More Caves

Sunday, which is Mother's Day here in France, we visited two more caves.  One, lesser known but very fascinating; the other, world renowned but quite commercial; the other, .  They were Les Grottes de Maxange and the other, Lascaux.  

The Maxange caves are not far outside the village of Le Buisson-de-Cadouin.  There are no drawings in the cave but the rock formations are fascinating and estimated to be about 20 million years old!  The caves were discovered by Angel Caballero in 2000 in a stone quarry run by his family, including his father Maximillian (hence the name).  A cavity accidentally appeared and the amazing rock formations were revealed.  These caves were different from the ones we saw yesterday in Cougnac.  They were almost completely dry, there are no cave drawings, and the rock formations are completely different and much more dramatic.  We were the only two people wanting a tour so we had a private tour in English.  Helen, our guide, told us that often there are up to 35 people so we were very lucky.  Not only do the caves have the usual stalactites, stalagmites and columns (formed when the first two join) but there are also aragonites (crystal forms of calcium carbonate) and the quite rare geological formations called eccentrics which are quite common in these caves.  We were allowed to take photos (no flash) in these caves, thankfully. 

In the centre, an example of an eccentric (lateral extension of the rock formation)

 

The eccentric in the centre looks somewhat like a parrot - the guide told us and we agreed

Stalagmites

Following our visit to Les Grottes Maxange, we drove about 50 minutes to the much more famous Caves of Lascaux.  These were discovered in 1940 September 12, 1940, on the hill overlooking Montignac village by 4 teenagers (Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Simon Coencas and Georges Agniel), one of whom is still alive.  They made one of the most prestigious 20th century archaeological discoveries. They agreed to keep their discovery a secret but that only lasted for 3 days!  The cave was opened to the public in 1948.  In 1963, the caves were ordered closed to protect them; they were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.  In the early 1970s, in order to meet public demand, the project of facsimile is launched by the former owner of the site, M. de la Rochefoucauld. They realize the first paintings on experimental materials, with natural elements. The result is remarkable but works stop because of severe financial difficulties.​  Then, in 1983, Lascaux II opens, a replica of the original caves.  Today, Lascaux IV presents a digital experience following a guided tour of the cave.  I was here about 10 years ago and the site has changed greatly.  Before, we were given the guided tour and that was it.  Today, we were given tablets which, after the guided part of the tour was done, could be pointed at various exhibitions in a large venue to activate information, videos, and audio information.  Technology has certainly added to the experience.  Unfortunately, during our visit to the caves, no photography was permitted.  Not sure why given that what we were looking at was a copy but maybe it had something to do with copyright.  Who knows?  So the following photos are from the Internet, except for the one at the entrance.  

Clearly, the Lascaux Caves are the most famous and, for cave drawings, the most extensive.  However, the entire complex is very commercial and, while a great learning experience for young and old alike, it lacks the authentic experience of Les Grottes Cougnac and Les Grottes Maxange.  We were told there are also other caves with drawings in them but time did not permit us to explore them.  It is a personal thing to choose between the kind of experience you want.  We loved Les Grottes Maxange and Les Grottes Cougnac.  Others may prefer the more educational and digital experience of Les Caves Laxcaux.