Caves of Isturitz and Oxocelhaya
The caves of Isturitz and Oxocelhaya form a series of prehistoric caves located on the natural site of the hill of Gaztelu in the Vallée of Arberoue, in Low-Navarre in the department of the Yrénées-Atlantiques. They belong to the network of Grotte decorated S with the chain pyrénéo - Cantabric.
Topography
These caves were dug by the brook the Arberoue within the hill of Gatzelu. They are on the territory of the communes of Isturits and Saint-Martin-with Arberoue, with little distance from Hasparren.
The network includes/understands three caves, all occupied by the men over one long period going of approximately 80 000 with 10 000 years front J-C. : the cave of Isturitz, then 20 meters lower the cave of Oxocelhaya with its Concretion S of Calcite and finally the Erberura cave where always Arberoue runs.
History
The main entrance of the cave of Isturitz was known of long time since moyenâgeux elements were found there. It is distinct from the current entry, created a posteriori . The first prehistoric objects were highlighted at the any end of the 19th century.
The cave of Oxocelhaya was discovered only in 1929 by Etchegaray.
The two caves were classified with the Historic buildings in 1953, year of the creation of a junction between the two caves. The whole hill is it only in 1996.
The Erberura cave is discovered on August 15th 1973 by J.D. Larribeau and C. Barroumès.
Archeology
The initial occupation of the caves goes back to the Moustérien, approximately 80.000 years ago. It reveals the presence of the Homme of Néandertal in the site.
The cave of Isturitz is famous for the fact that one discovered there an important series of Flûte S prehistoric dating from the Paléolithique superior (of the old Aurignacien to the Magdalénien) that is to say approximately of 35 000 with 10 000 years front J-C. The only period of the Périgordien delivered some more of two thirds. Among the movable Art prehistoric, one finds also Harpon S in bone, figurines of Bison on plate in sandstone (average Magdalénien), of the heads of Propulseur S out of wood of Renne (average Magdalénien).
The caves also comprise sculptures and parietal paintings, but only the engraved pillar of Isturitz remains accessible to the general public.
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