Day 10: Natural Museum of Prehistory, Auberge le Moustier, Rouffignac cave train.

Today we start at the Natural Museum of Prehistory. The Dordogne region is the birthplace of prehistory, and has many sites related to primitive man.
You can walk out on these terraces and see how primitive man would take rudimentary shelter in these overhangs, and later build around them and into the rock.
With all the eating and wine drinking, we feel like wooly mammoths by this time.
Maarten showing the timeline of early man.
This rock wall shows the various layers, each one pointing to an era in prehistory.
There were bison in the area, as useful to early Europeans as they were to the Native Americans.
The early people in the ice age were called the "reindeer people" based on their migrating with the herds.
Sculpted artwork on reindeer antler.
Carvings from various times can be rooms, beam supports, etc.
A good example of what type of overhang would provide shelter in the last ice age.
Then, man started adding stone to the overhangs to create structures.
The large caves on the left were probably bedrooms.
A quick stop at a site called La Roque St. Christope, again showing a fortified main street.
Later, a crane could be added to bring goods up to safety.
Another area in town featuring a chapel, and an old cannon.
A quick visit to the chapel.
One of the earliest prehistory digs that launched the whole field of prehistory.
Part of it is covered by a tarp where it is still being worked.
Lunch today will be at Auberge le Moustier.
It is a set menu featuring this pea soup...
...and chicken and vegetables.
Strawberries and sorbet complete a nice light meal.
On the way back to Bordeaux, we also stop at the Rouffignac Cave, another prehistory site.
There are centuries of engravings and markings in the cave.
This map shows the kilometers of cave found.
We take this little tram train into various parts of the cave. Sorry, no photography.

That night, we traveled back to Bordeaux and stayed near the airport. We had a farewell dinner, and went our separate ways for the travel day on Friday.