Les Combarelles
Les Combarelles | |
Entrance to Les Combarelles cave | |
| Location | near Eyzies-de-Tayac, |
|---|---|
| Region | Dordogne, France |
| Coordinates | 44°56′37″N 1°2′32″E / 44.94361°N 1.04222°E |
| History | |
| Cultures | Magdalenian |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1909, |
| Archaeologists | Émile River |
| Part of | Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley |
| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (iii) |
| Reference | 85-009 |
| Inscription | 1979 (3rd Session) |
| Area | 4.095 ha (440,800 sq ft) |
Les Combarelles is a cave in Les Eyzies de Tayac, Dordogne, France, which was inhabited by Cro-Magnon people between approximately 13,000 to 11,000 years ago. Holding more than 600 prehistoric engravings of animals and symbols, the two galleries in the cave were crucial in the re-evaluation of the mental and technical capabilities of these prehistoric humans around the turn of the 20th century. In 1979, along with other nearby paleolithic sites and cave paintings, the cave was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley.
Formed by an underground river, the cave is approximately 300 m (980 ft) long with an average width of 1 m (3.3 ft).