Le Moustier, Archaeological site in Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, France.

Le Moustier consists of two rock shelters built into limestone cliffs in a river valley. The excavation areas reveal multiple layers containing prehistoric remains and stone tools from different periods of early human occupation.

The site became well known after workers uncovered a young Neanderthal skeleton here in 1908, dating back roughly 45,000 years. This discovery proved crucial for understanding how early humans lived in Europe.

The name Mousterian, coined by Gabriel de Mortillet, comes from this site after Lartet and Christy's excavations in the 1860s. The upper shelter is now completely emptied, but a cast of the stratigraphic reference section made in 1969 is still visible on site.

The two shelters lie in the same cliff above the Vézère valley, the lower one opening about fifteen metres below the upper shelter. A cast of the stratigraphic section refreshed in 1969 by Laville and Rigaud can still be seen on site. The upper shelter has been completely emptied by excavation.

Scientists uncovered proof that Neanderthals here made advanced adhesives by mixing ochre and bitumen together. This skill allowed them to attach strong handles to their stone tools.