Les Eyzies

Les Eyzies de Tayac, situated at the confluence of the Vezere and Beune Rivers, was known as just TAYAC until the end of the 19th century. The first settlers in the valley settled here over 350.000 years ago. The reason they settled in the Vezere Valley during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods was because of the limestone cliffs that lined the valley. The cliffs, caves, over-hanging shelters and rock ledges offered an excellent protection against the harsh freezing weather that froze the steppe landscape. The nomads would use the shallow hollows in the cliffs, using branches and hides and furs to build temporarily camps and shelters.