Les Eyzies de Tayac Sireuil, the French capital of Prehistory
Les Eyzies de Tayac Sireuil is located in the Vézère Valley, at the confluence of the Vézère and the Beune, a region inhabited since the Palaeolithic era.
Our distant ancestors found refuge in the shelters and galleries carved out by the river over millennia, and left their mark on the walls of these caves.
The commune of Tayac boasts one of the highest concentrations of prehistoric sites in the valley. It merged with the commune of Les Eyzies in 1905, then, in 1973, Les Eyzies de Tayac merged with Sireuil. This latter village gained some notoriety after the discovery of a Neolithic statue: Neolithic statue – Venus of Sireuil.
However, the most important archaeological discovery of all time took place in Les Eyzies at the end of the 19th century. Remains of Cro-Magnon Men as well as traces of their daily life and religious rites were indeed discovered in the Cro Magnon natural rock shelter.
Cro Magnon culture
The Upper Palaeolithic is characterised by the creation of tools and objects made of stone and bone, as well as by highly elaborate rock paintings and engravings, discovered at sites such as Lascaux and Font de Gaume.
This prehistoric period is divided into sub-periods, each named after a specific cave, its contents and its decoration.
The Cro-Magnons lived during the Magdalenian period, named after the nearby Madeleine rock shelter.
They settled in the many natural caves in the cliffs bordering the Vézère valley. These shelters offered them protection from the harsh climate of the time and the predators.
The fertility of the alluvial lands, the abundance of fish in the rivers (whose level was then 3 metres higher than today), and the presence of winter animals such as reindeer, mammoths and bison allowed the Cro-Magnon culture to flourish in southwestern France.
With improved climatic conditions, agriculture began to develop. Our distant ancestors eventually left their rock shelters to settle in valley villages, near their crops and livestock.
Cro-Magnons’ descendants
Their descendants took refuge in troglodytic shelters during times of danger, such as the barbarian invasions of the 3rd century, the Norman incursions of the 9th century, the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of Religion.
They transformed these natural shelters into villages, building suitable dwellings, shops, and barns for animals and grain storage.
At La Roque-St-Christophe, they even erected a veritable fortress, with a village and a small cathedral.
These cave shelters allowed people to quickly take cover and withstand months of siege, with livestock being hoisted up using thick ropes.
The galleries carved into the cliff served as additional living spaces and food reserves.
Accessible only by removable rope ladders, these shelters were easy to defend. However, many of them were destroyed during the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of Religion.
Fortress of Tayac in Les Eyzies de Tayac Sireuil
You can discover the lives of these distant ancestors at the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies de Tayac Sireuil.
The archaeologist Denis Peyrony founded the museum in 1918 in the former castle of the lords of Tayac, built by Baron Jean Guy de Beynac in the 16th century.
Strategically located at the confluence of the Vézère and the Beune, and their valleys, the imposing building was built against the cliff, following its irregularities. The fortress of Tayac remained the property of the barons of Beynac until the 18th century, then passed to the La Borie de Campagne family.
However, it was confiscated and declared national property during the French Revolution in 1798. In 1804, a resident of Tayac bought the château with the intention of establishing a quarry there. Fortunately, this project proved unprofitable and was abandoned.
In 1846, the Esclafer family, related to the barons of Beynac, acquired the old fortress, and in 1913, the Historic Monuments of France purchased it to create a Museum of Prehistory.
National Museum of Prehistory of Les Eyzies de Tayac Sireuil
The iconic statue of L’Homme Primitif – Primitive Man, a life-size representation of a Neanderthal by sculptor Paul Dardé, stands at the museum’s entrance and has welcomed visitors since its inauguration.
The museum displays thousands of objects unearthed in the Vézère Valley. Two additional buildings were constructed between 1966 and 1967 to accommodate the growing collections.
The former Château de Tayac was classified as a historical monument on December 26, 1968.
In 2004, the museum was expanded with new buildings designed by the architect Jean-Pierre Buffi. These contemporary buildings offer more than 3,600 m² of additional space, including 14,850 m² of exhibition galleries, as discoveries enrich the collections every year.
Prehistoric sites around Les Eyzies de Tayac Sireuil
The prehistoric sites are located on either side of Les Eyzies de Tayac Sireuil. Here is the list of sites we visited for you.
Sites along the Vézère and the D47 which leads to Périgueux
The Abri du Poisson, the Grotte du Grand Roc, La Laugerie Basse and Laugerie Haute and the Micoque Deposit, a Neanderthal site and the oldest prehistoric site in the Dordogne.
Sites along the Beune Valley and the D47 to Sarlat and the D48
Rocher de la Peine : Follow the main road D47 (Avenue de la Préhistoire) towards the town centre and Sarlat-la-Canéda until the roundabout where it joins the D706 (Avenue du Cingle). The Rocher de la Peine is a Magdalenian deposit discovered under the heavily eroded rock that overlooks the road.
The Grotte de Font de Gaume, one of the most beautiful rock art sanctuaries in Europe, is located at No. 44, Avenue de la Forge (D47), the road leading to Sarlat-la-Canéda.
Les Combarelles Cave is a natural shelter located along the D47, at the confluence of the Beune and the Petite Beune. Its remarkable wall paintings, tools and weapons bear witness to Magdalenian parietal art (14,000 to 9,500 years ago).
The high reliefs of the Cap Blanc rock shelter (along the D48) were discovered in 1909. The artists adapted their sculptures to the rock’s irregularities to carve an impressive frieze representing various animals. The cave also housed a burial ground.
Tip: Les Eyzies de Tayac Sireuil is obviously a very popular destination in summer. So it can get crowded, especially since the main and only road runs through the village, so be prepared for long queues!
Department of Dordogne
Coordinates: Lat 44.937209 – Long 1.011541
