Bara-Bahau cave
The pre-historic Bara-Bahau cave lies one kilometre northwest of
the town. Discovered in 1951 this cave, which extends for a
distance of around one hundred metres contains cave paintings and
engravings of animals including cattle, horses and bears and which
are estimated to date from at least 15,000 years BC.
Lascaux
The Vézère Valley is renowned for its wealth of important
prehistoric sites which, collectively, have obtained UNESCO World
Heritage site status. Perhaps the most famous of these sites are
the caves at Lascaux, 36 kilometres northwest of Le Bugue. Here,
some of the very best-preserved cave paintings, more than 17,000,
years old were discovered. The original caves are no longer open to
the public due to the damage sustained, but a replica of two of the
main caverns, bearing reproductions of the famous paintings, has
been built two hundred metres from the original site.
The Sorcerer's Cave
Le Bugue's neighbouring village, Saint-Cirq, which lies four
kilometres to the east of the town, is the site of a prehistoric
cave known as 'the Sorcerer's Cave', which features among many
remarkable engravings of animals an outstanding depiction of a male
human figure with a detailed and expressive face; one of the best
images of prehistoric man discovered anywhere in the world.
Discoveries
