Gargas prehistoric cave

Between 25000 and 30000 years ago, Stone Age hunters used the Gargas caves and left behind a now world renowned gallery of cave art. Animal engravings and paintings of mammoth, horse, bison and deer remain in the cave but it is a different art that makes this cave so famous.

The main feature here is the collection of strange mouth-blown coloured hand stencils. There are more than two hundred of these hand prints, although not all of them are visible to the public. They are mostly in silhouette with paint blown over the hand to form the image and many show half severed fingers. There are several theories about the mutilation including; that finger damage was simply caused by frostbite or leprosy, that the mutilations may have been some form of ritual or that the fingers were shaped purposely, maybe to aid silent communication whilst hunting. Whatever the reason, the Gargas caves provide a mysterious and ancient spectacle worthy of a visit.

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