Discovery of the Cro Magnon

admin — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:48:40 +0000

Cro Magnons are recognized as the earliest known race of modern humans, Homo sapiens. Generally considered the earliest European descendants, Cro Magnons lived between 10,000 and 35,000 years ago. The first Cro Magnon specimens were discovered in France in 1868 along with many sophisticated tools, artifacts and cave paintings. Cro Magnons are credited with creating the first calendar nearly 34,000 years ago

The Discovery of the Cro Magnon in Les Eyzies.

Species:

Homo sapiens

Age:	~30,000 years

Date of Discovery:

March 1868

Location:

Les Eyzies, Dordongne, France

Discovered by:

Louis Lartet

During construction for a railroad in 1868, a rock shelter in a limestone cliff was uncovered. Near the back of the shelter, an occupation floor was recognized, and when excavated, it revealed the remains of four adult skeletons, one infant, and some fragmentary bones. The condition and placement of ornaments, including pieces of shell and animal tooth in what appears to have been pendants or necklaces, led the researchers to think that the skeletons were intentionally buried in a single grave in the shelter.

Cro-Magnon 1 preserved the skeleton of an adult male. The individual was probably middle-aged (less than 50 years old) at his death on the basis of the pattern of closure of cranial sutures. The bones in his face are noticeably pitted (see top photograph) from a fungal infection. The skull was complete except for the teeth, which are reconstructed in the cast photographed here.

While the Cro-Magnon remains are representative of the earliest anatomically modern human beings to appear in western Europe, this population was not the earliest anatomically modern humans to evolve. The skull of Cro-Magnon 1 does, however, show the traits that are unique to modern humans, including the high rounded cranial vault with a near vertical forehead. The orbits are no longer topped by a large browridge. There is no prominent prognathism of the face.

Analysis of the pathology of the skeletons found at the Les Eyzies rock shelter indicates that the humans of this time period led a physically tough life. In addition to the infection noted above, several of the individuals found at the shelter had fused vertebrae in their necks indicating traumatic injury, and the adult female found at the shelter had survived for some time with a skull fracture. The survival of the individuals with such ailments is indicative of community support of individuals, which allowed them to convalesce.

Associated tools and fragments of fossil animal bone date the site to the uppermost Pleistocene, probably between 32,000 and 30,000 years old.
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Recommended accommodation just 2 minutes from “Abri de Cro Magnon” where the Cro Magnon was discovered.
Ferme de Tayac, a lovely B&B in a 12th century former Farmhouse / Monastery situated in Tayac, a quaint little village in the heart of the Vezere Valley and only 5 minutes walk from Les Eyzies, the Prehistoric Capital of the World. The rooms are all en suite, spacious and comfy, all with views and in former Monks quarters and oozing history. Built up against solid rock, which means that both downstairs and upstairs are on ground level, walls of solid rock, ancient oak beam structures, fortified walls 3 feet thick, a massive and original wine press in the huge dining room, monk’s carvings in the stone walls, and lots and lots more. For more info please visit their official web site : www.fermedetayac.com

Read what travellers have to say about Ferme de Tayac

The Vezere Valley

admin — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:46:16 +0000

In and around the town of Les Eyzies de Tayac are a series of prehistoric rock dwellings, the caves include some of the most significant archaeological finds of the Upper Paleolithic (from about 40,000 to 10,000 years ago) and Middle Paleolithic (200,000 to 40,000 years ago) periods; they are especially noted for their extensive wall drawings. Situated in the Vézère Valley (the location of some 150 archaeological sites) the Les Eyzies de Tayac caves are among a series of decorated caves in the area that were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
Following the discovery of flint and bone splinters in the area in 1862, a series of excavations were undertaken by the French geologist Édouard Lartet and the English banker Henry Christy.
Their work quickly established Les Eyzies-de-Tayac as the principal archaeological site for the Upper Paleolithic Period. Among their discoveries were the multicoloured animal drawings of the Font de Gaume cave and an incredible display of stalactites and stalagmites in the Grand Roc. A rock shelter at La Madeleine (the type site for the Magdalenian culture) yielded bone and antler tools. The cave of Le Moustier is the type site of the Mousterian industry, a tool culture known for its flake implements.
Cro-Magnon is the name of a rock shelter near Les Eyzies de Tayac, where several prehistoric skeletons were found in 1868. Sent to the site, the French geologist Louis Lartet began excavations in which he established the existence of five archaeological layers covered with ash. The age of the human remains found in the topmost layer (along with worked flint and the bones of animals of species now extinct) is Upper Paleolithic (c. 35,000-10,000 years ago), but the attribution of these to a clearly defined Upper Paleolithic culture is less definite. Traditionally regarded as Aurignacian, since typically Aurignacian artifacts were found in the rock shelter, they could be more recent, and it has been suggested that they should be assigned to the Perigordian (a separate industry covering approximately the same time period as the Aurignacian), which would give an age of about 25,000 BC.

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Discovery of the Cro Magnon

The Vezere Valley