Type of site:
Cave
Place of location: On the eastern boundary of the Department, between the towns of Lannemezan and Saint-Gaudens.
Village/Town: Aventignan
Municipality: Aventignan (Aventignan)
Region: Occitanie
State: France
Telephone: (+33 ) (0) 562 988 150
Website: https://grottesdegargas.fr/
E-mail: gargas.nestploria@nestploria.fr
Natural Environment:
Gargas Caves are located on the side of a hill between the towns of Aventignan and Tibiran, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and opposite the Lannemezan plateau. They form part of a karst with numerous cave systems. The tree-covered massif of Monteil dominates the valley of the River Neste, 2km upstream of its confluence with the River Garonne.
Archaeological evidences in the site:
The cave contains a group of paintings that is unique in Europe. It consists of over 200 stencilled handprints, many of which display incomplete fingers. These have been dated in the Gravettian period (between 28,000 and 22,000 years ago). Over 140 engravings represent animal figures although only one group with complex and very detailed figures can be viewed by the public. A few paintings of bison and ibex, as well as numerous signs and dots in red and black, complete the art inside the caves. The visit also includes two large passages full of calcite formations, of great beauty and geological complexity.