The Maison de la Dame de Brassempouy, a world-renowned prehistoric site

In the heart of the Chalosse region, just an hour from the beaches of the Landes, Brassempouy is world-famous for its prehistoric caves, where the famous Lady in the Hood, the first known human face from prehistoric times, was discovered. Discover it!

The Maison de la Dame de Brassempouy, a world-renowned prehistoric site

In the heart of the Chalosse region, just an hour from Le Vieux Port campsite and the beaches of the Landes, Brassempouy is world-famous for its prehistoric caves, where the famous Dame à la Capuche, the first known human face in prehistory, was discovered. Discovered!

The Dame à la Capuche, a moving testimony to prehistory

Situated 30 km south of Mont-de-Marsan, in the south of the Landes region, this village bears a universally famous name. It was here, behind a grove set back from the D58, that "La Dame à la Capuche", the first realistic human face from prehistoric times, was discovered. This exceptional find was unearthed in 1894 by prehistorians Édouard Piette and Joseph de Laporterie during excavations in the Pape cave, two kilometres from the village.

During the Upper Palaeolithic, prehistoric man occupied the Brassempouy cave. They left behind flint tools, bone engravings, ornaments and, above all, France's largest collection of female statuettes. These include the famous Dame à la Capuche, a woman's face carved from mammoth ivory over 23,000 years ago. Remarkable for its finesse and beauty, but also for its very modern character, this fragment of a statuette measures just 3.65 cm high by 2 cm wide, and is 2.2 cm thick. The original statuettes are now kept at the Musée d'archéologie nationale in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Some of the remains (or their reproductions) are on display at the PréhistoSite, set up in the heart of the small village of Chalossais.

The PréhistoSite at Brassempouy

Located in the centre of the village, the PréhistoSite brings together the Maison de la Dame and the ArchéoParc de Brassempouy. Housed in a reconstructed cave, the museum features a permanent exhibition telling the story of the "first inhabitants of Europe", their environment (landscape, vegetation, fauna) and their techniques (tools, jewellery, weapons, cave art). The archaeological objects discovered on the site are presented to visitors in their historical context. These include animal engravings, carved bones in the shape of animals (including a seal), whalebone points, pendants and ornaments. Temporary exhibitions round off your visit to the museum.

Has the Lady in the Hood revealed all her secrets to you? Then take the experience further in the field, at the ArchéoParc. Here, young and old alike can discover what life was like in prehistoric times. Learn how to carve flints, light a fire by friction or percussion, hunt mammoths with an assegai, make an ornament from shells or paint in the manner of prehistoric man.

The Prehistory Festival at Brassempouy

If you're staying in the Landes in July, don't miss the Fête de la Préhistoire in Brassempouy. To mark the occasion, the whole village is given over to prehistory for the weekend. A whole host of events are on offer, including exhibitions, workshops, lectures, storytelling, a specialist bookshop, a crafts market, prehistoric meals and a fire show.

Our opinion on La Dame de Brassempouy

To sum up, we strongly advise you to visit PréhistoSite de Brassempouy during your camping holiday in the south of the Landes. Situated between Dax and Mont-de-Marsan, it's an original, fun and informative tourist site for young and old alike. In summer, the workshops are fun and not just for children.

- PréhistoSite de Brassempouy: 404 rue du Musée, 40330 Brassempouy, open daily, adult rate: €9, child rate: €6 (6-11 years), free for under-5s, tel: 05 58 89 21 73, website: [ www.prehistoire-brassempouy.fr ]

photo@P. and E. Raffy, architects