History since rediscovery thumb|left|150px|Modern entrance to the Lascaux cave On 12 September 1940, the entrance to the Lascaux Cave was discovered on the La Rochefoucauld-Montbel lands by 18-year-old Marcel Ravidat when his dog, Robot, investigated a hole left by an uprooted tree (Ravidat would embellish the story in later retellings, saying Robot had fallen into the cave.) Ravidat returned to the scene with three friends, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel, and Simon Coencas. They entered the cave through a shaft that they believed might be a legendary secret passage to the nearby Lascaux Manor. The teenagers discovered that the cave walls were covered with depictions of animals. Galleries that suggest continuity, context or simply represent a cavern were given names. Those include the Hall of the Bulls, the Passageway, the Shaft, the Nave, the Apse, and the Chamber of Felines. They returned along with the Abbé Henri Breuil on 21 September 1940; Breuil would make many sketches of the cave, some of which are used as study material today due to the extreme degradation of many of the paintings. Breuil was accompanied by Denis Peyrony, curator of Les eyzies (Prehistory Museum) at Les Eyzies, Jean Bouyssonie and Dr Cheynier.
history since rediscovery thumb|left|150px|modern entrance to the lascaux cave on 12 september 1940 the entrance to the lascaux cave was discovered on the la rochefoucauld-montbel lands by 18-year-old marcel ravidat when his dog robot investigated a hole left by an uprooted tree (ravidat would embellish the story in later retellings saying robot had fallen into the cave) ravidat returned to the scene with three friends jacques marsal georges agnel and simon coencas they entered the cave through a shaft that they believed might be a legendary secret passage to the nearby lascaux manor the teenagers discovered that the cave walls were covered with depictions of animals galleries that suggest continuity context or simply represent a cavern were given names those include the hall of the bulls the passageway the shaft the nave the apse and the chamber of felines they returned along with the abbé henri breuil on 21 september 1940; breuil would make many sketches of the cave some of which are used as study material today due to the extreme degradation of many of the paintings breuil was accompanied by denis peyrony curator of les eyzies (prehistory museum) at les eyzies jean bouyssonie and dr cheynier