UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Vézère The Vézère (; oc, Vesera) is a 211-km-long river in southwestern France. It is an important tributary to the Dordogne. Its source is in the northwestern part of the elevated plateau known as the Massif Central. It flows into the Dordogne near ...

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named af ...

Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil (; oc, Las Aisiás de Taiac e Siruèlh) is a former commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Les Eyzies. This valley is exceptionally rich in prehistoric sites, with more than 150 known sites including 25 decorated caves, and has played an essential role in the study of the

Paleolithic era The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tool ...

and its art. Three of the sites are the namesakes for prehistoric periods; the

Micoquien The Micoquien is an early middle paleolithic Industry (archaeology), industry, that is found in the Eemian and in an early episode of the Würm glaciation (about 130,000 to 60,000 BCE). The Micoquien is distinguished technologically by the appea ...

(named after

La Micoque The Micoquien is an early middle paleolithic Industry (archaeology), industry, that is found in the Eemian and in an early episode of the Würm glaciation (about 130,000 to 60,000 BCE). The Micoquien is distinguished technologically by the appea ...

), Mousterian (after

Le Moustier Le Moustier is an archeological site consisting of two rock shelters in Peyzac-le-Moustier, a village in the Dordogne, France. It is known for a complete skeleton of the species ''Homo neanderthalensis'' that was discovered in 1908. The Mousteri ...

), and

Magdalenian The Magdalenian cultures (also Madelenian; French: ''Magdalénien'') are later cultures of the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic in western Europe. They date from around 17,000 to 12,000 years ago. It is named after the type site of La Madele ...

(after Abri de la Madeleine). Furthermore, the Cro-Magnon rock shelter gave its name to the Cro-Magnon, the generic name for the

European early modern humans Early European modern humans (EEMH), or Cro-Magnons, were the first early modern humans (''Homo sapiens'') to settle in Europe, migrating from Western Asia, continuously occupying the continent possibly from as early as 56,800 years ago. They ...

. Many of the sites were discovered or first recognised as significant and scientifically explored by the archaeologists

Henri Breuil Henri Édouard Prosper Breuil (28 February 1877 – 14 August 1961), often referred to as Abbé Breuil, was a French Catholic priest, archaeologist, anthropologist, ethnologist and geologist. He is noted for his studies of cave art in the Somme a ...

and

Denis Peyrony Denis may refer to: People * Saint Denis of Paris, 3rd-century Christian martyr and first bishop of Paris * Denis the Areopagite, Biblical figure * Denis, son of Ampud (died 1236), baron in the Kingdom of Hungary * Denis the Carthusian (1402–14 ...

in the early twentieth century, while

Lascaux Lascaux ( , ; french: Grotte de Lascaux , "Lascaux Cave") is a network of caves near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in southwestern France. Over 600 parietal wall paintings cover the interior walls and ceilings of ...

, which has the most exceptional rock art of these, was discovered in 1940. The decorated caves in the region were instrumental in ending the debate about the nature of prehistoric art, which was still considered by many to be modern fakes. The late 19th century discoveries of first the

Chabot cave Chabot may refer to: People * André Chabot, politician in Calgary, Alberta, Canada *Anthony Chabot (1813–1888), Canadian-American engineer and entrepreneur *Arlette Chabot (born 1951), French journalist and political commentator * Aurore Chabot ...

(in 1879), Cave of Altamira (in 1880) and

Pair-non-Pair The Pair-non-Pair Cave is located near the village of Prignac-et-Marcamps, Aquitaine:Gironde (33) department in France. Only discovered in 1881 it is known for remarkable prehistoric parietal engravings - petroglyphic representations of wild an ...

