MH classification 10 janvier 1953 (≈ 1953)
Ranked historic monument by ministerial decree.
2019-2023
LRMH studies
LRMH studies 2019-2023 (≈ 2021)
Health checks and restoration analyses.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Shelter under rock adorned with prehistoric paintings in the federal forest (Box A2 11th Series): classification by decree of 10 January 1953
Key figures
Alain Bénard - Researcher (GERSAR)
Author of studies on local rock art.
Origin and history
Long-Rocher shelter No. 2, also known as Croc-Marin, is a prehistoric ornate site located in the forest of Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne (Île-de-France). Filed with historical monuments by order of 10 January 1953, it belongs to the French State. Its access is to the south of the forest, close to the communal boundary with Montigny-sur-Loeng, in an area marked by slicing formations suitable for rock shelters.
The rock paintings of this shelter are part of a larger set of parietal art identified in the forest of Fontainebleau. Recent studies, such as those conducted by the LRMH (Historical Monument Research Laboratory) in 2019 and 2023, have assessed its conservation status for restoration. This research highlights the challenges posed by water and moisture infiltration, a recurring threat to the preservation of painted patterns.
The shelter is the subject of continuous scientific attention, as evidenced by the publications of the Group for the Study, Research and Preservation of Fine Art (GERSAR). Key references include the works of Alain Bénard, who has devoted several works to the rock art of the region, including Symbols and Mysteries (2014) and L-Art rock in Fontainebleau's forest (2017, 2023). These studies place the site in a wider regional context, including other shelters decorated in the south of Ile-de-France.
Legally, the 1953 classification specifically protects the shelter and its paintings, designating it as State property. This protection is part of a desire to safeguard a rare prehistoric heritage in Île-de-France, often unknown compared to the most famous sites in southwestern France. LRMH reports (2019, 2023) emphasize the need for interventions to secure the site and limit natural degradation.
Although the precise dating of the paintings is not mentioned in the sources, their style and their location are apparent to the prehistoric rock art typical of the sandy chaos of the Paris Basin. These works, often schematic, offer a testimony of ancient human occupations in a region today mostly wooded and dedicated to leisure. Their study contributes to a better understanding of the artistic and symbolic practices of local prehistoric societies.
