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Annex – Lascaux : Chronology of Interventions

p. 349-350


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1Discovery and classification of the cave
September 12, 1940 –
The cave is discovered by Georges Agniel, Simon Coëncas, Jacques Marsal and Marcel Ravidat.
December 27, 1940 – The cave is classified as a Historic Monument.

2Constructions and modifications to facilitate visitor access
1947-1948 – Mr. de la Rochefoucauld, the owner of the cave, commissions constructions and modifications to facilitate access to the decorated galleries. This work was realized by Yves-Marie Froidevaux, Chief Architect of the Department of Historic Monuments.
July 13, 1948 – Lascaux Cave is opened to the public.

3First bioclimatic crisis (1955-1963)
1955 –
First reports of indications of deteriorations on the cave walls due to excess carbon dioxide levels caused by the high number of visitors (30,000 per year).
1957-1958 – An air recirculation system is installed under the entrance stairway to remedy the excess of carbon dioxide and the entire talus fan is removed (work entrusted to Yves-Marie Froidevaux).
1960 – Max Sarradet, Curator of the cave, observes the development of green spots on the walls.
1962 – Spread of the green spots, linked to colonies of algae; 100,000 visitors recorded within the year with peaks of 1,800 persons per day in the summer.
March 1963 – André Malraux, Minister of Cultural Affairs, appoints a Commission for the Scientific Study and Preservation of Lascaux Cave to address the observed deteriorations: “white disease”, caused by the spread of calcite on the walls, and “green disease”, caused by the presence of algae; this commission meets regularly until 1976.
April 18, 1963 – André Malraux makes the decision to order the owner, Mr. de La Rochefoucauld, to close the cave to the public for conservation reasons.

4Conservation interventions and major events (1964-2000)
1965-1967 –
The air recirculation machine is dismantled and devices to regulate the thermohygrometric parameters are installed.
January 3, 1972 – The cave is donated to the State by the civil society created by Mr. de La Rochefoucauld to manage the visits.
1979 – Lascaux Cave and other caves in the Vezere Valley are designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.
1983 – A facsimile of the Hall of the Bulls and the Axial Gallery, named Lascaux II, is opened to the public.
1995 – Establishment of the White Book.
1999-2000 – Replacement of the decrepit climatic assistance machine.

5Second bioclimatic crisis (2001-2007)
July 2001 –
First appearance of white molds in the cave.
September 2001 – The principal fungus in the white molds, Fusarium solani, is identified by the Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques (LRMH).
July 2001-December 2003 – Emergency treatments are undertaken in the cave to slow the rapid development of molds (gauze compresses soaked in fungicides; spreading of quicklime on the floor; spraying of biocidal products); the procedures of intervention are defined by the LRMH.
December 2001 – First observations of small black “spots” on the ceiling of the entrance airlock chamber.
August 22, 2002 – The Minister of Culture and Communication creates the Lascaux Cave Scientific Committee, presided by Marc Gauthier, Inspecteur Général of Archaeology.
January 2004 – Fungicide spraying is interrupted and molds continue to be eliminated through the use of the injector-extractor developed with aid from the LRMH.
March 2004 – The scientific committee establishes a “global conservation plan” ranking the interventions and research necessary to understand the 2001 phenomenon of microbiological contamination and to avoid its reoccurrence.
2004 – Realization of a 3D digital terrain model by the cabinet Guy Perazio; launching of a research program on the hydrology of the cave.
July 2004 – Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, Minister of Culture and Communication, visits the cave.
January 2005-April 2007 – Condition report and photographic recording sessions in the cave.
2005 – Launching of the “Lascaux simulator” research program.
2006 – Launching of the research program associating microbiology and climate.
June 2006 – Francesco Bandarin, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee visits the cave.
September 2006 – The scientific committee is renewed for three years.
2006 – Extraction of the quicklime used in 2001 to stabilize the proliferation of molds.
December 2006 – Removal of the Bauer Airlock, installed in the cave in 1965 between the left and right parts of the cave, after a digital simulation.
July 2007 – Appearance of black “spots” on the ceiling of the Passageway, the Apse, the Nave, and near the decorated zone: scattered superpositions observed on the Red Cow in the Apse, the Red Deer antlers at the entrance of the Apse and on the horns of the Black Cow in the Nave.
August 2007 – Samples of the spots taken for analysis of their composition by the LRMH and the laboratory of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in Dijon.
November 2007 – Sixteenth session of the scientific committee and debates on the possible renewal of chemical treatments.

