Isturitz and Oxocelhaya Caves

Isturitz and Oxocelhaya Caves in southwestern France contain a remarkable stratigraphy spanning Neanderthal and modern human occupation [1]. Excavations revealed a Neanderthal mandible alongside Aurignacian, Solutrean and Magdalenian artifacts [1]. The site features cave paintings and bone flutes, making it one of the few French Paleolithic sites with both art and musical instruments [1]. Located on Gaztelu hill in the Arberoue Valley, the caves sit at the crossroads of the French Basque Country and Lower Navarre in the foothills of the Pyrenees [1].