France is great! There are great Roman ruins, fantastic Early Human cave sites, and fresh baguettes and pan au chocolat every morning. At least in our campground! We camped at yet another Les Castels site in Rochetaillée near Bourg-d’Oisans. It is cyclists’ heaven. We were situated near the base of the Tour de France famous Alpe d’Huez. We walked the 100 meters from our campsite and watched the sixth stage of the Dauphine Libre bike race. I spent a good deal of the time in our trailer organizing photos and curriculum for back home, but we were able to get out for a few fantastic hikes and watch the throngs of cyclists cruise through the mountain passes here.
Here are a few shots of the area. It was truly beautiful!
Hiking along the summit of Alpe d’Huez.
Hiking to Lac Lauvitel.
Hiking outside of Besse en Oisans.
Views from our campground.
Bourg-d’Oisans.
Views along the road trip to Milano near the Col de Galibier.
The region in France known as Périgord is located just southwest of central France. The Dordogne and Vezére Rivers cross through the area. It is hilly, green and very peaceful. We camped here for two weeks, and it rained everyday. You’ve read plenty about the caves here (of which there are many more), so now I’d like to share some photos of some of the places we visited all within about 20 minutes of our campground.
These are some of the places we saw while hiking around our Moulin du Roche campground.
This is market day in the city of Sarlat, a ten-minute drive from our trailer.
We also toured the Chateau Puymartin (Pooey-Martin no joking allowed). It was a five-minute drive from our campsite.
We drove through Les Eyzies-de-Tayac several times on our way to cave sites along the Vezére River.
We also drove to La Roc Gageac, beautifully situated along the Dordogne River.
The final cave we got to explore was more of an amusement park than a cave, Le Roque de Saint Christophe. The day we were there several school groups on field trips joined us. There is a restaurant and picnic area out front and a gift shop at the entrance. Cheesy scenes are recreated throughout the overhanging shelter and range from Cro Magnons fighting off a cave bear to Middle-Ages knights in shining armor. Here you can scramble around the cave overhanging and explore with or without a guide. We chose without as we were tired of French tours (Our previous two cave guides were only available in French at the time). It was kind of fun.
It has been said that just by choosing to live in this beautiful location Cro Magnon people demonstrated their extreme intelligence. It is a huge cliff shelter directly above the Vezére River. This site has been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times around 15,000 BC. Cro Magnons gave way to iron age Neolithic agriculturists, who gave way to the Gauls, who gave way to the Romans, who gave way to Middle-Ages kingdoms and Norman invaders, up to present times. Because of its constant use there is little evidence of the earliest people of this area. There is no cave art here as there really aren’t any caves, just overhanging cliffs. People lived here! Burials and religious activities must have taken lace elsewhere. It appears that daily life took place in one area while death and ritual in another. One exception to this rule is found nearby at Abri Cap Blanc, where the cave art is part of the overhanging cliff rather than deep in the cave. But there was also a burial beneath the carvings.
So why are there paintings deep in the caves? Lascaux would have been extremely difficult to enter. The passages in Font-de-Gaume are extremely narrow. Grotte de Rouffignac is several miles long and was a regular home to hibernating bears. None were easy to access. None of these have evidence of human habitation from the Magdalenian period: worked flint, fire pits, or butchered animal remains. Human habitation for these caves is from the Middle Ages when many of the caves in this region were used as shelters for local people seeking refuge from invaders; these people didn’t even notice the cave art. Because of the remote nature of the art most researchers describe these areas as spiritual or religious worship centers. The description seems to match our modern concept of what religion should look like. The dead are buried near these areas. They are richly decorated, candle-lit shelters. There may even be priestly representations. The “unicorn” in Lascaux appears to be a compilation for several animals but has human hind legs. Could this be a priest wearing animal skins and performing some sort of ritual for the people? If these really were places of worship, based upon the quality of work and space inside the cave, Lascaux appears to have been the “Vatican” and other sites as local shrines. All of this is purely speculation based upon our modern interpretations and limited evidence. At minimum it makes for great stories and brings these people to life as humans much like us.
Our next cave took us to Rouffignac. This cave is unique in many ways. First, it is about three miles from the Vèzére River; all the others are much closer. Secondly it is really long -several miles long. In order to see the artwork you join your guide on a small electric train that travels about half a mile into the cave. This was a real selling point to the kids! And thirdly, it has been the frequent winter dwelling place of hibernating bears for millennia. All along the way inside you can see their burrows dug into the soft sides of the cave and the scratching of their claws as they trimmed their nails upon waking each spring.