(in 1881) were widely discussed, but no definite proof of their ancient origin was generally accepted. The cave of

La Mouthe LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

was the first cave in the Vézère region where decorations were discovered, but only with the double discoveries at

Font-de-Gaume Font-de-Gaume is a cave near Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil in the Dordogne départment of south-west France. The cave contains prehistoric polychrome cave paintings and engravings dating to the Magdalenian period. Discovered in 1901, more than ...

and

Les Combarelles Les Combarelles is a cave in Les Eyzies de Tayac, Dordogne, France, which was inhabited by Cro-Magnon people between approximately 13,000 to 11,000 years ago. Holding more than 600 prehistoric engravings of animals and symbols, the two galleries ...

in 1901 was the debate finally settled. The importance of the region as a centre of paleolithic activity and art is explained in the " Larousse Encyclopedia of Prehistoric & Ancient Art": The same book then lists 7 masterpieces of prehistoric art, including Lascaux, Les Combarelles and Font de Gaume. Twelve of the 15 listed sites are open to a limited number of visitors per day (in most cases less than 100 per day). Two sites (La Mouthe and La Madeleine) are completely inaccessible to the public. In the case of Lascaux, the original cave is closed, but extensive 3D reproductions built nearby are easily accessible.

Sites included in the UNESCO listing

Decorated caves

Scene from one of the cave walls at Lascaux Wellcome M0011686

*

Abri du Poisson A rock shelter (also rockhouse, crepuscular cave, bluff shelter, or abri) is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff. In contrast to solutional caves (karst), which are often many miles long, rock shelters are almost alway ...

, a small cave in the Gorge d'Enfer, a small side valley of the Vézère in Les Eyzies; it was discovered in 1892, but the more than 1 metre long engraving of a fish which gives it its name was only found in 1912. Dating to the middle

Gravettian The Gravettian was an archaeological industry of the European Upper Paleolithic that succeeded the Aurignacian circa 33,000 years BP. It is archaeologically the last European culture many consider unified, and had mostly disappeared by 2 ...

, circa 25,000 years ago, it is one of the oldest known depictions of a fish in the world. It is bordered by a few other caves and shelters. *

Font-de-Gaume Font-de-Gaume is a cave near Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil in the Dordogne départment of south-west France. The cave contains prehistoric polychrome cave paintings and engravings dating to the Magdalenian period. Discovered in 1901, more than ...

, in Les Eyzies, discovered in 1901: the first time prehistoric paintings were discovered in the region. The paintings of animals (mainly bison and horses, more than 200 in total) date to the

Magdalenian The Magdalenian cultures (also Madelenian; French: ''Magdalénien'') are later cultures of the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic in western Europe. They date from around 17,000 to 12,000 years ago. It is named after the type site of La Madele ...

and are about 17,000 years old. Font-de-Gaume is the only cave with polychrome prehistoric paintings still open to the public. *

La Mouthe LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

, in Les Eyzies, was discovered in 1894. It contains engravings and paintings. A decorated lamp, and a human tooth and backbone were also found here. It is not open to the public. *

Les Combarelles Les Combarelles is a cave in Les Eyzies de Tayac, Dordogne, France, which was inhabited by Cro-Magnon people between approximately 13,000 to 11,000 years ago. Holding more than 600 prehistoric engravings of animals and symbols, the two galleries ...

, in Les Eyzies, a long () but narrow () cave with more than 600 prehistoric engravings and monochrome paintings. While the entry and a large branch on the right side were already known and excavated, the main branch was only discovered in 1901, just days before nearby Font-de-Gaume. It was inhabited between 13,000 and 11,000 years ago. *

Lascaux Lascaux ( , ; french: Grotte de Lascaux , "Lascaux Cave") is a network of caves near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in southwestern France. Over 600 parietal wall paintings cover the interior walls and ceilings of ...

, in Montignac, was discovered in 1940. It is filled with around 600 polychrome paintings from about 17,000 years ago. It was opened to the public in 1948, but closed again in 1963 when it became clear that the paintings were being damaged by fungus and lichen growth caused by the changes in atmosphere brought along by the thousands of visitors. Exact reproductions can be visited since 1983 (Lascaux II, covering the two main chambers) and in 2016 Lascaux IV was opened, showing nearly all the paintings. * Rouffignac Cave, in

Rouffignac Rouffignac () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France. Population See also * Communes of the Charente-Maritime department The following is a list of the 463 communes of the Charente-Maritime department of Fr ...

