Prehistoric Art France
The Dordogne Valley in France is where the highest concentration of Prehistoric and Neolithic art exists in France and one of the most-dense areas for the topic in the world. The Town of Les Eysies de Tayac Sireuil is the Prehistory capital of France and is host to the National Museum of Prehistoric Art. Les Eysies is a wonderful base to visit several caves with prehistoric art such as: Font de Gaume, Grotte Bernifal, Les Combaralles & Cap Blanc. The presentation, particularly the lighting, is strikingly different in France than in Spain where it is more rustic. Prior to the creation of any European countries early man hunted and travelled no madically. Some scholars believe that in some cases the same artist could have traveled to caves throughout all of Europe making work in what we now see as different countries but no concrete evidence of this theory exists as of yet.
CAVES I VISITED IN FRANCE
VALLEY OF MAN / DORDOGNE VALLEY / FRENCH BASQUE : Grotte of Gargas, Grotte de Perche Merle, Grotte of Rouffignac, Grotte of Combarelles, Grotto of Bernifal, Grotte Cap Blanc, Grotte de Font de Gaume, Grotte de Istuitz
PREHISTORIC ART & CAVES IN THE DORDOGNE VALLEY
FONT DE GAUME - LES EYZIES, VALLEY OF MAN, FRANCE
Font de Gaume is a spectacular cave formation and location for early man to have occupied and create art work. An UNESCO site, Font de Gaume is well known for its images of reindeer, bison, lions, and horses that are painted and engraved.
ABRI CAP BLANC
LES EYZIES, VALLEY OF MAN, FRANCE
The Abri Cap Blanc are high relief sculptures of animals carved into the side of the cliff face. for conservation the sculptures within an enclosed area.
GROTTE DE BERNIFAL
LES EYZIES, VALLEY OF MAN, FRANCE
The Grotte de Bernifal is still privately owned by the Bernifal family. A family member who grew up on the property and has lived amongst these prehistoric artworks his entire life does the cave tour. In France, unlike Spain, anything and everything on the property belongs to the present owner and the state does not intervene in appropriating the property.
GROTTE DE COMBARELLES
LES EYZIES, VALLEY OF MAN, FRANCE
The Grotte de Combaralles is over a mile long in depth and contains a train inside of it to transport the visitors. The scale of the cave mirrors the ambition of the artist that painted hundreds of deer on a single wall panel that is over one hundred feet long. The unique geological anomalies of the cave are reinforced by the powerful works created with profound regard to the context.
GROTTE DE ROUFFIGNAC
FLEURAC, VALLEY OF MAN, FRANCE
The Grotte of Rouffignac has an exemplary drawing of a Lion amongst Deer, Reindeer, Bears and Woolly Mammoths. The modest home at the entrance to Rouffignac is misleading being it is the longest cave system with art that has been discovered to date in France.
FRANCE
PREHISTORIC ART & CAVES IN THE OCCITANIA
GROTTE DE PECHE MERLE
CABARENETS, FRANCE
The quality of the art work created inside of Peche Merle is the reason it is one of the most well visited caves in France. The cave is well-known for the two spotted horses depicted painted on the wall (25,000-30,00 B.C) inside as well as the hundreds of hand prints found on a single panel.
The success of the cave is personified being it is the most commercial context of any prehistoric cave I have ever visited or heard of.
FRANCE
PREHISTORIC ART & CAVES IN THE PYRENEES
GROTTE DE GARGAS
AVENTIGNAN, HAUTES PYRENEES, FRANCE
Gargas is very unique in that it is located in a remote region of France with little to no tourism. The visitor center and detail to attention awaiting visitors makes visiting the Grotte de Gargas well worth the effort.
Inside the cave has the largest wall panel of hand prints I am aware of at over 200 feet long and the quality of the art work preserved is a testament to the gravity with the French Minister of Culture takes in preserving the artwork that documents the development of our species.
FRANCE
PREHISTORIC ART & CAVES IN THE FRENCH BASQUE
GROTTE DE ISTURITZ
LOWER NAVARRE, FRENCH BASQUE, FRANCE
The Grotte de Istiritz is near the Spanish border and well known for its natural geological beauty and for being occupied by our ancestors, Homo-Sapiens and Neanderthal for over 80,000 years.
