Origin and history
The caves of Arcy-sur-Cure, located in the department of Yonne in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, constitute an exceptional archaeological site extending over a chronology from the Middle Paleolithic (more than 200,000 years BC) to the Middle Ages. These cavities, dug into a Jurassic coral massif by the karst erosion of the Cure River, delivered lithic, bone, wildlife and human remains, as well as remarkable parietal art. The site is particularly famous for its rock paintings, discovered in 1990 in the Great Cave, which are among the oldest in France after those of Chauvet. These works, dated about 28,000 years (Aurignaco-Gravetien), include representations of animals, negative and positive hands, as well as geometric motifs, protected by layers of calcite.
The Arcy-sur-Cure site is a key location for the study of the transition between Neanderthalians and Homo sapiens, notably thanks to the Renne cave, where shawl-perronal levels (42,000 to 32,000 years BP) revealed ornamental objects and bone tools associated with neanderthal remains. This discovery reshaped the theories on the symbolic abilities of Neanderthalians, long attributed exclusively to Homo sapiens. The excavations carried out since the 19th century, notably by Abbé Parat, André Leroi-Gourhan and his team, have revealed a rich stratigraphy covering the Moustarian, the Châtelperronien, the Aurignacian, the Gravettien and the Solutréen, offering a rare archaeological context to study the evolution of prehistoric cultures in northern France.
The caves of Arcy-sur-Cure are also marked by their complex geology, linked to the karst formation of the coral massif and hydrological variations of the Cure. The underground network, about 5 km long, includes active and fossil galleries, resurgences and siphons, which have influenced human occupation and the preservation of remains. Speleothema (stalactites, stalagmites) are abundant, although some were damaged by aggressive cleanings in the 20th century. Today, sixteen cavities of the site are classified as Historic Monuments, and the Great Cave, the only one open to the public, attracts about 35,000 visitors annually.
The modern history of the caves is marked by progressive discoveries, from the first records written in the seventeenth century (by Jacques de Clugny and Pierre Perrault) to the systematic excavations of the twentieth century. Personalities such as Buffon, Vauban, and Abbé Breuil visited or studied the site, contributing to its reputation. In 1990, the rediscovery of parietal paintings, initially masked by limestone deposits, revived the scientific and tourist interest for Arcy-sur-Cure, confirming its status as a major site for the understanding of European prehistory.
Human remains found in caves, including the caves of the Renne, Hyena and Fairy, include mandibles, teeth and cranial fragments attributed to Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. These remains, often dispersed or miscontextualized due to unsightly old excavations, offer valuable clues about funeral practices, feeding and interactions between human groups. For example, the hyena cave gave traces suggesting possible anthropophagy, while the Renne cave revealed burials and symbolic objects associated with the Châtelperronien.
Finally, the site of Arcy-sur-Cure illustrates the importance of exchanges and movements during the Upper Paleolithic period. Fossil shells from remote areas (up to 200 km) and flints from the Upper Turonian of Touraine, found in the gravel layers, show exchange or migration networks. These discoveries, combined with the abundance of mammoth bone and ivory tools, highlight the complexity of prehistoric societies and their adaptation to a constantly changing environment marked by glaciations and climatic variations in the Quaternary.
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