, is part of the longest cave system in the region. It contains a few hundred engravings and monochrome paintings, mainly of mammoths: most of these are situated about from the cave entrance. An electrical train takes visitors from the entrance to the location of the art. The easy accessibility of the cave lead to it being known much earlier than the other caves in this heritage site; the first mention of the art dates to 1575, and the cave was already a tourist attraction in the 19th century. The distance between the entry and the main groups of rock art here caused their belated discovery in 1956 only. Very few remains apart from the artworks have been found, making dating them difficult; but it is believed that they are about 13,000 years old. * Roc de Saint-Cirq (usually known as ''"Grotte du Sorcier"'') in Les Eyzies, was discovered in 1952. It contains engravings and bas-reliefs, including one of a human called the "sorcerer" (''le sorcier'').

Other caves

* Le Grand Roc is a cave in Les Eyzies close to Laugerie-Basse. It was discovered in 1924 and opened to the public in 1926. It is the only entry in this heritage site without prehistoric elements.

Rock shelters

* Cro-Magnon rock shelter, in Les Eyzies. The finds date to the

Aurignacian The Aurignacian () is an archaeological industry of the Upper Paleolithic associated with European early modern humans (EEMH) lasting from 43,000 to 26,000 years ago. The Upper Paleolithic developed in Europe some time after the Levant, where t ...

. The site was discovered in 1868: remains of 5 humans (4 adults and a child) were found, dated to about 28,000 years ago. Seen as distinct from the recently discovered

Neanderthal Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While th ...

s and as a precursor of modern man, the term "Cro-Magnon" was soon used to indicate all prehistoric modern men in Europe. *

La Micoque The Micoquien is an early middle paleolithic Industry (archaeology), industry, that is found in the Eemian and in an early episode of the Würm glaciation (about 130,000 to 60,000 BCE). The Micoquien is distinguished technologically by the appea ...

, in Les Eyzies. It gave its name to the

Micoquien The Micoquien is an early middle paleolithic Industry (archaeology), industry, that is found in the Eemian and in an early episode of the Würm glaciation (about 130,000 to 60,000 BCE). The Micoquien is distinguished technologically by the appea ...

, and was also the first place where the Tayacian was recognised as a separate industry. This archaeological site was discovered in 1895 and has been the location of many excavations since. La Micoque is the site of some of the oldest traces of human presence in the region, dating back to approximately 450,000 years ago. The different layers, together some 10 metres high, are indicative of intermittent habitation here over a period of some 300,000 years. *

Laugerie-Basse Laugerie-Basse is an important Upper Paleolithic archaeological site within the territory of the French commune Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil in Dordogne. It is known for several works of art from the Magdalenian. In 1979, Laugerie-Basse, along ...

, a 15 metre deep shelter in Les Eyzies. It has some art from the Magdalenian, and was inhabited from ca. 14,000 years ago.. The first excavations started here in 1863, but a more scientific approach was only taken from 1912 on. It has been completely excavated since, while the nearby contemporary Abri de Marseille (some 40 metres distant) still contains original material. In 1864

Paul Hurault, 8th Marquis de Vibraye Paul Hurault, 8th Marquis de Vibraye (1809–1878) was an amateur archaeologist from France. He was born Guillaume-Paul Louis Maximilien Hurault, son of a notable politician and military officer . He discovered the very first Paleolithic scul ...

found here the

Vénus impudique The ''Vénus impudique'' ("Immodest Venus", also known as ''Venus Impudica'' and ''Vénus de Vibraye'') is the first Paleolithic sculptural representation of a woman discovered in modern times. It was found by Paul Hurault, 8th Marquis de Vibra ...

, the first of many finds of a Paleolithic

Venus figurine A Venus figurine is any Upper Palaeolithic statuette portraying a woman, usually carved in the round.Fagan, Brian M., Beck, Charlotte, "Venus Figurines", ''The Oxford Companion to Archaeology'', 1996, Oxford University Press, pp. 740–741 Mos ...

