First human occupation Paléolithique supérieur à l'Âge du fer (≈ 1505000 av. J.-C.)
Prehistoric shelter and archaeological remains
Moyen Âge - Renaissance
Troglodytic habitat and refuge
Troglodytic habitat and refuge Moyen Âge - Renaissance (≈ 1125)
Protection against Viking raids and war
1588
Destruction of housing
Destruction of housing 1588 (≈ 1588)
Religious wars, Huguenot refuge
1912-1913
Archaeological excavations
Archaeological excavations 1912-1913 (≈ 1913)
Discovered by Denis Peyrony
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Denis Peyrony - Prehistorian and archaeologist
Searches in 1912-1913, lithical discoveries
Origin and history
The Roque Saint-Christophe is a spectacular limestone escarpment, one kilometre long and 80 to 100 metres high, located in Peyzac-le-Moustier, Dordogne. Drained by the river and the frost, this cliff features five levels of sub-rock shelters and terraces, including a 100-metre natural terrace accessible by a rock-cut staircase. The walls, pierced by artificial holes, bear witness to successive houses built on site.
The natural cavities served as shelter from the upper Paleolithic period, then from troglodytic habitat until the Renaissance. The site was a refuge from Viking raids and during the Hundred Years' War, before being destroyed in 1588 during the religious wars, after sheltering Huguenots. Excavations conducted in 1912-13 by Denis Peyrony revealed remains ranging from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age.
Ranked among the major sites of the Vézère Valley, close to the Moustier Cave and other UNESCO sites, La Roque Saint-Christophe today attracts around 150,000 visitors a year. Its history combines prehistoric occupation, medieval adaptations and religious conflicts, giving a unique witness to troglodytic life in New Aquitaine.
