Denis Peyrony

Denis Peyrony (1869–1954)

Born into a farming family, Denis Peyrony was appointed teacher at Les Eyzies-de-Tayac in 1891. In 1894, he met Louis Capitan, who brought Peyrony on board to help him with his research, and three years later became friends with Henri Breuil. This marked the start of a long and fruitful period of research, which began in 1901 with the discovery of Combarelles and Font-de-Gaume. Other decorated caves were soon identified: Bernifal in 1902, Teyjat in 1903, etc.

Denis Peyrony also explored numerous sites in the Eyzies region. From 1899 onwards, in collaboration with Louis Capitan, he excavated the large shelter at La Ferrassie, which uncovered six Neanderthal burials between 1909 and 1921. He also carried out excavations at Laugerie-Haute and Laugerie-Basse, La Micoque, La Madeleine, Le Moustier, etc.  He sought to clarify the chronological framework for the evolution of industries and in 1932 proposed the hypothesis of a parallel evolution of the Aurignacian and the Perigordian.

His abundant collection formed the basis of the Musée des Eyzies, of which he was the first curator. Officially inaugurated in 1923, since 1918 the museum has been housed in three rooms of the Château des Eyzies, acquired by the state in 1913. It was in the continuity of these first buildings, nestling against the cliff, that the current National Prehistory Museum was built in 2002, the heir to this first museum of regional prehistory.