# Neanderthals established across France (-250000)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/-250000-neanderthals-established-across-france
Location: France

Neanderthal populations occupied caves and open-air sites across the region. Within the broader Prehistoric France period, From the earliest hominin traces to the Iron Age, the territory of modern France saw repeated migrations, changing climates, technological innovations and increasingly complex communities long before a French state existed. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Prehistoric communities (No single ruler). Neanderthals established across France mattered because cultural and intellectual institutions helped shape French identity and France’s influence beyond its borders. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Neanderthals established across France mattered because cultural and intellectual institutions helped shape French identity and France’s influence beyond its borders.

Ruler at the time: [Prehistoric communities](https://history-france.com/rulers/prehistoric-communities)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Neanderthals established across France](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Neanderthals+established+across+France&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Neanderthals established across France](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Neanderthals+established+across+France)
- [Wikipedia — History of France overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_France)