Abri Pataud is an important Upper Paleolithic cave site located at the base of a bluff in the Dordogne valley of south central France, one of several sites in this part of France that can be seen by visitors.
Abri Pataud excavations. Photo by Semhur
Pataud (the "abri" just means "cave") has fourteen occupations dated between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago, including crucial Gravettian and Aurignacian occupations with lots of evidence for Upper Paleolithic art work--drawings, paintings, carvings, personal ornaments, even a venus figurine.
Best of all, it was excavated by Hallam Movius in the 1950s and 1960s. By all accounts, Movius did a stellar piece of excavation and recording, particularly for his era, and although his notes are as yet unpublished, they are extensive enough to be used to support modern scholarly research sixty years later.
- Read my summary of research at Abri Pataud
- Plan your visit to the museum
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How neat is that