Humans can easily wipe away records of those who have lived before them. The story of the Lascaux Cave is a perfect example. The art on the walls of a cave in Lascaux, France, was well preserved for some 25,000 years. After the accidental discovery of the art by teenagers in 1940, visitors flocked to the cave to marvel at the ancient paintings. Yet human visitors raised the temperature and carbon dioxide levels in the cave, damaging some of the world's finest examples of prehistoric cave art.



The extent of the damage prompted the closing of the cave to tourists in 1963. Airtight doors were installed to control humidity and air circulation. Now, the public can only enjoy the treasures of Lascaux in books and films or by visiting a nearby replica of the cave, Lascaux II.


How can artifacts from our ancestors be protected from modern development?
The Parthenon, one of the world's most treasured structures, and the other monuments on the Acropolis in Athens are under attack from acid rain. Athens has imposed automobile traffic restrictions in an effort to address the problem. As in other cities, however, a variety of factors contribute to the problem, including pollutants from industry and heating and air conditioning units, as well as the topography of the area in which Athens is situated.



In the past, explorers and other foreign visitors have unscrupulously removed or destroyed art and sculptures left by ancient civilizations. Today's scientists show far greater respect for the human remains they discover and for the rights of surviving descendants. A 1997 National Geographic Society expedition to the Andes revealed surprising discoveries. Most astonishing was a frozen cloth bundle containing a 500-year-old mummy of an Inca girl. Because the mummy was already exposed to the elements, expedition members decided it would be greatly damaged if it were left on the mountain. So, they opted to descend Peru's Mount Ampato, from an elevation of more than 20,000 feet, while carrying the 80-lb. frozen mummy wrapped in their bedding for insulation. The mummy is now kept in a university's carefully monitored environment where it can be studied by archaeologists and preserved for research by future generations.

Credits: (detail) Killer whale show © John Warden/Getty Images; Rainforest clearance © Tony Morrison/South American Pictures; Hall of Bulls at Lascaux. Sisse Brimberg/ National Geographic Image Collection; Parthenon in smog © 1992 Vladimir Pcholkin/Getty Images.

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