Editing History of France (section)

== Prehistory ==
{{Main|Prehistory of France}}
[[File:Lascaux painting.jpg|thumb|Cave painting in [[Lascaux]], 15,000 BC]]
[[File:Gavrinis 2.jpg|thumb|[[Gavrinis]] megalithic tomb, [[Prehistory of Brittany|Brittany]], 4200-4000 BC]]

Stone tools discovered at [[Chilhac]] and [[Lézignan-la-Cèbe]] indicate that pre-human ancestors may have been present in France at least 1.6 million years ago.<ref name="anthropology1">{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Tim |date=2009-12-17 |title=Lithic Assemblage Dated to 1.57 Million Years Found at Lézignan-la-Cébe, Southern France |url=http://anthropology.net/2009/12/16/lithic-assemblage-dated-to-1-57-million-years-found-at-lezignan-la-cebe-southern-france |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102231701/http://anthropology.net/2009/12/16/lithic-assemblage-dated-to-1-57-million-years-found-at-lezignan-la-cebe-southern-france |archive-date=2010-01-02 |access-date=2012-06-21 |website=Anthropology.net |language=en}}</ref> [[Neanderthal]]s were present in Europe from about 400,000 [[Anno Domini|BC]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-19 |title=Ancient skulls trace Neanderthal evolution |url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2014/06/20/4029075.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617055255/http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2014/06/20/4029075.htm |archive-date=2022-06-17 |access-date=2015-07-26 |website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |language=en}}</ref> but died out about 40,000 years ago, possibly out-competed by modern humans during a period of cold weather. The earliest modern humans [[Early human migrations|entered Europe]] by 43,000 years ago (the [[Upper Palaeolithic]]).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilford |first=John Noble |date=2011-11-02 |title=Fossil Teeth Put Humans in Europe Earlier Than Thought |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/science/fossil-teeth-put-humans-in-europe-earlier-than-thought.html?scp=1&sq=kents%20cavern&st=cse |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115171333/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/science/fossil-teeth-put-humans-in-europe-earlier-than-thought.html?scp=1&sq=kents%20cavern&st=cse |archive-date=2012-11-15}}</ref>

[[File:Palais Lassois07.jpg|thumb|[[Vix Grave|Vix palace]], [[Hallstatt culture]], central France, 6th century BC]]

In the [[Prehistory of France#The Copper Age|Chalcolithic]] and [[Bronze Age France|Early Bronze Age]] the territory of France was largely dominated by the [[Bell Beaker culture]], followed by the [[Armorican Tumulus culture]], [[Rhône culture]], [[Tumulus culture]], [[Urnfield culture]] and [[Atlantic Bronze Age]] culture, among others. 

The [[Iron Age France|Iron Age]] saw the development of the [[Hallstatt culture]] followed by the [[La Tène culture]]. The first written records for the history of France appear in the Iron Age.