Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil
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Part of Les Eyzies
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 Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil
Location in France
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil
Location in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
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| Country | France |
| Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
| Department | Dordogne |
| Arrondissement | Sarlat-la-Canéda |
| Canton | Vallée de l'Homme |
| Commune | Les Eyzies |
| Area
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37.44 km2 (14.46 sq mi) |
| Population
(2019)
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840 |
| • Density | 22.44/km2 (58.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal code |
24620
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| Elevation | 55–245 m (180–804 ft) (avg. 74 m or 243 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil was a special place in southwestern France. It was a "commune," which is like a small town or district. This area is found in the Dordogne department, within the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
In 1973, two smaller communes, Les Eyzies-de-Tayac and Sireuil, joined together to form this one. Later, on January 1, 2019, it became part of a new, larger commune simply called Les Eyzies.
This region, known as the Périgord Noir, is famous for its amazing history. It's home to the National Museum of Prehistory. The area also has many important archaeological sites. These include the Font-de-Gaume, Grotte du Grand Roc, and Lascaux cave. These sites show us how people lived long, long ago.
Because of its incredible prehistoric sites and cave paintings, the area was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. It's known as the Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley.
Contents
Exploring Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil
Where is Les Eyzies Located?
This commune is located where two rivers, the Vézère and the Beune, meet. You can get there by train using the Gare des Eyzies station. You can also drive there using the A89 motorway. The D710 road also leads to the area. Another small river, the Manaurie, flows through the northwest part of the commune.
Weather in Les Eyzies
The Dordogne department has seen some very hot weather. The highest temperature ever recorded there was 43°C (about 109°F). This happened on August 4 and 5, 2003, in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil.
Nearby Towns and Villages
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil is surrounded by several other towns and villages.
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Manaurie | Tursac | Peyzac-le-Moustier | |
| Saint-Cirq |  |
Marquay | ||
 Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil  |
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| Campagne | Saint-Cyprien | Saint-André-d'Allas |
How Many People Live Here?
The number of people living in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil has changed over the years.
| Historical population | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1962 | 1,091 | — |
| 1968 | 1,004 | −8.0% |
| 1975 | 886 | −11.8% |
| 1982 | 858 | −3.2% |
| 1990 | 853 | −0.6% |
| 1999 | 909 | +6.6% |
| 2008 | 835 | −8.1% |
In 2019, about 840 people lived in the commune.
What's in a Name?
In the Occitan language, which is spoken in parts of southern France, the commune's name is Las Aisiás de Taiac e Siruèlh.
Discovering Ancient Humans
In March 1868, something very important happened here. A geologist named Louis Lartet, with help from Henry Christy, made an amazing discovery. They found the first five skeletons of Cro-Magnons. These were the earliest known examples of Homo sapiens sapiens, which is what modern humans are called.
These skeletons were found in a rock shelter called Cro-Magnon. The skulls they found looked very much like modern human skulls. They were also much rounder than the skulls of Neanderthals, an earlier type of human. This discovery helped scientists learn a lot about our ancient ancestors.
Amazing Places to See
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil is full of interesting places. One famous statue is L'Homme primitif (The Primitive Man). It was created by Paul Dardé and put in place in 1931. This statue stands on a natural platform above the village. You can see it when you visit the National Museum of Prehistory.
Natural Caves
- The Grotte du Grand Roc is a cave with unique natural crystals. They look a lot like corals!
Prehistoric Wonders
This area has many important prehistoric sites. These are places where scientists have found evidence of ancient human life.
- The Grotte de Font-de-Gaume is one of the last caves in the region. It still has amazing prehistoric paintings with many colors that you can visit.
- Les Combarelles has about 600 prehistoric carvings. These show animals and symbols.
- Grotte de la Mouthe is another decorated cave from the Stone Age.
- La Grotte de Bernifal is also an ornate cave.
- The site of La Micoque has many tools made from stone. These tools come from different periods of the Stone Age.
- Abri Chadourne and L'abri Audi are other important rock shelters.
- L'abri de Cro-Magnon is the famous place where the first Cro-Magnon human remains were found.
- L'abri Pataud is a site that has been carefully studied. It shows different layers of human history from the Upper Paleolithic period.
- Laugerie-Basse and Laugerie-Haute are also important Stone Age sites.
- L'abri du Poisson has a special carving of a salmon on its ceiling. It was even painted red!
- Le vallon de Gorge d'enfer is a private site with a large rock shelter.
- Les grottes du Roc de Cazelle are cave dwellings. People lived here from prehistoric times until 1960.
Many of these sites are so important that UNESCO has named them World Heritage Sites. They are part of the Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley. Because so many ancient shelters were found here, Les Eyzies is often called the "world capital of prehistory."
Museums to Visit
The National Museum of Prehistory is right in the middle of the village. It holds many prehistoric discoveries. It has a huge collection of carved flint tools.
Historic Buildings
- Château de Commarque is an old castle from the 12th, 14th, and 15th centuries. It is a protected historical site.
- Château de Tayac and its other buildings are also from the 12th, 14th, and 15th centuries.
Famous People from the Area
Many important people who helped start the study of archaeology lived or worked here. They include:
- Louis Lartet and Édouard Lartet
- Denis Peyrony
- Élie Peyrony
- Henri Breuil
- Louis Capitan
Images for kids
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Édouard Lartet
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Louis Lartet
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National Museum of Prehistory
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Grotte de Font-de-Gaume
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Cro-Magnon rock shelter
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La Micoque
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Laugerie-Basse
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Château de Commarque
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The cliffs overlooking
Les Eyzies -
The fortified church at Tayac
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Grotte du Grand Roc
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Copy of engraved mammoth from Les Combarelles
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Entrance to the Grotte de Bernifal
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