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The History of the Cave

Over the ages

There was a long human occupation of the Cosquer Cave, from 33,000 BP to 19,000 BP, consisting of two major, almost uninterrupted, phases of human occupation. These dates have been obtained from around sixty Carbon-14 dating tests performed on forty-one samples collected between 1992 and 2012.

Hence, the first human occupation of the cave was contemporary to the last human occupation of the Chauvet Cave, while the last human occupation was contemporary to the human occupation of the Lascaux Cave. Notable examples of ‘contemporary’ caves include the large cave of Arcy-sur-Cure (28,000 BP – Yonne), the Cussac Cave (29,000 BP – le Buisson-de-Cadouin, Dordogne), the Pech-Merle Cave (29,000 BP – Cabrerets, Lot), and the Cougnac Cave (30,000 BP– Payrignac, Lot).

BETWEEN 40,000 AND 10,000 YEARS BEFORE THE PRESENT: THE UPPER PALAEOLITHIC PERIOD
The Upper Palaeolithic Period was a period in prehistory that began in Europe when the first Homo sapiens emerged, around 45,000 years ago. The period was characterised by an intensely cold climate, and the fauna and flora adapted to the cold temperatures. The Homo sapienshunter-gatherersdeveloped various tools, hunting techniques, and dwellings to adapt to this environment. Around 10,000 years ago, the climate became warmer, which marked the end of the Palaeolithic Period.
33,000 YEARS BEFORE THE PRESENT: THE GRAVETTIAN AND THE FIRST HUMAN OCCUPATION OF THE CAVE
The Gravettian culture was one of the major cultures of the Upper Palaeolithic Period in Europe. The culture developed from around 34,00033,000 years ago to 23,00022,000 BP. It was characterised by its very specific lithic industry, vestiges of which include, in particular, the projectile tips found in the cave at La Gravette, and very specific forms of artistic expression’Venus’ figurines and negative handprints. The Gravettian geographical distribution was very wide, extending from the Iberian Peninsula to the Dnieper River Basin.
19,000 YEARS BEFORE THE PRESENT: THE LAST HUMAN OCCUPATION OF THE COSQUER CAVE
The Epigravettian followed the Gravettian in a geographical area that extended from the Rhône River in the West to the Dnieper River Basin (in the East) and the Danube Basin (in the North), between 22,00020,000 BP to the end of the Late Glacial Interstadial, around 10,000 years ago. The cultural diversity of the Epigravettian was quite similar to that of the Gravettian. Some of the Venuses of Grimaldi could be attributed to the Early Epigravettian.
UNTIL 1991: RISING SEA LEVELS AND THE SUBMERSION OF PART OF THE CAVE
The Cosquer Cave, which was decorated with art at a time when the sea was several kilometres away, is now partially submerged due to climate change. The cave became inaccessible on foot around 9,000 years ago. The site, which has been protected from human intrusion for thousands of years, and which is now recognised as an archaeological heritage site, is therefore destined to disappear.
1985 : DISCOVERY OF THE CAVE BY HENRI COSQUER IN THE TRIPERIE CREEK NEAR CAPE MORGIOU
The cave has remained untouched by human activity for around 20,000 years. It is accessed via an entrance (the original entrance) located 37 metres beneath the sea level and by swimming up a long submerged narrow passageway that leads to the ‘beach’ in Chamber 1.
1991: AUTHENTIFICATION
An initial expertise to authenticate the cave was conducted at the request of the Ministry of Culture. It was carried out by the prehistorian Jean Courtin, joined by Jean Clottes, and confirmed the authenticity of the paintings and engravings. Using samples of charcoal taken from the cave, an initial attempt at dating was made. It is indeed a Palaeolithic site.
2 SEPTEMBER 1992: THE CAVE WAS CLASSIFIED AS A HISTORICAL MONUMENT
1992 TO 2022: 30 YEARS OF STUDIES
Conducted under the direction of the prehistorians Jean Courtin and Jean Clottes under the aegis of the Regional Cultural Affairs Directorate (DRAC) (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur).
MARCH 1994: "LA GROTTE COSQUER
Peintures et Gravures de la Caverne Engloutie", published by Éditions du Seuil and written by the prehistorians Jean Courtin and Jean Clottes.
2019
The company Kléber Rossillon was chosen to manage the design and construction phases of the project to create a replica of the cave and to run the replica and the interpretation centre for a period of 25 years.
2021: A NEW CAMPAIGN OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS
Launched by the Regional Cultural Affairs Directorate (DRAC) and conducted under the direction of the Montoya archaeologist Cyril and by an interdisciplinary research team composed of around fifteen scientists, archaeologists, karstologists, hydrogeologistss…
4 June 2022
The opening of Cosquer Méditerranée, the replica of the submerged prehistoric cave, to the general public.