This cave is known for its numerous mammoth paintings and etchings, more than 150 have been counted so far! These were spread throughout the cave and almost exclusively in groupings. Rouffignac also has its own “Sistine Chapel” called Le Grand Plafond. The ceiling here is richly decorated mammoths, bison, ibex, and horses reminiscent of Lascaux. The main difference is that these were drawn only in black line on a ceiling only two feet tall (The ceiling in Lascaux’s main chamber is about 10 feet tall). Al of this was done of course with the light of a fat burning lamp more than a half mile from the entrance to the cave. Even Michelangelo would have had difficulty here.
The authenticity of some of Rouffignac’s artwork is often called into question. In particular the wooly mammoth drawings here caused early prehistorians a lot of trouble. The tail end of these creatures included a strange flap of skin near the anus (sorry, I used the “a” word). This anatomical mystery was authenticated when in modern times the remains of wooly mammoths were found in Siberia with this same feature. So these drawings couldn’t have been fakes. No one knew of this feature until modern times.
Along with the paintings and engravings found in these caves there are also a number of “tectiforms.” These are pattern-marks that repeat themselves within a cave or regions of a cave. Some are painted dots, rectangles, lines, and triangles, and others are engraved scratchings. In Rouffignac there are miles of lines drawn in the soft mud of the walls by fingers. Researchers have studied the shape and size of these finger flutings and determined that these markings were made by eight different people at least three of which were children under the age of eight. The children must have explored extensively as their markings are found even in the remotest areas of the cave. They appear to be like a kind of signature or sign specific to a cave, area of a cave, a people group, or artist group. Because of the uniformity of the markings they are thought to be an early form of writing or least a way of signing one’s name. Could this be the beginnings of written language dating back to over 15,000 BC?
Again, my aplogies for the low resolution photos from inside the cave. As in the previous article, they are borrowed.
Even though I was disappointed at not being able to really look at the replica Lascaux II cave, it was still a great experience overall. The artwork is far and above the best executed and articulated of any we have seen in the area. It is beautiful! We gained some knowledge about the Cro Magnon Magdalenians that dwelled in the area, and I picked up a couple of good books and a video. The books spoke of several other caves in the region where we could join groups and experience a real cave. We set out to be speleologists for the remainder of our time in the area.
Typical to this area, most cave dwellings were situated at the base of the limestone outcroppings along the river valleys. At one time rivers ran underground here carving out several grottos that were later used by the early people who lived in the area. Contrary to general knowledge, the people living in this area did not live “in” the caves. The evidence of the lives of these people of the past (stone and bone tools) is almost exclusively found at the mouth of the caves. The caves were shelters from the harsh elements, but not really habitable places. They were difficult to enter, easily filled with smoke, and were dark and dank on the inside. The temperature is pretty constant at about 50° F with 98% humidity. Not very conducive to habitation. Cro Magnon people of this region built huts with frames made of branches. Caves were often used as burial places. And then of course there is the artwork - artwork which was most often found deep in the caves where living would be impossible.
Our first real cave to visit fit this description perfectly: Grotte de Font-de-Gaume. People of the Les Eyzies area have known of this cave forever, but it wasn’t until 1901 that an elementary school teacher first recognized the art inside. (Let’s hear it for the teacher!) There are more than 170 animal and human representations either painted (some in polychromatic color) or etched on its limestone walls. It is often called the cave of bison since there are more than 80 of them depicted here. Animals appear to be arranged in processional groupings. There are two reindeer facing each other in what looks like an affectionate kiss (are we overly anthropomorphizing these images?). Some animals are given special places of honor on the walls; A wolf at an intersection of cave chambers, a wooly rhino in the last gallery, and an engraved lion at the narrow end of the same gallery. Once inside it was easy to understand why locals took so long to recognize the artwork on the walls. Even with a guide aided by artificial lighting, a flashlight, and laser pointer it was often difficult to see the images. But they were truly amazing. It was particularly interesting to see how the artist used the contours of the cave walls and ceiling to accentuate parts of the animals. A bulge in the rock might become a bison’s humped back. Streaks in the stone might become the legs of a horse. And all the while you have to keep in mind that these paintings were done in the dark; the only light being provided by a primitive lamp made by carving a stone into a cup shape that was then filled with animal fat. A small juniper branch served as a wick. Truly amazing!Sorry about the low quality of the pictures from inside the cave. These are borrowed photos and of low resolution.
