The Ariège Region The Ariege in Prehistory: Colossal Caves With her caves such as La Tuto de Camalhot, Niaux, La Vache, Bédeilhac or Le Mas d’Azil, the Ariegean region is well noted for having been frequently occupied throughout the Stone Age. Humans who inhabited the Ariegean cave of La Tuto de Camalhot left behind wonderful pieces of personal ornaments made from bones, ivory, teeth, molluscs, shells and antlers, as well as spearheads and flint tools. HUGE CAVES – FINEST ARTIFACTS Approximately 15,000 years ago Magdalenian hunters lived in the La Vache cave where thousands of reindeer, Alpine ibex and snow grouse bones have been discovered along with many impressive small works of art and tools made from both stone and bone. The same Magdalenian hunters also occupied the neighboring Niaux cave where today visitors can marvel over its many treasures of Ariegean prehistoric art. Cathedral like halls and narrow twisting passages lead you into the »Salon Noir«, the Black Salon, where images of bison, Alpine ibex and horses were painted on its semi circular cave wall. (Illustration right: LA TUTO DE CAMALHOT / Pendant out of ivory) Reindeer tooth pendant Shell pendant Arctic fox tooth pendant WINDOW INTO HISTORY The colossal entrances to the caves at Bédeilhac and Le Mas d’Azil also served as shelter for animals such as the woolly rhinoceros, mammoth and cave bear and as host to a diverse heritage of early human cultures up to more recent historical times. SALON NOIR LE MAS D'AZIL LE MAS D'AZIL