. * Laugerie-Haute, in Les Eyzies, not far from Laugerie Basse. This 200 metres long shelter was inhabited from about 24,000 years ago until 15,000 years ago, and was first excavated in 1863. Stretching from the rock face to the river, it is one of the largest sites of the region. * Cap Blanc rock shelter, in Marquay; discovered in 1908, this 15 metres long shelter has a 13m long, 2 metres high, and up to 30 cm deep relief frieze of animals, including 10 horses and some bison. It was originally coloured with red ochre and presumably other colours, but due to excavation errors it is now almost completely uncoloured. On the floor a single human skeleton of the so-called

Magdalenian Girl "Magdalenian Girl" or "Magdalenian Woman" () is the common name for a human skeleton, dated to the boundary between the Upper Paleolithic and the early Mesolithic, ca. 15,000 to 13,000 years old, in the Magdalenian period. The remains were disc ...

was discovered in 1911. *

Le Moustier Le Moustier is an archeological site consisting of two rock shelters in Peyzac-le-Moustier, a village in the Dordogne, France. It is known for a complete skeleton of the species ''Homo neanderthalensis'' that was discovered in 1908. The Mousteri ...

is a group of two rock shelters in

Peyzac-le-Moustier Peyzac-le-Moustier () is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is known for the nearby archeological site of Le Moustier, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Population See also *Roque Saint-C ...

. Excavations started in 1863. Many tools found here which were instrumental in defining the Mousterian period, lasting from ca. 160,000 years ago until ca. 40,000 years ago. In 1908 a

Neanderthal Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While th ...

skull was found here as well: it is thought to be about 45,000 years old. * Abri de la Madeleine, in

Tursac Tursac () is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. ''Abri de la Madeleine'' is the site of Magdalenian prehistoric finds. Population See also *Communes of the Dordogne department The following i ...

, was the type site for the

Magdalenian The Magdalenian cultures (also Madelenian; French: ''Magdalénien'') are later cultures of the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic in western Europe. They date from around 17,000 to 12,000 years ago. It is named after the type site of La Madele ...

period, ranging from about 17,000 to about 12,000 years ago. First discovered in 1863 and roughly excavated in the following years, it was in 1921-1922 again studied, more scientifically this time, by Dennis Peyrony. On the site has been found a buried child of around three years old, dating to about 10,000 years ago, with a robe decorated with more than 1,000 small shells, called the Enfant de la Madeleine. Some sculpted reindeer bone spear-throwers have also been found here, including the ''

Bison Licking Insect Bite Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North Amer ...

''. Extensive medieval

troglodyte A troglodyte is a human cave dweller, from the Greek 'hole, mouse-hole' and 'go in, dive in'. Troglodyte and derived forms may also refer to: Historiography * ''Troglodytae'' or ''Troglodyti'', an ancient group of people from the African Red ...

ruins remain at the same place but higher above the river.

History of archaeological research in the region

The 1860s: first scientific explorations

The sites cover a period of nearly 400,000 years of human habitation, starting at La Micoque (inhabited from ca. 400,000 years ago until 100,000 years ago) and ending about 8,000 years ago. Excavations in the Dordogne region started in 1810, but only in 1863 were the first scientific researches made by the paleontologist Edouard Lartet together with the Englishman

Henry Christy Henry Christy (26 July 1810 – 4 May 1865) was an English banker and collector, who left his substantial collections to the British Museum. Early life Christy was born at Kingston upon Thames, the second son of William Miller Christy of Woodbin ...

; in a period of five months they visited numerous sites in Les Eyzies, including the Grotte Richard, some shelters in the Gorge d'Enfer, Laugerie Basse, Laugerie Haute, La Madeleine and

Le Moustier Le Moustier is an archeological site consisting of two rock shelters in Peyzac-le-Moustier, a village in the Dordogne, France. It is known for a complete skeleton of the species ''Homo neanderthalensis'' that was discovered in 1908. The Mousteri ...

