'Black Périgord'), also known as Sarladais, is a traditional natural region of France, which corresponds roughly to the Southeast of the current Dordogne département, now forming the eastern part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine région.

The Vézère originates to the Northeast, traverses the northwestern part of the Périgord noir and joins the Dordogne near Limeuil as a right tributary.

Geologically, the Périgord noir area is situated entirely in a sequence of gently southwest-dipping sediments that form part of the Aquitaine Basin.

The Jurassic rocks crop out along the northern edge of the Périgord noir near Terrasson-Lavilledieu, where they are separated from the Upper Cretaceous by the southeast-striking Cassagne Fault.

In places the Upper Cretaceous is overlain by continental molasse sediments of Eocene and Oligocene age, as can be seen for instance in the woodlands of the Forêt de la Bessède near Le Buisson-de-Cadouin.

The northern limit of the Périgord noir is marked by the south-southeast to southeast striking Condat Fault, which has raised a crystalline basement block of the Massif Central — the horst of Châtres — right through the Jurassic sediments.

The Périgord noir is well known for its abundance in prehistoric caves and abris like Lascaux, Rouffignac or Cro Magnon — all situated relatively close to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil.

Several prehistoric sites in the Périgord noir have rendered their names for archeological cultures like Mousterian, Micoquian, Périgordian and Magdalenian.

During the Hundred Years War (1337 till 1453) the Périgord noir witnessed many battles between the English and French kings and the region was devastated several times.