenters, experts and audience will do their best to limit what they say to the essential, with the resolutely positive perspective of addressing the question, “How can we act to resolve the problems that are still being posed today in order to better preserve Lascaux and other decorated caves?” It is under these conditions that this symposium will be as lively, instructive and effective as we hope it will be.

Two of the discoverers of Lascaux: Georges Agniel and Simon Coëncas.

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© D. Plowy.

16Finally, the Minister of Culture and Communication is planning to rapidly publish the proceedings of this symposium. The debates during the symposium will be recorded and published in these proceedings. The presenters’ papers must be sent—in French or English—to the Architecture and Heritage Directorate. If certain subjects of particular importance arise during the debates, they may exceptionally be the subject of a specific article. And now, I wish us all a useful, rich and serene working experience in the interest of Lascaux and all decorated caves.

17Jean Clottes,
Chairman of the Symposium

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