# Lascaux cave paintings (-17000)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/-17000-lascaux-cave-paintings
Location: Dordogne

The famous painted chambers at Lascaux date to the Upper Paleolithic. Within the broader Prehistoric France period, From the earliest hominin traces to the Iron Age, the territory of modern France saw repeated migrations, changing climates, technological innovations and increasingly complex communities long before a French state existed. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Prehistoric communities (No single ruler). Lascaux cave paintings mattered because cultural and intellectual institutions helped shape French identity and France’s influence beyond its borders. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Lascaux cave paintings mattered because cultural and intellectual institutions helped shape French identity and France’s influence beyond its borders.

Ruler at the time: [Prehistoric communities](https://history-france.com/rulers/prehistoric-communities)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Lascaux cave paintings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Lascaux+cave+paintings&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Lascaux cave paintings](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Lascaux+cave+paintings)
- [Wikipedia — History of France overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_France)