The Cosquer Cave: a major site of cave art

THE VERY LONG HUMAN OCCUPATION OF THE CAVE, THE DIVERSITY OF ITS BESTIARY, AND THE TRACES OF HUMAN ACTIVITY ARE ALL ELEMENTS THAT MAKE THE COSQUER CAVE ONE OF THE MAJOR EUROPEAN SITES OF PALAEOLITHIC CAVE ART IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION. AND THE CAVE’S LOCATION NEAR MARSEILLE ATTESTS TO THE FACT THAT THE AREA AROUND THE FAMOUS CITY HAS BEEN OCCUPIED BY PEOPLE FOR MUCH LONGER THAN 26 CENTURIES …

The cave’s location near Marseille attests to the fact that the area around the famous city has been occupied by people for much longer than twenty-six centuries …
in the context of Palaeolithic art as a whole, the originality of the Cosquer rock art lies in the figurative depictions of sea animals: the famous penguins and seals, which, although they are not unique (six paintings have, for example, been discovered in the Nerja Cave in Spain), have become emblematic of the Cosquer Cave. The presence of two saiga antelopes in the rock art bestiary is also of some interest, as the few representations of this animal are quite often found on movable objets d’art and are attributed to the Magdalenian culture.

In Provence, the only other known site of rock art is the ‘bison’ rock shelter in Ségriès (Moustiers Sainte-Marie, Alpes de Haute Provence). There is a single, small bison (18 cm in length) engraved on the limestone wall of this rock shelter. It has characteristics similar to the bison engraved in the Cosquer Cave: Y-shaped limbs and U-shaped horns, which has led some researchers to conclude that this engraving was made during the same period as those in the submerged cave.

A submerged and fragile cave threatened by rising sea levels

THE COSQUER CAVE IS IN DANGER OF DISAPPEARING. THE PROCESS OF DISINTEGRATION BEGAN 10,000 YEARS AGO: SINCE THE END OF THE LAST GLACIAL PERIOD, THE RISING SEA LEVELS HAVE SUBMERGED FOUR FIFTHS OF THE CAVE.

The remaining fifth that has remained dry is now being threatened by the same phenomenon, due to global warming. At a rate of around 3 mm per year, the effects are already visible, as observed by the research divers. The legs of a horse close to the water have already disappeared, swallowed by the sea, whose level also varies according to the tides, with differences of more than 15 cm.

The submersion of the cave has had damaging and irreversible effects. It is estimated that the submerged surfaces represent three quarters¾possible four fifths¾of all the cave’s surfaces. Keeping in mind that all the ‘practicable’ surfaces for artistic expression and within reach of the artists were used in the exposed areas, it can be assumed that a considerable number of works have already been lost.

‘We know that very little can be preserved in this site in France. Something is lost every day in the cave and that’s why excavations have become a matter of urgency.’

Geneviève Pinçon, Director of the national centre for prehistory

The cave is on the brink of disappearing

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE INDUSTRIAL ERA, TEMPERATURES HAVE RISEN. THIS IS DUE TO THE HIGHER ATMOSPHERIC CONCENTRATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE THAT ENHANCES THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT.

As early as 1896, the Swedish chemist Svante Arrhénius calculated the effect of carbon dioxide on the climate. In an article, he suggested that if atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide were to double due to anthropogenic emissions, global temperatures could increase by about 5°C (the most recent estimations are around 3.5°C).

It is largely for this reason that the climate is warming and that an episode of deglaciation is underway. But although ice sheet melting is responsible for 70% of the expected rise in sea levels, 30% of that is due to the thermal expansion of seawater, which is absorbing 90% of the increased atmospheric heat.

Sea levels are rising by several millimetres every year due to the phenomenon of atmospheric warming. The forecasts suggest that the phenomenon may accelerate in the coming years, due to certain feedbacks such as the phenomenon called the albedo effect (albedo is the proportion of the incident light or radiation that is reflected by a surface, typically that of a planet or moon) and rising concentrations of greenhouse gas pollution.

That is why the project to create a permanent replica of the Cosquer Cave, which is open to everyone, is vital and valid. The natural disintegration process began more than 10,000 years ago, and complete submersion is inevitable as a result of a steady rise in the water level in the cave.

That is why the project to create a permanent replica of the Cosquer Cave, which is open to everyone, is vital and valid, as the disintegration of the cave is inevitable.