Musée de la Préhistoire (Prehistory)

ATTENTION :  All of the following information has been provided by the museum. For the moment, they are unable to publish their events calendar online. We therefore suggest that you contact the museum directly for further information.

Plunge into a prehistoric universe at the Mas-d’Azil by exploring the cave, the museum and the dolmens that make up the site. A kilometre from the village you can discover some of the most amazing sites in the Pyrenees : the Mas-d’Azil cave. In the middle of the village, opposite the eighteenth-century church of St. Etienne, the musée de la Préhistoire showcases the prehistoric treasures that have been unearthed from the cave. The museum aims to highlight the astonishing modernity and know-how of the cave dwellers.

This priceless collection of stone and bone objects stems from a variety of cultures but is most representative of the Magdalénien Pyrenean period which is about sixteen thousand years old. Le Mas is known for the high artistic standard and the originality of its decorative arts. The famous, decorated spear-thrower called the “Fawn with birds” made from reindeer antlers is considered one of the masterpieces of Paleolithic art. Other highlights of the exhibition : a Magdalénien skull which has been scientifically reconstructed along with a study of the local history through its microliths and the distinctive painted stones that are found at the Mas-d’Azil.