Gisement préhistorique de Rochereil ou Rochereuil
MonumentHidden Treasure
Gisement préhistorique de Rochereil ou Rochereuil, located in Grand-Brassac (Dordogne), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Grand-Brassac, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.3017, 0.5343
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082569
On the edge of the Périgord region, the Rochereil cave boasts one of the finest collections of Magdalenian furniture art in France, with its engraved pebbles and strikingly fine animal representations.
History
Nestling in the limestone cliffs overlooking the Périgord Double, the Rochereil cave is one of the little-known gems of French prehistory. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1952, this natural cave in the commune of Grand-Brassac reveals intense human occupation during the Magdalenian period, the final phase of the Upper Palaeolithic, around 12,000 to 15,000 years ago. Far from the hustle and bustle of major tourist sites such as Lascaux and Font-de-Gaume, Rochereil offers archaeology enthusiasts a chance to immerse themselves in an unspoilt world, away from the crowds. What sets Rochereil apart from many other prehistoric sites in the Périgord is the exceptional richness of its artefacts. Excavations in the first half of the 20th century unearthed a remarkable collection of ornate pebbles, engraved bones and tools fashioned with astonishing technical skill. These objects, now housed in national museums, bear witness to a community of hunter-gatherers with an astonishingly complex symbolic and spiritual life. The cave itself is set in a limestone landscape typical of the northern Dordogne, where the dense forest of the Double runs alongside the valleys carved out by the tributaries of the Dronne. This natural setting, virtually unchanged since prehistoric times, lends the site a special atmosphere: here you can sense something of the environment experienced by the Homo sapiens who carved these walls and pebbles in the twilight of the last Ice Age. The site is ideal for archaeology and Palaeolithic enthusiasts. Access to the cave itself may be restricted, but the surrounding region is ideal for a wider exploration: the museums in Périgueux and Les Eyzies-de-Tayac put Rochereil in the exceptional context of the "cradle of prehistory" that is the Vézère valley and the surrounding area. Rochereil is a powerful reminder that the whole of Périgord is a living prehistoric territory, and not just its famous sites.
Architecture
Rochereil is a natural cave carved out of the carboniferous limestone characteristic of the Périgord subsoil, by the combined action of water and erosion over thousands of years. Like most of the prehistoric shelters and caves in the area, it opens onto a cliff, exposed so as to benefit from favourable sunlight and natural protection from the prevailing winds - decisive criteria in the choice of an encampment for Magdalenian groups. The interior of the cave is modest in size, with a succession of rooms and corridors shaped by the underground waters. The limestone walls, smooth and regular in places, provided the prehistoric occupants with surfaces ideal for engraving. The stratigraphy of the archaeological deposits, which can be seen in the excavation cross-sections, shows a gradual accumulation of sediment linked to repeated occupation of the site and the natural processes involved in filling the cavity. Here, movable art is the real 'monument': carefully selected river pebbles, limestone slabs, fragments of bone and reindeer antler were used by Magdalenian artists of remarkable skill. The engraving techniques observed - fine incisions, scraping, sometimes polishing - are typical of the Magdalenian of the Périgord region and are similar to those found at the contemporary sites of La Madeleine and Laugerie-Basse in the Vézère valley.
Related Figures
Les Magdaléniens de Rochereil — communautés de chasseurs-cueilleurs ayant occupé la grotte entre 15 000 et 11 500 av. J.-C.Denis Peyrony — préhistorien périgourdin (1869-1954), figure tutélaire de l'archéologie locale ayant contribué à l'inventaire des sites de la régionHenri Breuil — abbé et préhistorien (1877-1961), spécialiste de l'art pariétal et mobilier magdalénien, ayant participé à l'étude de nombreux sites périgourdins contemporains de RochereilAndré Cheynier — archéologue ayant effectué des fouilles sur plusieurs sites magdaléniens du Périgord dans l'entre-deux-guerres
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Gisement préhistorique de Rochereil ou Rochereuil located?
Gisement préhistorique de Rochereil ou Rochereuil is located in Grand-Brassac, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
Is Gisement préhistorique de Rochereil ou Rochereuil open to visitors?
Gisement préhistorique de Rochereil ou Rochereuil is currently closed to visitors.
