Cave Paintings

Where did Stone Age painted pictures?

What did the cave artists paint?

• They painted animals.

• They painted mountains.

There are cave paintings in Africa.

• True

• False

When another old cave is discovered in the south of France, it is not usually news. Rather, it is an ordinary event. Such discoveries are so frequent these days that hardly anybody pays heed to them. However, when the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940, the world was amazed. Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived thousands of years ago. The scenes show people hunting animals, such as bison or wild cats. Other images depict birds and, most noticeably, horses, which appear in more than 300 wall images, by far outnumbering all other animals. Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a monumental and difficult task. They did not limit themselves to the easily accessible walls but carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or crawling into narrow passages in the Lascaux complex. Unfortunately, the paintings have been exposed to the destructive action of water and temperature changes, which easily wear the images away. Because the Lascaux caves have many entrances, air movement has also damaged the images inside. Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed them long ago, many of the images have deteriorated and are barely recognizable. To prevent further damage, the site was closed to tourists in 1963, 23 years after it was discovered.

• Birds

• Bison

• Horses

• Wild cats

What does the passage say happened at the Lascaux caves in 1963?

• Visitors were prohibited from entering.

• A new lighting system was installed.

• Another part was discovered.

• A new entrance was created.

When another old cave is discovered in the south of France, it is not usually news. Rather, it is an ordinary event. Such discoveries are so frequent these days that hardly anybody pays heed to them. However, when the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940, the world was amazed. Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived thousands of years ago. The scenes show people hunting animals, such as bison or wild cats. Other images depict birds and, most noticeably, horses, which appear in more than 300 wall images, by far outnumbering all other animals. Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a monumental and difficult task. They did not limit themselves to the easily accessible walls but carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or crawling into narrow passages in the Lascaux complex. Unfortunately, the paintings have been exposed to the destructive action of water and temperature changes, which easily wear the images away. Because the Lascaux caves have many entrances, air movement has also damaged the images inside. Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed them long ago, many of the images have deteriorated and are barely recognizable. To prevent further damage, the site was closed to tourists in 1963, 23 years after it was discovered. According to the passage, all of the following have caused damage to the paintings EXCEPT _______.

• temperature changes

• air movement

• water

• light

What is the primary subject of cave paintings?

• Animals

• Mountains

• Rivers

• Trees

Which of the following is a common theme in cave paintings?

• Hunting scenes

• Cityscapes

• Portraits

• Seascapes

Cave paintings are typically found in which location?

• Cave walls

• Open fields

• Mountain tops

• Desert sands

What material did Stone Age artists use for cave paintings?

• Natural pigments

• Oil paints

• Acrylics

• Watercolors