Site de la grotte préhistorique des Bernoux
MonumentHidden Treasure
Site de la grotte préhistorique des Bernoux, located in Bourdeilles (Dordogne), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Bourdeilles, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.3292, 0.5898
- Mérimée Reference
- PA24000013
In the limestone cliffs of Bourdeilles, the grotte des Bernoux conceals Palaeolithic engravings of striking beauty: mammoths, rhinoceroses and bears immortalised by artists who lived more than 20,000 years ago.
History
Nestling in the Dronne valley, in the heart of the Périgord region where limestone becomes a living memory, the Bernoux cave belongs to the constellation of decorated sites that make the Vézère valley and its tributaries one of the world's cradles of prehistoric art. Listed as a Historic Monument in 1997, it is part of a network of caves carved out by time in the same line of cliffs, forming a veritable archaeological district of remarkable density. What sets Les Bernoux apart is the extraordinary temporal sequence it offers specialists. The cave does not speak with a single voice, but of several superimposed eras: from the Mousterian, the culture of the Neanderthals, to the Aurignacian and beyond, it has accumulated evidence of human communities that succeeded one another on these same lands for dozens of millennia. This continuity of occupation makes it an exceptional document for understanding the transitions between the great cultures of the Palaeolithic. The parietal engravings are the jewel in the cave's crown. Mammoths with curved tusks, woolly rhinoceroses in their massive stance, bears depicted in profile with an economy of line that compels admiration - all animal figures that testify to a surprising graphic mastery. Attributed to periods ranging from the Gravettian to the Solutrean, i.e. between around 28,000 and 17,000 BC, these works embody the apogee of an artistic tradition that was devoid of writing but not devoid of genius. The natural setting enhances the experience: the golden cliffs sheltering the cave are reflected in the calm waters of the Dronne, and the medieval town of Bourdeilles, dominated by its fortified castle and Renaissance château, is a reminder that this area continued to fascinate people long after prehistoric times. The Bernoux cave is part of a palimpsest landscape where each era has left its mark.
Architecture
The Bernoux cave is first and foremost a work of nature, shaped by the karstic processes that over millions of years have sculpted the limestone plateaux of Périgord. The gradual dissolution of limestone by seeping water has carved out a network of cavities in the cliffs, of which the Bernoux are a characteristic feature. The walls have the compact, smooth surface typical of Périgord limestone, providing an ideal surface for engraving and enabling the incised lines to be remarkably well preserved. The cave opens onto a line of exposed cliffs, like many other sites in the Périgord, which benefit from the natural protection afforded by the rocky overhang and the orientation of the walls. This location is no coincidence: prehistoric man chose his shelters and ornamented sites according to practical and perhaps symbolic criteria, favouring areas of cliffs overlooking rivers and streams, the obligatory crossing points for game. The proximity of the River Dronne gives the site a geographical environment typical of the major Palaeolithic sites in the Périgord. The engravings themselves constitute the essential architectural and artistic dimension of the cave. Carved directly into the rock, they take advantage of the natural relief of the wall to amplify the three-dimensional rendering of the animal figures. The bear in profile, the mammoth and the rhinoceros occupy positions that have probably been carefully chosen, suggesting a deliberate staging of the underground space. This organisation of the cave as an ornate space brings it into line with other Palaeolithic sanctuaries in the Périgord, where the subterranean topography played a full part in the significance of the representations.
Related Figures
Artistes gravettiens (vers 25 000 av. J.-C.) — auteurs anonymes des premières représentations animales de la grotteArtistes solutréens (vers 19 000 av. J.-C.) — graveurs de la phase ultime de décoration pariétaleHommes de Néandertal — premiers occupants moustériens de la cavitéHomo sapiens aurignaciens — premiers hommes modernes à fréquenter le siteÉdouard Lartet (1801-1871) — pionnier de la préhistoire périgourdine dont les travaux ont ouvert la voie à la reconnaissance de l'art paléolithique en DordogneDenis Peyrony (1869-1954) — préhistorien qui a systématisé l'étude des grottes ornées de la Dordogne et établi les grandes chronologies du Paléolithique supérieur périgourdin
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Site de la grotte préhistorique des Bernoux located?
Site de la grotte préhistorique des Bernoux is located in Bourdeilles, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
Is Site de la grotte préhistorique des Bernoux open to visitors?
Site de la grotte préhistorique des Bernoux is currently closed to visitors.