Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cap Blanc shelter, located in the commune of Marquay in Dordogne (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), is a rock shelter decorated with animal sculptures dating from the Magdalenian (upper Paleolithic, ~15,000 years AP). Discovered in 1908 by Raymond Peyrille under the direction of Jean-Gaston Lalanne, it houses a 13-metre-long frieze representing mainly horses in high relief, as well as bison and a bouquetin. The figures, probably enhanced by red ochre at the beginning, were executed using flint peaks. This site illustrates the rare association between parietal art and human occupation, demonstrating that prehistoric men also decorated their places of life.

During the excavations of 1909, Lalanne and Henri Breuil identified the sculptures, while in 1911 the construction of a protective wall revealed the almost complete skeleton of a woman, nicknamed Magdalenian Girl. Sold in 1926 at the Field Museum in Chicago (where it is still on display), this skeleton – a copy of which has been visible on site since 2001 – belonged to a woman aged 25-35. The shelter, classified as a Historic Monument since 1910, was acquired by the State in 2006 and is now managed by the National Monuments Centre, which organizes guided tours to preserve this masterpiece of prehistoric sculpture.

The site is part of an environment rich in paleolithic remains: nearby are the shelter of Laussel (100 m upstream), the cave of Commarque (500 m), and a few kilometers away, the famous sites of the Eyzies (Combarelles, Font de Gaume). This exceptional concentration in the Vézère valley earned its UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1979, alongside 14 other decorated caves. Subsequent excavations, like those of 1992, have refined the knowledge of human occupations and the dating of works, confirming the importance of Cap Blanc in Magdalenian parietal art.

Cap Blanc's rock art is distinguished by its technique of deep sculpture, unique for a inhabited shelter. Unlike deep caves (like Lascaux), this site shows that Paleolithic men integrated art into their daily living spaces. The traces of red ochre and the vigour of the reliefs – some horses up to 2.15 m in length – make this a major testimony of Magdalenian creativity. Few comparable sites exist, such as the Roc-aux-Sorciers (Vienna) or the shelter Reverdit (Dordogne), all combining art and habitat.

The protection of the site evolved with its classification in 1910 (sculptures) and 1926 (adjacent terrain), followed by its acquisition by the State in 2006. Today, a museum on site presents the way of life of Cro-Magnon's men, while guided tours – limited to preserve works – allow to admire the frieze and its copy of the skeleton. This iconic site illustrates both the prehistoric artistic genius and the challenges of preserving fragile remains.

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