A European Art Work From 13,000 BCE

Cro-Magnons (European early modern humans) painted or engraved geometric designs, hand stencils, plants, animals, and strange human/animal hybrid creatures on walls deep inside caves.

The bison sculptures found in the Le Tuc d’Audoubert cave in Ariège, France, are estimated to be around 14,000 years old, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period, specifically the Magdalenian culture.

Magdalenian bison clay sculptures at Tuc d'Audoubert, France, are estimated to be around 14,000 years old

These sculptures of two bison are remarkable for their detail and realism.

Discovered in 1912 by the three teenage sons of the French count Henri Begouën, the sculptures are well-preserved due to the cave’s stable environment.

Made from clay, the bison sculpture demonstrates the artistic ability of prehistoric humans.

There are hundreds of other artworks in these caves made by the Stone Age Magdalenian peoples, who hunted reindeer, horses, and other big game.

Le Tuc d'Audoubert Cave, along with Grotte d'Enlene, and Les Trois Freres, made up a single underground network in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, by the River Volp.

Art in the cave dates to between 13,500 and 11,500 BCE

The site is closed to the public.

Imagining Cro-Magnons (European early modern humans)