Abri Pataud

Site or a rock shelter near the village of Les Eyzies (Dordogne) in the Vézère valley of southwestern France. It has a very rich Upper Palaeolithic sequence of more than 14 main culture layers with radiocarbon dates from c 32,500 BC, beginning with Aurignacian deposits containing saucerlike living hollows with central hearths. The Aurignacian levels are followed by Perigordian and Proto-Magdalenian and probably Proto-Solutrean levels. Art objects have been found and a skeleton in a top layer. The various kinds of hearths and living areas may suggest different social groups inhabiting the area.

Rock shelter in the village of Les Eyzies in southwest France, hardly known until the major programme of excavation from 1956-64 under Professor H.L. Movius. This revealed 14 main culture layers with radiocarbon ages from <32,500 be at the bottom to cl9,000 be at the top, which now form the basis of the dating of the French Upper Palaeolithic. The earliest nine levels were Aurignacian followed by Perigord-ian stages IV, V and VI. At the top were Proto-MAGDALENIAN and probably Proto-Solutrian levels. Some art objects were found, and a skeleton was found in the top levels. The different patterns of hearths and living areas have been used to suggest different social groups of smaller and larger size.