Pech Merle cave, Prehistoric cave art site in Cabrerets, France
Pech Merle cave is a network of underground chambers with walls decorated by paintings of horses, mammoths, bison, and human handprints. The artworks are scattered throughout the passages at different levels, creating a route through the rock.
The cave was known to locals, but its deepest painted chambers were discovered in 1922 by young explorers. This find opened up one of humanity's oldest artistic creations to the wider world.
The paintings show how early people saw their world and expressed it by drawing animals and stenciling their own hands onto the walls. These images reveal what mattered to them and how they used art in their daily lives.
Reserve tickets ahead of time since daily visitor numbers are limited to protect the artworks. Tours last about an hour and pass through narrow spaces, so comfortable shoes are helpful.
Child footprints remain visible in ancient clay deep within the passage system, hundreds of meters below ground. These tiny marks show that families visited these underground chambers together long ago.
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