EYZIES-DE-TAYAC CAVES

series of prehistoric rock dwellings located downstream from Lascaux Grotto and near the town of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac in Dordogne dpartement, southwestern France. The caves include some of the most significant archaeological finds of the Upper Paleolithic (from about 40,000 to 10,000 years ago) and Middle Paleolithic (200,000 to 40,000 years ago) periods; they are especially noted for their extensive wall drawings. Situated in the Vzre Valleythe location of some 150 archaeological sitesthe Eyzies-de-Tayac caves are among a series of decorated grottoes in the area that were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. Following the discovery of flint and bone splinters in the area in 1862, a series of excavations were undertaken by the French geologist douard Lartet and the English banker Henry Christy. Their work quickly established Les Eyzies-de-Tayac as the principal archaeological site for the Upper Paleolithic Period. Among their discoveries were the multicoloured animal drawings of the Font-de-Gaume cave and an incredible display of stalactites and stalagmites in the Grand Roc. A rock shelter at La Madeleine (the type site for the Magdalenian culture) yielded bone and antler tools. In 1868 the first Cro-Magnon skeleton was discovered in a local rock shelter. The cave of Le Moustier is the type site of the Mousterian industry, a tool culture known for its flake implements. Thousands of visitors are drawn to the area each year. Tourism, however, has threatened the preservation of the caves; the most serious problem is the algal growth that has formed in the wall paintings because of the installation of electric lights. Several sites have been closed to the public, including the Grotte des Eyzies and the shelter of the Cro-Magnon.