save Lascaux

66 years ago today 3 French teenagers on the Northern slopes of the Pyrenees, outside of the village of Montignac made an amazing discovery. They slipped into a hole under an uprooted tree and discovered the most spectacular of the Palaeolithic caves, Lascaux. Somewhere between 15 and 17,000 years old, Lascaux has breathtaking cave paintings that extend for miles. Its importance to both the art and historical worlds cannot be overstated.

So I was dismayed to read in Time magazine a few weeks back that the cave has been infested with micro organisms and bacteria that are causing a mold that is endangering the paintings. The invaders' arrival coincided with the installation of new climatic equipment 5 years ago. The new equipment, which was drastically different from anything used before, caused a fungal infection. To combat the infection persons entering the cave had to wash their feet in formaldehyde, the formaldehyde upset the ecological balance of cave causing the mold to grow. Judging by the article in Time it sounds like the French don't know what to do. The cave is administered by the Research Laboratory of Historical Monuments (LRHM) but of course, as with any bureaucracy, there's lots of cooks in this kitchen, none of whom have any cave climate control experience.

I suggest that an American team go over to see if they can lend a hand, Carlsbad Caverns and Mammoth Caves seem to be doing just fine. I also suggest that the world sit up and take notice as this treasure is the history of all of us on this planet, not just the French.

I am concerned about this for selfish reasons as well. My second tattoo is the red "Chinese mare" from The Painted Gallery of Lascaux. I got it not just cause it's beautiful and I love horses-it's also about interconnectedness (as I said to a former friend at the the time, "I AM the goddamn Circle of Life"). I have always had a fantasy that when I make it to France someday I'll show up at Lascaux and be denied entrance (visitors are strictly limited) until I reveal the tattoo. Then I will be ushered in with a flourish. And unless Daddy Warbucks is reading this blog it might be awhile before I get there so Lascaux must be protected.


**You can take a virtual tour of Lascaux at www.culture.fr/arenat/lascax/en**