In 1940, boys exploring ancient caves near the town of Lascaux,
in the south of France, discovered 17,000 year old paintings
and artifacts made by our early ancestors. Some experts think
the cave was a sanctuary for the performance of sacred rites
and ceremonies.
The frieze of swimming stags shown below was created using
a manganese crayon, although the stag on the left was probably
drawn with a lump of clay. It is nearly 10 feet from the ground,
and mobile scaffolding must have been used. The dark colouring
of the rock seems to represent the river the deer are
swimming across.
