The Thot : cro-magnon area

Only located a mile away from Montignac, the site of Thot welcomes me. It is a Prehistoric Interpretation Centre which completes the Lascaux Caves. A combined ticket is therefore on sale either on site, or in Montignac.

I pass the reception area and the shop and head into the Museum. The photography is allowed but only without a flash. Audio-guides are also available.

I first find a 3D film on the theme « living in the Ice age ». The glasses are displayed in a cardboard box and I take a pair and take a seat. The screenings take place every 15 minutes. The film explains the environment of the Prehistoric men and the geology of the Dordogne. There is also a section on the settlement of the first men in the shelters or caves and why the Dordogne region has a favourable environment for this. The objects float in front of me and the voice-over has a lot of humour. It explains the hunting and dressing techniques when suddenly a mammoth appears : Elmer is used as demonstration to explain its anatomy and why its species is extinct. I have to admit that it is very lovable ! The film ends with the evolution of a nomadic population to a sedentary population. The video shows me the Human evolution, from what he started to what all has been built nowadays. It helps to gain awareness of the importance of the environment and also how we should care and look after the climate so we do not have « a meeting on the end of humanity » !!

The 3D activity has now ended and I carry on my tour in the museum. I find a room dedicated to the extinct animals represented in the cave art. There is an inventory of all the cave paintings by animal in several regions, it is very useful and you can choose a visit depending on your favourite animal !

The other room exhibits the daily life of the Prehistoric men thanks to reenactments and videos ! I learn about flint knapping, deer-antlers heating process as well as art techniques. At the end of the room, some facsimiles of the Nef of Lascaux are hung on the walls : take the time to look at them carefully, with the changing light you can see all the hidden paintings ! It is splendid ; at first sight I missed a lot of things ! A bit further, the different cave art techniques are illustrated by showing hands reproducing stencil, engraving and brushes. It is very enjoyable !

The indoor tour is now finished, I turn back to wander in the animal park composed of all the animals painted on the walls ! I can see aurochs, does, deers, bucks and ibexes ! There is a goat pen that open to children and also to grown ups, lucky me ! At the end of the park, there are educational workshops around Prehistory such as wall painting initiation, excavations experience and fat grease lamp workshop creation ! It is ideal for the young aspiring prehistorians !!

Another animal park is located outside the Thot. Buffalos and horses keep me company ! They are majestic and they are looking at me proudly. I have a soft spot for the Przewalski horses ! There are interpretation boards providing information on these animals and photos showing how they were represented on the walls. This complements everything I have seen in the museum ! The space dedicated to augmented reality was closed for maintenance work, a real shame as I really like this type of activity !!

Returning toward the welcoming area, there is a game on tablet open to all to win a family stay in a gite and also many free tickets for sister partners sites of the Thot ! I have a go, who knows, it is also a good way to test my knowledge on Prehistory after that visit !

Thot is an ideal place to discover Prehistory and learn about the life of our ancestors through displays and re-enactments. The park is really diverse, I discovered, thanks to the animals, that our past is close to our present and many things still exist ! I have the impression to see what the Lascaux artists did see and how they did created their paintings! A great family day out !

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