The third man

In the vast expanses of the Altai region of eastern Siberia, the first known forms of symbolic expression are found from around 40,000 years ago, appearing at a time when three human lineages coexisted: not just Neanderthals and Modern humans, but also the Denisovans, only recently discovered through palaeogenetic data. A scenario of rapid replacement of an archaic human population by Modern humans, as previously established in Europe, does not apply here. The coexistence of at least three human lineages seems to have endured a long time, leading not just to a certain number of genetic exchanges, as revealed by palaeogenomic analysis, but most probably to cultural exchanges also.

This exhibition is organised by Rmn-Grand Palais and the National Museum of Prehistory (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac).