Type of site:
Caves
Place of location: Gaztelu Hill
Village/Town: Donamartiri
Municipality: Saint Martin d´Arberoue (Pyrenées Atlantiques-Pays Basque)
Region: Nouvelle Aquitaine
State: France
Telephone: (+33) (0) 559 296 472
Website: http://www.grottes-isturitz.com/
E-mail: grottes.isturitz@mail.com
Natural Environment:
The cave is in a beautiful limestone hill, overlooking a landscape of small fields used for traditional farming. Patches of Atlantic woodland complete the scenery, alternating with the meadows and small villages. The Pyrenees are not far away, to the south.
Archaeological evidences in the site:
As well as the cave art, which mainly consists of Magdalenian rock engravings, the caves contain one of the most important archaeological deposits in Europe, with a sequence ranging from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Azilian. The levels dated in the Early Upper Palaeolithic: the Aurignacian and the Gravettian, are especially important. The excavations under way, which can be visited, are concentrating on the Aurignacian levels. In addition, Isturitz has one of the best collections of portable art objects in western Europe, consisting of delicate pieces in bone and antler.