Final answer:
The Lascaux caves are closed to the public due to contamination caused by a high number of visitors. Replicas of the paintings were made for visitors to see.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Lascaux caves are closed to the public because the amount of visitors contaminated the paintings. The high number of people entering the caves caused an increase in temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels, which led to the growth of fungi and bacteria that damaged the paintings. To protect the original cave art, replicas of the paintings were created at Lascaux II for visitors to see.
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