6Interventions and events since 2008
January 2008 –
The restorers apply a local biocide treatment (Passageway, Nave and Apse) under the supervision of LRMH engineers.
January 11-March 27, 2008 – The cave is put into a resting period (only the climatic regulators are maintained).
March 27-28, 2008 – The cave is reopened. Verifications of the air condition are made and new samples of possible molds are taken.
April 11, 2008 – Seventeenth session of the scientific committee: presentation of the results of samples and verifications of the air condition to the international scientific committee.
July 8-9, 2008 – Eighteenth session of the scientific committee: decision to launch an impact study consisting of the definition of four test zones to evaluate the effects of the manual and chemical treatments realized separately or in association with each other.
July 25, 2008 – Christine Albanel, Minister of Culture and Communication, visits the site.
August-November 2008 – Implementation of the impact study in the Passage.
November 20-21, 2008 – Nineteenth session of the scientific committee: presentation of the results of the impact study.
January 31, 2009 – The first anuual report on the state of preservation of Lascaux Cave is submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Center.
February 26-27, 2009 – The Ministry of Culture and Communication organizes, in Paris, in collaboration with the Institut du Patrimoine, the international symposium “Lascaux and Conservation Issues in Subterranean Environments.
March 2009 – Muriel Mauriac is nominated as Curator of Lascaux Cave.
March 17-18 2009 – Mission of two ICOMOS experts for the preparation of the discussions during the 33rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
May 11-12 2009 – 20th and last session of the Lascaux Cave Scientific Committee which had reached the end of its mandate: update on the condition of the cave and the progress of research programs on microbiology and climatology.
May 2009 – Installation of complementary measuring instruments in the Hall of the Bulls in the framework of discussions on the development of a new climatic assistance system.
June 2009 – The pre-proceedings of the symposium “Lascaux and Preservation Issues in Subterranean Environments” are put on-line on the Archaeology pages of the Internet site of the Ministry of Culture and Communication (http://www.archeologie.culture.gouv.fr).
June 2009 – Reorientation and continuation of the microbiology-microclimate research program.
June 22-30, 2009 – 33rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Sevilla, Spain. The committee recognizes the amplitude of the actions taken by France to ensure the preservation of Lascaux and opts not to add the property to the list of heritage sites in danger. It defines a set of monitoring measures in coherence with the commitments of France.
June 30, 2009 – Official launching of the Internet site dedicated to Lascaux Cave in the collection “Great Archaeological Sites” of the Ministry of Culture and Communication (http://www.lascaux.culture.fr).
October 2009 – Observation of small vermiculations in the Hall of the Bulls.
November 2009 – Launching of the research program “Microbial Ecology of the Cave”; mapping of the vermiculations by the Centre National de la Préhistoire.
January 21 2010 – Frédéric Mitterand, Minister of Culture and Communication, visits Lascaux Cave. Professor Yves Coppens is officially named as head of the new Lascaux Cave Scientific Council and assigned to choose its members.
February 15, 2010 – Publication of the decrees declaring the creation and nomination of the Lascaux Cave Scientific Council, presided by Professor Yves Coppens.
April 14, 2010 – First meeting of the Lascaux Cave Scientific Council in Paris. Establishment of the council by the Director-General of the Heritage Directorate. Examination of the project “Study of the formation of the vermiculations in Lascaux Cave”.
June 14-15 2010 – Second meeting of the Lascaux Cave Scientific Council in Bordeaux (France). The council learns of the main work and studies realized in Lascaux since 2004 and defines the priorities of its actions.
July 25-August 3, 2010 – 34th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Brasília (Brazil). The Committee is informed of all of the actions led by France to save Lascaux Cave and its art works.
September 12, 2010 – 70th anniversary of the discovery of Lascaux Cave. Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, visits the cave.
December 6-7 2010 – Third meeting of the Lascaux Cave Scientific Council in Paris. Continuation of the examination of work undertaken at Lascaux before the establishment of the council and the development of a plan of action for the protection of the cave. Interventions and events since 2008

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