Stock Photo - Lascaux II, an exact copy of the famous prehistoric cave, Montignac, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France. In 1940, The Lascaux cave was found by four Périgourdin young boys from Montignac. Montignac is situated in the Vézère Valley in the Département of Dordogne-Périgord. After the Second World War, Lascaux was open to the public for several years until 1963. Many visitors came to visit the site, around 1500 visitors a day, but the carbon dioxide in the human breath soon began to damage the prehistoric paintings of the painted cave. Today, the original Lascaux cave is closed. The painting cave is under close surveillance in order to preserve this site which is registered as a the World Heritage of the Humanity by UNESCO. Lascaux II So as to enable everybody to discover the prehistoric masterpieces, the Lascaux cave was entirely and meticulously reproduced - same paintings, same techniques, same pigments. It is now known as Lascaux II.