Cave of Aurignac

The Cave of Aurignac is an archaeological site in the commune of Aurignac, Haute-Garonne, southwestern France. Excavated since 1860, it is the type site of the Aurignacian culture, the earliest known culture attributed to modern humans in western Eurasia [1]. Tool assemblages date from approximately 45,000 to 26,000 years BP, representing the Upper Paleolithic period [1]. In recognition of its scientific significance and the pioneering 19th-century work of Edouard Lartet, the cave was officially declared a French Historic Monument on May 26, 1921 [1].