Grotte Duruthy, Prehistoric cave entrance in Sorde-l'Abbaye, France
Grotte Duruthy is a prehistoric cave situated at the base of the Pastou cliff along the Gave d'Oloron river, where visitors can see geological formations and archaeological excavation areas. The entrance sits within a natural rock wall and overlooks the surrounding landscape with the river below.
Louis Lartet discovered the cave in 1873 and conducted excavations that revealed human remains alongside teeth from cave bears and cave lions from the Magdalenian period. This combination of finds showed that people of that time came into contact with large predators and collected their remains.
The cave holds many artistic objects from the Magdalenian period, including decorated bones and carved items that show how skilled the ancient inhabitants were. These discoveries give visitors today a window into the creative abilities and daily life of people from that distant time.
Entry is only possible with a guided tour to protect the archaeological layers. Wear comfortable shoes as the path to the entrance follows a footpath along the cliff edge.
Excavations uncovered the skeleton of an adult person buried together with about 55 canine teeth from cave bears and cave lions. This deliberate arrangement of animal teeth is unusual and raises questions about what meaning these objects held for the people of that time.
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