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Grotte du Placard

France · Europe
Prehistoric cave art at Grotte du Placard© Traumrune · CC BY-SA 3.0
Of Interest

Type-site of the mysterious 'Placard signs' found as far away as Cosquer

Age
~20,000 yrs
Period
Solutrean
Setting
Cave
Art form
Petroglyphs
Discovered
1877
Status
Open (Limited Guided Visits)
⧗ See it on the timeline

A cave above the Tardoire river in Charente, excavated since 1877 and famous in archaeology as the type-site of the 'Placard signs' — enigmatic aviform symbols also found hundreds of kilometres away at Cosquer and Pech Merle. Engravings of horses and other animals accompany these mysterious Solutrean marks.

Gallery

Notable Features

  • ◦ Aviform 'Placard signs'
  • ◦ Horse engravings
  • ◦ Landmark 19th-century excavations

Depicted Subjects

HorsesSignsIbex

Plan a Visit

AccessThis cave can be visited.
BookingAdvance booking required — places are limited
Sources & Further Reading
≡ Wikipedia➤ Directions
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.