Grotte des Trois-Frères is a cave in southwestern France. Famous for its cave paintings from 13,000 years ago

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Recreation of some of the drawings. At a French museum

Located at Montesquieu-Avantès, in the Ariège département. Near the Spanish border, is three brothers cave
It is named for three brothers, or in French: les trois frères.

Max, Jacques, and Louis Begouën. Who, along with their father Comte Henri Begouën, discovered it, in 1914.

Big info
One of the paintings, known as “The Sorcerer”. Is one of the most famous and enigmatic human figures in art.

It shows the features and characteristics of several different animals
Though given its age, exact characteristics remain a matter of debate. Some have stated: it’s like an Irish elk, with a magicians head, spitting something.

Engravings were found in the cave and nearby. Including what is though to be the earliest representation of an insect

There also appear to be several birds, and a cat

On other walls, there are whats believed to be: lions, owls, and bison. A horse overlaid with club-like symbols. Even an apparent speared brown bear vomiting blood

Human like figures

Aside from the “Sorcerer”, other human-like figures can be seen. Such as the man-bison, and a character known as the “small sorcerer”. Who appears to be playing a nose-flute.

Description
The cave is part of a single cave-complex. Formed by the Volp River. The complex is divided into three caves; the central Trois-Freres, Enlène to the east, and the Tuc d’Audoubert to the west

The river even flows through some of the lower sections
Different galleries are sectioned on each level, and room.

Did you know? One area, called the ‘salle des bisons’, contains two masterfully modeled bison. Which were sculpted in clay, using a stone spatula-like tool and the artist’s fingers. It is believed the pair are among the largest and finest surviving prehistoric sculptures.

Check out three brothers and some more neolithic architecture today!

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Font-de-Gaume is a well known cave in south west France Grotte des Trois-Frères is a cave in southwestern France. Famous for its cave paintings from 13,000 years ago.

Bibliography: Sieveking, A., 1979: Cave Artists (Ancient Peoples and Places)

Trois Freres Cave, Ariege: Sorcerer Rock Engraving”. Visual-arts-cork com. Dec 2022

Trois Freres”. Encyclopedia britannica. Retrieved December 27, 2016.

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