The site of Arcy sur Cure, a major one for the medium and late palaeolithic age in northern France, is located south of the Paris basin, between Auxerre and Avallon.
It includes a set of caves dug out by the Cure river into a coral massif that emerged at the end of the secondary era.

The paintings in red, the most numerous ones, are to be seen in separate panels displaying over 140 graphic units among which sixty animals. Animal life, mainly focusing on mammoths (50 %) is essentially made up of species rarely represented in other decorated caves but which are to found in the fairly similar proportions in the cave of Chauvet, Ardèche, (bears, rhinos, felines and birds).
This set is completed by a group of negative hand prints and various other signs ( points, curvy lines, wires and trapezial signs ).
The anthropic remains found under the prehistoric ground sealed beneath 30 cm of sterile deposit are related to graphic activities (colorings, rough pestles ) and lighting (hearths and lamps ).
Radiocarbon datings obtained on burnt remains cover a span between 28000 and 33000 BP ; they make the Big Cave the most ancient decorated cave in the world after that of Chauvet.

Excerpt of a text by Dominique Baffier, searcher at the CNRS, keeper of the Cave of Chauvet.

>>> Virtual visit 360° of the caves

>>> Bibliography of Arcy's caves