Cave of the Cow

Don't be fooled by its small size, the La Vache cave is a true giant of Prehistory! An ideal complement to visits to the Niaux and Bédeilhac caves, it was the place where the Cro-Magnon lived 15 years ago. She delivered thousands of objects to archaeologists: animal bones and teeth, tools and weapons, but also sublime decorated objects, each more fine and delicate than the last.
Go for a 1h15 guided tour and discover the intimacy and life of our ancestors!

A remarkable cave

Excavated in the 1860s, the La Vache cave is today among the most important prehistoric Pyrenean sites. A classic habitat of the Magdalenians in winter, the cavity has yielded a quantity of bone remains (food remains), the study of which has made it possible to better understand the diet of the local populations: ptarmigan and ibexes were particularly consumed. The weapons found (spears, harpoons) as well as numerous other bone tools (smoothers, needles, pierced sticks, etc.) bear witness to organized human activities: hunting, skinning, tanning of skins, sewing, etc.

The La Vache cave also yielded one of the most abundant and spectacular series of furniture art, with nearly 400 pieces decorated with figurative motifs and as many geometric motifs. Their observation highlights a very wide variety of representations, particularly among animals: ibexes, horses, bison, deer, aurochs, fish, wolves, bears, cave lions, reindeer, saiga antelopes, birds... The entire prehistoric bestiary has been preserved. down to us with technical precision and attention to detail demonstrating the artistic mastery of the Magdalenians.

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