Prehistory Festival of Tautavel

The village of Tautavel Man celebrates

Every summer, the village of Tautavel — world-renowned for the discovery in 1971 of the Tautavel Man skull in the Caune de l'Arago, dated 450,000 years ago — transforms into a vast open-air prehistoric workshop. The Prehistory Festival, organized by the Tautavel Museum of Prehistory, takes over the squares and streets of the village for a festive, educational, and free day.

Interactive workshops and spectacular demonstrations

From 10 am to 6 pm, the program combines scientific presentations at the Palais des Congrès, spectacular demonstrations, and participatory workshops. Among the highlights: prehistoric fire-starting, precision shooting competitions with reconstructed weapons (atlatls, bows), flintknapping workshops, cave painting, and Neolithic pottery. Archaeology professionals — researchers from INRAP, curators from partner museums — share their knowledge with young and old alike.

An event rooted in an exceptional territory

The Tautavel Museum of Prehistory, with its 1,500 m² of permanent exhibition space and collections from the Caune de l'Arago excavations, is one of Europe's major prehistoric sites. The Prehistory Festival extends this scientific mediation mission by offering a lively and immersive experience accessible to all audiences. Guided tours of the museum and temporary exhibitions complete the day's program.

Conviviality and discovery of the local terroir

Beyond prehistory, the festival is also an opportunity to discover the local terroir of the village, nestled in the Corbières mountains amidst vineyards. On-site catering, musical entertainment, and a refreshment stand punctuate this day of conviviality, at the foot of the cliffs that house the Caune de l'Arago archaeological site.