why were the altamira and lascaux caves closed to the public?

Question

a the floor of the cave was becoming eroded
b carbon dioxide from humans was altering the cave environment and impacting the paintings
c visitors were inadvertently smudging artwork
d all of the above

Answer 1

The correct answer is d) all of the above. The Altamira and Lascaux caves were closed to the public primarily due to concerns about the preservation of the ancient cave paintings.

1. Erosion of the floor and other physical impacts from foot traffic were damaging the cave environment.
2. Carbon dioxide exhaled by visitors was altering the delicate cave climate, which could affect the preservation of the paintings.
3. There were also instances where visitors inadvertently smudged or otherwise damaged the artwork.

All these factors contributed to the decision to restrict public access to help protect these significant archaeological sites.