STILL SO MANY CAVES JUST WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED
IN THE PERIGORD, GEOLOGICAL FEATURES WITH HIDDEN MESSAGES

Study closely the horizontal rift which crosses la Roque Saint-Christophe (Peyzac le Moustier) perched over the Vézère river and you’ll see, life-size there before your eyes, the transition from Middle Coniacian to Upper Coniacian. The Coniacian is a stage of the Cretaceous Epoch: between 135 Ma and 65 Ma. The rock surface, which was more porous at this stage in history, was hollowed out by repeated freezing up and thawing out. This natural carving out process provided a great many safe shelters; it was the determining factor when Paleolithic man chose to settle down in Périgord Noir. 25,000 years on, easy access has been a godsend for prehistorians - but they have only seen a tiny part of this incision! The major part has been swallowed up over thousands of years through erosion and sedimentation.

BENEATH LASCAUX MORE SANCTUARIES

To all intents and purposes, Lascaux Cave is a sort of farewell message from Paleolithic man. The exscurgence of the “abri Nord” meant that Lascaux had fresh air circulating through it: the air that the finders sniffed back in the 40s. But there still remains, way down below, in the affluent and time-honoured Dordogne valleys (“la Grande” and “la Petite Beune”), a complex of cave dwellings and sanctuaries which have not yet seen daylight.

The rocks hold secrets that excite our imagination; the peat and the sandstone are our guardian allies.

Sophie Cattoire

We would like to thank Lionel Pénicaud, as well as the G3S (Groupe Spéléologique Scientifique et Sportif de Périgueux), for the photographs shown on this page.