This has been some Journey to Ancient Civilizations! Egypt was truly ancient. Lots of culture grew up there as far back as 3,000 BC. We’re talking 5,000 years ago. That’s ancient. Even Greece kicked into gear in ancient times with the Minoans ruling the Mediterranean from Knossos in Crete as far back as around 2,000 BC. That too is ancient. My son Sam has been reluctant to include Rome in the category of ancient. But even Rome was growing up as far back as 2,500 years ago. That’s ancient enough. But none of these compare to the antiquity of the Périgord region of France. We’re talking about human colonies in the area as far back as 450,000 years ago. Now that’s ancient!
Our visit focused primarily on the Magdalenian people who lived in this region around 17,000 -10,000 years ago. I was more familiar with the term Cro Magnon for this group of people; the two terms appear to be used interchangeably in texts that I’ve read. The Cro Magnon term refers to a specific group within this region whose fossils were found behind a hotel owned by Monsieur Magnon back in 1868. The hotel is still there, and you can look at the site where the fossils were first discovered. In a very real sense we are all Cro Magnons, Homo sapiens. They looked like us and had a very advanced culture. By the way, the term “Cro Magnon” means Mr. Magnon’s hole.
Our first stop was to Lascaux, often referred to as the Sistine Chapel of prehistory because of the incredible wall and ceiling paintings found deep in this cave. There are dozens of polychromatic paintings and etchings of horses, bison, bulls, reindeer, felines, ibex, and a strange “mythological” two-horned unicorn. The actual cave is off-limits to tourists due to mold and fungus damage to the ancient cave art due to tourist traffic. The original cave was closed to the public in 1963. In 1983 an exact replica of the two main chambers of the cave was constructed near the site. It is known as Lascaux II and is incredible. No expense was spared in this reconstruction. The only drawback is that this amazing replica is treated as if it were the original. Once inside everyone whispers and speaks in hushed voices. A mandatory guide took a great deal of time going into how the replica was built but then rushed us through the galleries. The lighting was poor and it was difficult to see many of the paintings on the walls and ceilings. Nor were we allowed to take any photos. Now, I know that they are trying to simulate/trick me into thinking that I’m in the real cave, give me the “real” cave experience without ever gong into a real cave. But we all know that it’s not real. It was beautiful to experience the beauty of the “cave,” but it’s not really a cave. It felt like they were taking the “Sistine Chapel” nickname too seriously and treating the replica like a chapel of worship. The original must be truly awesome, as in awe inspiring. But let’s face it, this is a replica. I thought the idea was to preserve the original and allow the public to enjoy the wonder of the artwork. I was a bit disappointed. There are lots of other “real” caves in the region where you can walk through dimly lit chambers and not take pictures.
Preservation of ancient sites is a huge issue, and I totally support the idea of making copies for tourists to visit freely. But the key word here is freely. Lock up the originals to the experts, but let the rest of us bozos actually see the copies. In Egypt, the Valley of the Kings tombs suffer similar over-exposure to tourist traffic. The Lascaux II approach to quality reproductions around the Valley would be very beneficial but only if people could actually get inside, ask questions, spend some time, even take pictures. I believe that it would foster a deeper respect for the tombs and garner greater support for their preservation.
All the same, I have collected some video from a nice set of replica paintings at Le Thot (I’m not sure if I was supposed to take pictures there or not, but oh well) and old video footage of the original. Enjoy.
France is great! There are great Roman ruins, fantastic Early Human cave sites, and fresh baguettes and pan au chocolat every morning. At least in our campground! We camped at yet another Les Castels site in Rochetaillée near Bourg-d’Oisans. It is cyclists’ heaven. We were 
situated near the base of the Tour de France famous Alpe d’Huez. We walked the 100 meters from our campsite and watched the sixth stage of the Dauphine Libre bike race. I spent a good deal of the time in our trailer organizing photos and curriculum for back home, but we were able to get out for a few fantastic hikes and watch the throngs of cyclists cruise through the mountain passes here.
