Abri du Poisson
France · Europe · ✦ UNESCO World Heritage Site
The oldest known sculpture of a fish — a metre-long salmon carved on the ceiling of a tiny shelter
Age
~25,000 yrs
Period
Gravettian
Setting
Rock shelter
Art form
Rock reliefs
Discovered
1912
Status
Open (Limited Guided Visits)
A small rock shelter in the Gorge d'Enfer valley famous for a single masterpiece: a metre-long salmon carved in relief on its ceiling around 25,000 years ago, the oldest and finest fish sculpture known. Saw-marks around the fish record a narrowly failed attempt to cut it out and sell it to a Berlin museum in 1912.
Gallery
Notable Features
- ◦ Metre-long sculpted salmon
- ◦ Oldest known fish sculpture
- ◦ Rare negative hand stencil
Depicted Subjects
FishHand Stencils
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
BookingAdvance booking required — places are limited
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.