. In 1872 the latter two became the eponymous sites for the Magdalenian and Micoquian cultures, so-called by

Gabriel de Mortillet Louis Laurent Gabriel de Mortillet (29 August 1821 – 25 September 1898), French archaeologist and anthropologist, was born at Meylan, Isère. Biography Mortillet was educated at the Jesuit college of Chambéry and at the Paris Conservatoire ...

. Lartet previously already had excavated the Cave of Aurignac, which gave its name to the

Aurignacian The Aurignacian () is an archaeological industry of the Upper Paleolithic associated with European early modern humans (EEMH) lasting from 43,000 to 26,000 years ago. The Upper Paleolithic developed in Europe some time after the Levant, where t ...

, and had published his finds of a few of the earliest decorated objects from the Upper Paleolithicum. In 1864 they found at La Madeleine an engraving on ivory, showing a mammoth: this was the first definitive piece of evidence that the inhabitants of these rock shelters had lived at the same time as some long-extinct animals. In 1868 the human remains of the Cro-Magnon rock shelter were discovered, and in 1872 a prehistoric skeleton was found at Laugerie Basse. The first decorated cave of the region was found in 1896 at

La Mouthe LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

: it was the fourth decorated cave found in Europe, some 20 years after the other three had been discovered.

Turn of the century; the first decorated caves

At the start of the 20th century, the excavations in the Vézère valley multiply, with two major effects: the authenticity of rock art is finally established, and a full chronology of the technological cultures in prehistoric Western Europe is developed. In 1895, for the first time a cave with decorations from the Paleolithic is recognised as such in France, when the cave of

la Mouthe LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

is investigated by archaeologist

Émile Rivière Émile-Valère Rivière de Précourt (22 April 1835 - 25 January 1922) was a French physician and specialist in prehistory who conducted explorations of caves in the region for human remains. He was known for his cave research at Balzi Rossi in Ve ...

. Engravings are found some 90 metres of the entrance of the cave. Rivière continues to excavate here for five years, finding many artifacts including a lamp with an image of an ibex. His conclusion that some of the engravings had been covered by stalagmites, thereby showing their great age, was one of the main arguments to get the reality of prehistoric rock art finally accepted. he also produced the first photographs of such art. Most important for the rock art were the discoveries in 1901 of the engravings of Combarelles by

Henri Breuil Henri Édouard Prosper Breuil (28 February 1877 – 14 August 1961), often referred to as Abbé Breuil, was a French Catholic priest, archaeologist, anthropologist, ethnologist and geologist. He is noted for his studies of cave art in the Somme a ...

,

Denis Peyrony Denis may refer to: People * Saint Denis of Paris, 3rd-century Christian martyr and first bishop of Paris * Denis the Areopagite, Biblical figure * Denis, son of Ampud (died 1236), baron in the Kingdom of Hungary * Denis the Carthusian (1402–14 ...

and Louis Capitan, and the first look at the polychrome paintings in Font de Gaume, eight days later, by Peyrony. In 1902,

Émile Cartailhac Émile Cartailhac (15 February 1845 – 26 November 1921) was a French prehistorian, one of the founding fathers of the studies of the cave art. He is perhaps best remembered because of his involvement with the Altamira paintings. Cartailhac was ...

, the main critic of the notion that Paleolithic humans would have been capable of producing such art, upon seeing the reports about the two caves and La Mouthe, became convinced that the believers had been right all along. He wrote for the journal "L'Anthropologie" the article "Les cavernes ornées de dessins. La grotte d'Altamira, Espagne. ''Mea culpa'' d'un sceptique". Breuil and Peyrony are also behind most of the other major finds in the next few years, including Bernifal in 1902, the abri du Cap Blanc in 1909, and Laussel in 1911. In the same period, major sites permitting to develop the stratigraphic sequence of periods and cultures are found as well, including in 1909 La Ferrassie with its large number of Neanderthal burials, and the site of Laugerie Basse. Peyrony, a teacher from Les Eyzies, became inspector of archaeological sites in 1910, and established the museum of Les Eyzies (later the National Museum of Prehistory) in 1913. The final major find so far is the discovery of Lascaux in 1940.

