Lascaux Cave is actually a complex of several caves in the town of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in southwestern France. The cave has over 600 wall paintings on its walls and ceilings dating back to the Upper Paleolithic time, some 17,000 years ago. Opening the cave to the public in 1960’s has brought serious threats to the paintings. As part of the strict conservation program, authorities managed to install an air conditioning system in the cave to regulate humidity and temperature. Soon after that, a white mold called Fusarium solani infested and spread across the cave ceiling and walls at a rapid pace. Many other fungus infestations has followed over the years that threatened to destroy the priceless ancient paintings. Conservation process is still ongoing up to the time of writing and Lascaux Cave is not open to the public.
