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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Portel Cave, also known as the Crampagna Cave or Cairo Cave, is a prehistoric adorned cave located in Loubens, in Ariège (Occitanie). Discovered in 1908 by Dr René Jeannel and G. Fauveau, it belongs to the karst system of the Plantaurel massif in the Pyrenean Piedmont. The cave is divided into two main sectors: Portel-Est, rich in magdalenian parietal works, and Portel-Ouest, containing moustarian stratigraphic layers, shawlperronian and gravelite. It has been a historic monument since 1969 and is not open to the public.

The Portel-Est area is famous for its 138 Magdalenian paintings and engravings, distributed in galleries such as the Breuil gallery (known as the Bisons) or the Régnault gallery (known as the Horses). An archeoacoustic study conducted in 1983-1985 revealed a correlation between parietal works and areas of sound resonance, particularly in the Camarin niche, where serious sounds resonate exceptionally. This sector also delivered 810 lithic pieces and a well-preserved Magdalenian bone industry.

The Portel-Ouest area is home to Mussterian remains dating from -135,000 to -40 000 years, including bones of a Neanderthal child aged 38,000 years (±6,000 years). Two periods of Musterian occupation were identified: around 44,000 years and 39,000 years before the present. The associated fauna, dominated by horse and reindeer, also includes remnants of lion, megaceros and hyenas. This area has been rigorously searched by the Vézian family, the owner of the premises since the discovery.

The cave forms geologically in limestones of the lower Thanetian, near the north-Pyrenean frontal fault. Its upper network, developed on two floors, is crossed by Carol Creek, which disappears and reappears on the surface. The site, preserved by the Vézian family, has been the subject of multi-year excavations since 2019 by the European Centre of Tautavel and the Museum of Natural History of Paris, aimed at studying the Neandertalian occupation.

The conservation of the cave is ensured by its classification as historical monuments and its integration into the regional natural park of the Ariegean Pyrenees. Although closed to the public, it remains a major site for the study of parietal art and prehistoric occupations in the Pyrenees. His interdisciplinary approach, combining archaeology, geology and archeoacoustics, makes him a unique place to understand the symbolic and sound practices of paleolithic societies.

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