Abri Pataud
France · Europe
A carved ibex still clings to the ceiling of this deeply stratified shelter in the heart of Les Eyzies
Age
~21,000 yrs
Period
Gravettian
Setting
Rock shelter
Art form
Petroglyphs
Discovered
1958
Status
Open (Museum Site)
A collapsed rock shelter in the middle of Les Eyzies village, meticulously excavated to reveal some 15,000 years of Upper Paleolithic occupation. Its on-site museum preserves a Gravettian bas-relief ibex carved on the ceiling, along with burials and thousands of artifacts left by successive hunter cultures.
Gallery
Notable Features
- ◦ Ceiling bas-relief ibex
- ◦ 15,000 years of stratigraphy
- ◦ On-site museum in the shelter
Depicted Subjects
Ibex
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.