Abri Pataud, Les Eyzies-de-Tayac
The site includes human remains, stone tools, & early cultural artifacts
The Pataud Shelter (or Arbi Aptaud) is one of the few prehistoric sites in the area which also shows how it has been dug and the archaeological techniques used.
Thanks to the different archaeological layers, visitors can easily view the chronology of civilizations that have been present in the cliffs of Eyzies. They also reveal the evolution of landscapes over millennia.
The first inhabitants of the Pataud shelter dates from around 35,000 years ago; they were semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. Around 28,000 years ago the Gravettians then settled here but for longer periods. The shelter was enlarged into the rock at this time. At the end of the Gravettian civilization (22,000 years ago), the roof collapsed and there remained only a narrow corridor along the rock wall. It was then used as a place of burial: the remains of 6 people have been found here.
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When to come
April: 10:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00 from Monday to Friday
May & June: 10:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00 Sunday to Thursday
July & August: 10:00 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 18:00 daily
September: 10:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00 Sunday to Thursday
October: 10:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00 from Monday to Friday
Closed from mid October to end of March, except for groups booking.
