Ex: Lascaux Cave in southwestern France. It contains some of the most famous Paleolithic cave paintings, estimated to be around 17,000 years old. The cave was discovered in 1940 and opened to the public in 1948. But by the 1960s, the influx of visitors (along with changes in humidity, carbon dioxide, and mold) began damaging the paintings. Because of this, the original cave was closed to the public in 1963.