▁pieces ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁that ▁Abb é ▁Henri ▁Bre uil ▁real ised ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁pieces ▁fit ▁together ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁single ▁sculpt ure ▁of ▁two ▁rein de er ▁sw imming ▁nose - to - tail . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁The ▁pieces ▁of ▁the ▁sculpt ure ▁were ▁discovered ▁by ▁a ▁French ▁engineer , ▁Pe cc ade au ▁de ▁l ’ Is le , ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁find ▁evidence ▁of ▁early ▁man ▁on ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁A vey ron , ▁although ▁contemporary ▁accounts ▁attributed ▁the ▁find ▁to ▁Victor ▁Brun , ▁a ▁local ▁anti qu arian . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁de ▁l ' Is le ▁was ▁employed ▁in ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁railway ▁line ▁from ▁Mont a ub an ▁to ▁R ode z , ▁and ▁while ▁dig ging ▁for ▁arte fact s ▁in ▁his ▁spare ▁time ▁he ▁found ▁some ▁pre histor ic ▁fl int ▁tools ▁and ▁several ▁examples ▁of ▁late ▁Ice ▁Age ▁pre histor ic ▁art ▁in ▁a ▁rock ▁shelter ▁of ▁Br uni quel . ▁The ▁finds ▁took ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁rock ▁shelter ▁: ▁" ab ri ▁Mont astr uc " ▁( Mont astr uc ▁rock ▁shelter ). ▁ ▁The ▁hill ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁ ▁high , ▁and ▁the ▁arte fact s ▁were ▁found ▁beneath ▁an ▁over hang ▁that ▁extended ▁for ▁about ▁ ▁along ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁en closed ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁ 2 9