{"id":3950,"date":"2026-03-12T12:01:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T11:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/comminges-in-prehistory\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T15:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T13:01:14","slug":"comminges-in-prehistory","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/the-comminges-region-through-time\/comminges-in-prehistory\/","title":{"rendered":"Comminges in Prehistory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull pattern-hero-section\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-1904 size-full\" alt=\"Le Comminges durant la Pr\u00e9histoire\nMus\u00e9e de L'Aurignacien\" src=\"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Prehistoire-bandeau.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Prehistoire-bandeau.jpg 900w, https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Prehistoire-bandeau-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Prehistoire-bandeau-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-40 has-background-dim wp-block-cover__gradient-background has-background-gradient\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(180deg,rgb(0,0,0) 0%,rgba(0,0,0,0) 50%,rgba(0,0,0) 100%)\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><h1 class=\"is-style-decorated wp-block-post-title\">Comminges in Prehistory<\/h1><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-group alignfull pattern-breadcrumb has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><nav class=\"rank-math-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" style=\"--separator: &quot;\u2022\u2022\u2022&quot;\"><ol><li><span aria-current=\"page\">Home<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-group alignfull pattern-text has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading is-style-underlined\">the discovery of prehistory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The story of the discovery of prehistoric humans in Comminges begins in 1852, when Jean-Baptiste Bonnemaison found bones in a rabbit burrow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story begins not far from Aurignac, when he pulled bones from a rabbit burrow. Digging further, he discovered the entrance to a rock shelter containing a collective burial and the remains of extinct animals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1860, the famous paleontologist \u00c9douard Lartet discovered, scattered in the ashes of a hearth, knapped flint tools and reindeer antler tools; the remains of meals from a group gathered around the fire, and fragments of cave bear, mammoth, cave hyena, woolly rhinoceros\u2026 \u00c9douard Lartet believed that a funerary meal was held at each burial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This major discovery definitively proves the existence of prehistoric humans, beyond the few millennia described in the Bible. In 1906, after a heated scientific debate, Aurignac gave its name, becoming the eponym of the Aurignacian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The site\u2019s reputation grew, notably at the 1867 World\u2019s Fair, where Lartet gave Aurignac pride of place by presenting the material found during the excavation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1913, the Aurignac site became the eponymous site of the Aurignacian. The objects discovered there define the first material culture of modern humans in the Upper Paleolithic timeline, between 38,000 and 28,000 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-indented is-style-indented--1 wp-block-paragraph\">The site was designated <a href=\"https:\/\/data.culture.gouv.fr\/explore\/dataset\/liste-des-immeubles-proteges-au-titre-des-monuments-historiques\/map\/?disjunctive.departement_en_lettres&amp;refine.departement_en_lettres=Haute-Garonne&amp;location=13,43.09923,0.64176\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a Historic Monument<\/a> in 1921, but then fell into obscurity until new excavations led by Fernand Lacorre were conducted in front of the rock shelter in 1938\u20131939. These excavations confirmed two distinct periods of occupation: one during the Aurignacian period and a more recent one during the Neolithic period. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-group alignfull pattern-media-text has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-794e3cfa wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ab29baef0e4b&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ab29baef0e4b\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"675\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gargas.jpg\" alt=\"Comminges in Prehistory&#10;Gargas Caves\" class=\"wp-image-1943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gargas.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gargas-800x500.jpg 800w, https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Gargas-768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gargas Caves<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading is-style-underlined\">Many sites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>No surprise that Comminges is full of prehistoric sites showing that humans have been here for a very long time<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nestled in the fertile and welcoming plains within easy reach of the Pyrenees, numerous welcoming shelters allowed prehistoric humans to find refuge in the Comminges region. As a result, the area can now boast world-class sites such as the Aurignac rock shelter and its museum, as well as the Gargas Cave. Just a short walk from Aurignac lie the fascinating <a href=\"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/sustainable-tourism\/the-experiences\/a-day-at-the-save-gorges\/\">Save Gorges<\/a>, where the famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.museedelhomme.fr\/fr\/venus-de-lespugue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venus of Lespugue<\/a> was discovered.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-group alignfull pattern-quote has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don&#8217;t miss the <a href=\"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/not-to-be-missed-%e2%99%a5\/musee-de-laurignacien-back-to-the-roots\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"378\">Aurignacian<\/a> Museum, the <a href=\"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/not-to-be-missed-%e2%99%a5\/the-gallo-roman-villa-of-montmaurin\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"338\">Montmaurin Museum , and <\/a>the <a href=\"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/not-to-be-missed-%e2%99%a5\/visit-the-gargas-caves-the-little-lascaux-of-the-pyrenees\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"399\">Gargas and Nesploria Caves<\/a>, where you can learn more about prehistory and take part in workshops led by researchers&#8230;<\/p>\n<svg class=\"icon icon-quote\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><use href=\"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/content\/themes\/bedrock\/assets\/icons\/sprite.svg#quote\"><\/use><\/svg><\/blockquote>\n<\/section>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>the discovery of prehistory The story of the discovery of prehistoric humans in Comminges begins in 1852, when Jean-Baptiste Bonnemaison found bones in a rabbit burrow. The story begins not far from Aurignac, when he pulled bones from a rabbit burrow. Digging further, he discovered the entrance to a rock shelter containing a collective burial [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3949,"parent":6419,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_professional_area":false,"footnotes":""},"experience_category":[],"class_list":["post-3950","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3950"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25076,"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3950\/revisions\/25076"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6419"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"experience_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/destination-commingespyrenees.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/experience_category?post=3950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}