Other prehistoric sites in the region

Campagne

* Muzardie cave, discovered in 1978: contains paleolithic engravings * Roc de Marsal, first excavated in 1953: burial site of a Neanderthal child, discovered in 1961

Le Bugue

* Bara-Bahau cave, discovered in 1951; it contains some 18 engravings, including mainly animals but also a hand and a phallus: it is opened to the public

Les Eyzies de Tayac

*

Abri Pataud L'Abri Pataud, or the Pataud Shelter in English, is a prehistoric site found in the middle of the village Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil in Dordogne, Aquitaine, southwestern France. The site includes human remains, stone tools, and early cultural art ...

, site of prehistoric dwellings in Les Eyzies; important for the clear stratigraphic layers which have been used for radiocarbon dating, serves as a reference site for the chronology. Various engravings and a female bas-relief were found here as well. Open to the public. *

Château de Commarque The Château de Commarque is a hillside castle located between Sarlat and Les Eyzies, in the ''commune'' of Les Eyzies in the Dordogne department in southern France. It stands on a rocky outcrop in the valley of the river La Beune in the Vézè ...

, a medieval ruin in Les Eyzies, has underneath the castle a cave, discovered in 1915, with 150 prehistoric carvings of animals, including a horse head in relief.

Marquay

* Abri de Laussel, where the

Venus of Laussel The Venus of Laussel is an limestone bas-relief of a nude woman. It is painted with red ochre and was carved into the limestone of a rock shelter (''Abri de Laussel'') in the commune of Marquay, in the Dordogne department of south-western F ...

was found in 1911

Meyrals

* Bernifal cave, with paintings and engravings

Montignac

* La Balutie *

Le Regourdou Le Regourdou (or Le Régourdou) is an archaeological site in the Dordogne department, France, on top of a hill just from the famous cave complex of Lascaux. At this now collapsed deep ancient karst cavity remarkably well preserved Neandert ...

, Neanderthal burial site near Lascaux, discovered in 1957

Peyzac-le-Moustier

*

Roque Saint-Christophe The Roque Saint-Christophe is a big rock formation with Rock shelters (''abris sous-roche'' in French) at the river Vézère, near Peyzac-le-Moustier in the Dordogne. It is located near the route D706 from Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, at Tursac in the Dor ...

, a very large rock shelter (1 km long, 60 m high) inhabited already around 50,000 years ago.

Savignac-de-Miremont

*

La Ferrassie La Ferrassie is an archaeological site in Savignac-de-Miremont, in the Dordogne department, France. The site, located in the Vézère valley, consists of a large and deep cave flanked by two rock shelters within a limestone cliff, under which ...

, Neanderthal burial place

Sergeac

* Castel Merle, a series of 12 rock shelters (6 on each side of a small valley); the findings include some necklaces, and a bas relief with multiple animals. The site is open to the public and has a small museum

Prehistory museums and visitor centres

Abri Pataud - Les Eyzies de Tayac - 20090922

Some of the above sites have small museums or displays showcasing some of the archaeological finds made there, e.g. at Castel Merle. The region also has three main visitor centres: the (in and around the

Château de Tayac The Château de Tayac is a castle in the ''commune'' of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil in the Dordogne ''département'' of France. History The castle stands on a platform in a cliff. This platform was occupied in prehistoric times; Magdelanian and ...

) and the International Pole of Prehistory in les Eyzies, and Lascaux IV in Montignac.

Sites included in the UNESCO listing

Decorated caves

Other caves

Rock shelters

History of archaeological research in the region

The 1860s: first scientific explorations

Turn of the century; the first decorated caves

Other prehistoric sites in the region

Campagne

Le Bugue

Les Eyzies de Tayac

Marquay

Meyrals

Montignac

Peyzac-le-Moustier

Savignac-de-Miremont

Sergeac

Prehistory museums and visitor centres

Notes

Further reading