Cave of the Trois-Frères

A renowned Magdalenian cave in Montesquieu-Avantes, Ariege, southwestern France, discovered in 1914 by the three sons of Count Henri Begouen. The deep chamber known as the Sanctuary contains roughly 280 superimposed engravings and paintings of bison, horses, stags, reindeer, ibex, and mammoths, dating to approximately 14,000 years ago. Its most famous image, the Sorcerer, is a small painted-and-engraved figure positioned 4 meters above the floor, combining features of several animals in human form and widely interpreted as a shamanic or spiritual entity. A separate Chapel of the Lioness features a large lioness engraving on a natural altar surrounded by votive objects.