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| Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil | |
|---|---|
| Name | Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil |
| Commune status | Former commune |
| Arrondissement | Sarlat-la-Canéda |
| Canton | Vallée de l'Homme |
| Insee | 24168 |
| Postal code | 24620 |
| Intercommunality | Vallée de l'Homme |
| Elevation m | 82 |
| Elevation min m | 54 |
| Elevation max m | 245 |
| Area km2 | 24.66 |
| Population | 1015 |
| Population date | 2019 |
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil. Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil is a former commune in the Dordogne department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Renowned for its concentration of Paleolithic sites, the locality sits within the Vallée de la Vézère and forms a focal point for prehistoric archaeology, Paleolithic art, tourism, and heritage conservation.
The settlement lies in the Vallée de la Vézère near the confluence of the Vézère River and tributaries, bordered by communes such as Montignac, Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Tursac, Le Bugue, and Saint-Cyprien, and accessible via regional routes connecting to Sarlat-la-Canéda, Périgueux, Bergerac, and Brive-la-Gaillarde. The topography includes limestone plateaus, Dordogne limestone cliffs, and river terraces similar to those near Lascaux, La Roche-Cotard, Font-de-Gaume, and Grotte du Grand Roc, while its climate reflects influences of Aquitaine, Occitanie, Bordeaux, and Atlantic weather patterns. Coordinates place it within the historic region of Périgord Noir and the administrative zone influenced by Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council planning.
Human occupation is documented from Paleolithic times through medieval eras, with later administrative changes tying the area to entities such as the Kingdom of France, the Ancien Régime, the French Revolution, the Duchy of Aquitaine, and modern Département reorganizations. The locality featured in movements linked to Hundred Years' War, episodes involving Richard the Lionheart, and proximity to fortified towns like Domme and Beynac-et-Cazenac. In modern times, municipal evolution connected it with institutions such as the Prefecture of Dordogne and national cultural bodies like the Ministry of Culture (France).
The area is central to Paleolithic scholarship, hosting sites including the Abri de Cro-Magnon (type-site for Cro-Magnon), Shelter of Les Eyzies, Grotte des Combarelles, Grotte de Font-de-Gaume, Grotte du Grand Roc, and nearby Lascaux II-related research. Discoveries by figures such as Édouard Lartet, Henri Begouën, Marcellin Boule, M.-C. de Bruselles, Louis Capitan, Henri Breuil, and André Leroi-Gourhan advanced interpretations of Aurignacian culture, Magdalenian culture, Solutrean culture, Gravettian culture, and evidence for Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Excavations produced artifacts now studied in institutions like the Musée de l'Homme, the British Museum, the Musée national de Préhistoire, and referenced in works by Jean Clottes, Henry de Lumley, Jacques Boucher de Perthes, and Christian Züchner. The concentration of decorated caves contributed to the inscription of the Vallée de la Vézère on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, alongside other sites such as Altamira, Chauvet Cave, El Castillo, and Serra da Capivara National Park in comparative studies.
Population trends reflect rural dynamics seen across Dordogne communes, with census records maintained by INSEE and analyses used by Conseil départemental de la Dordogne. Historical population shifts mirror trends after events like the Black Death, rural exodus studied in works by Emmanuelle Saada, and postwar recovery influenced by policies of Fourth Republic (France) and Fifth Republic (France). Contemporary demographics include residents commuting to economic centers such as Sarlat-la-Canéda, Périgueux, Bergerac Airport, and seasonal increases tied to heritage tourism promoted by bodies like Comité Départemental du Tourisme Dordogne Périgord.
The local economy is driven by heritage tourism, with businesses interfacing with organizations such as French Ministry of Culture, UNESCO, Atout France, Le Routard, Michelin Guide, Lonely Planet, and operators running guided visits to sites like Grotte de Font-de-Gaume and the National Museum of Prehistory (Musée national de Préhistoire). Hospitality enterprises include hotels and restaurants reviewed by Gault Millau, Tripadvisor, Booking.com, and regional chambers such as the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de la Dordogne. Agricultural activities in surrounding areas connect to appellations like Périgord truffle markets, Foie gras producers linked to confréries gastronomiques, and producers selling via Marché des producteurs and Route des Vins de Bergerac. Events feature collaborations with Société préhistorique française, conferences held at venues associated with Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology partnerships, and publications in journals like Nature, Scientific American, and Journal of Human Evolution.
Notable landmarks include the Musée national de Préhistoire, the prehistoric shelters and caves such as Abri Pataud, cliffside dwellings, troglodyte façades, and nearby medieval structures like the Château de Commarque, Château de Losse, Château de Beynac, and ecclesiastical sites tied to Catholic Church in France parishes. Conservation efforts involve agencies like Monuments Historiques (France), Centre des monuments nationaux, and regional heritage groups such as Société des Amis du Musée national de Préhistoire coordinating restoration influenced by principles outlined by Athanasius Kircher and modern conservation standards cited by ICOMOS.
Administratively the area was part of the arrondissement of Sarlat-la-Canéda and the canton of Vallée de l'Homme, with municipal matters overseen by the Prefect of Dordogne and intercommunal cooperation within the Vallée de l'Homme (communauté de communes). Infrastructure includes access to regional rail via Gare de Montignac-Lascaux, road connections to Autoroute A89, local schooling referenced to the Académie de Bordeaux, health services coordinated with Agence régionale de santé Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and emergency services including Sécurité civile (France) and sapeurs-pompiers brigades. Cultural programming engages institutions such as Musée du Périgord, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, and universities including Université de Toulouse, Université de Bordeaux Montaigne, and international research collaborations.
Category:Former communes of Dordogne