The rivers in the Dordogne region of southwestern France have invited exploration and settlement since the days of the Neanderthals. Today the scenic landscape still harbors hundreds of caves containing prehistoric creations, as well as remnants of more recent history. Left, passing the 15th-century Château de Belcayre on the Vézère River.
Paddling on the Vézère River.
Isabelle Castanet-Daumas, an archaeologist, studies the local prehistoric sites in Castel-Merle, as did her grandfather and her great-grandfather. She also offers tours of rock shelters, which have fostered and preserved the region's outpouring of prehistoric art.
Shards of prehistoric flint on display at the Museum of Castel-Merle in Sergeac.
Beneath an overhang where the Vézère has eroded the limestone. Higher up above the water, similar overhangs sheltered cave dwellers tens of thousands of years ago.
Ancient artists blew pigment over their hands in the cave at Pech Merle, open to the public and operated by the Ministry of Culture. The cave also has prehistoric animal paintings on its walls and children's footprints from 25,000 years ago preserved in hardened clay.
Houses built into the cliffs of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, the epicenter of prehistoric France.
The bridge at Thonac.
The tiny medieval village of Sergeac. Sites near the town contain some of the oldest known carvings and paintings.
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