Gisement préhistorique du Pech de la Boissière
MonumentHidden Treasure
Gisement préhistorique du Pech de la Boissière, located in Carsac-Aillac (Dordogne), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Carsac-Aillac, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8547, 1.2613
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082437
Perched on a rocky spur overlooking the valley of the Dordogne, the Pech de la Boissière reveals the secrets of Upper Palaeolithic men, silent witnesses of a Périgordian prehistory of exceptional richness.
History
On the edge of the Périgord Noir, where the Dordogne winds its way between limestone cliffs and oak forests, the prehistoric site of Pech de la Boissière is one of the world's richest repositories of Palaeolithic heritage. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1927, this archaeological site occupies a characteristic relief - a pech, the Occitan term for a rocky eminence - which provided prehistoric populations with a naturally protected observation post and habitat, typical of the settlement strategies of the Upper Palaeolithic. What makes this site so special is that it is part of an exceptional geographical arc stretching from Montignac to Sarlat, the epicentre of Magdalenian and Perigordian civilisation. The Pech de la Boissière is part of a network of contemporary sites - rock shelters, decorated caves, open-air camps - which bear witness to dense and lasting human occupation between around 35,000 and 10,000 BC. The remains that have come to light suggest that people hunted reindeer and horses, mastered flint knapping with remarkable precision and practised symbolic rites that are still enigmatic. A visit to the site is an opportunity for intimate contemplation, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the major tourist sites nearby. The attentive walker will perceive in the topography of the site itself the implacable logic that guided our ancestors in their choice: the overhang of the land, the proximity of the river, the quality of the limestone outcrops that provided shelter. It is an archaeology of the landscape that can be read here, as much as an archaeology of the soil. The natural setting enhances the experience: the commune of Carsac-Aillac, with the Dordogne running through it and bordered by the Périgord forest, retains a rural authenticity that amplifies the evocative power of the site. Just a few kilometres away, the caves of Rouffignac, Font-de-Gaume and the shelters of La Madeleine are reminders that this valley was, quite literally, the cradle of artistic and symbolic humanity.
Architecture
The Pech de la Boissière is not architecture in the conventional sense of the term, but embodies a form of natural architecture skilfully chosen and developed by prehistoric man. The site exploits the characteristic geomorphology of the Périgord Noir: a tabular limestone relief - the pech - formed by the differential erosion of Cretaceous limestone, offering rocky overhangs, cavities and rock shelters naturally sheltered from wind and rain. The topographical configuration of the site meets universal criteria for siting in the Upper Palaeolithic of the Pyrenees and Périgord: proximity to a water source (the Dordogne and its tributaries), visibility over the migration corridors of large herbivores, southern exposure favouring sunshine, and accessibility to quality flint deposits - flint from the Bergeracois or Grand Pressigny areas circulating over long distances in these prehistoric exchange networks. The archaeological deposits that have accumulated at the foot of the limestone walls bear witness to recurrent occupation, with stratigraphic layers sometimes several metres thick. The materials associated with the site are those of any Palaeolithic lithic industry: local and imported flint, bone and reindeer antler used in tools and ornaments, and colouring materials (red ochre and black manganese) that suggest artistic or ritual practices. The site's limestone environment has enabled the faunal bones and hearth charcoal to be well preserved, making them invaluable for radiocarbon dating and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.
Related Figures
Édouard Lartet — paléontologue et préhistorien pionnier, explorateur des gisements périgordins à partir de 1860Henry Christy — ethnologue britannique, mécène et co-explorateur des sites de la vallée de la Dordogne avec LartetDenis Peyrony — instituteur et préhistorien périgourdin, inventeur de la séquence culturelle du Paléolithique supérieur régionalÉlie Massénat — ingénieur et fouilleur amateur du XIXe siècle, actif dans la prospection des gisements de la DordogneLouis Capitan — préhistorien français, cofondateur de la classification des industries paléolithiques du Périgord
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Gisement préhistorique du Pech de la Boissière located?
Gisement préhistorique du Pech de la Boissière is located in Carsac-Aillac, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
Is Gisement préhistorique du Pech de la Boissière open to visitors?
Gisement préhistorique du Pech de la Boissière is currently closed to visitors.