The caves at Les Eyzies are located downstream from the Lascaux Grotto and near the town of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac in Dordogne in southwestern France. Excavation of the Les Eyzies-de-tayac was led by French geologist Edouard Lartet and an English banker named Henry Christy after evidence of flint and bone splinters were discovered in 1862. The site consists of numerous cave systems, in particular the Font-de-Gaume cave which is the location of many multi-colored cave drawings and sculptures. The cave drawings are of ancient animals including, buffalo, bear, and deer. This site is representative of both the Upper Paleolithic (40,000-10,000 years ago) and the Middle Paleolithic (200,000-40,000 years ago). The site is noted as the principal site for the Upper Paleolithic Period.
The first Cro-Magnon skeleton was discovered in one of the caves in 1868. The caves are located in the Vezere Valley, 150 in all, and were registered into the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1979.
Resources:
Brittanica.com Copyright 2001
The Dordogne Guide/ French News.com
Written by: Brady Walter