Middle/higher Paleolithic Transition vers 35 000–37 000 ans (≈ 0)
Disappearance of Neandertalians, arrival of Homo sapiens*.
XIXe siècle
Archaeological excavations
Archaeological excavations XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Clearing the porch from the cave.
11 octobre 2017
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 11 octobre 2017 (≈ 2017)
Total protection of the site and its soil.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
In total, the cave of the Cottes, with the ground of the plot that contains it, as represented in pink on the plan annexed to the decree (Box V 547): classification by order of 11 October 2017
Origin and history
The Cottès Cave is located on the left bank of the Gartempe, about a kilometre north of the village of Saint-Pierre-de-Maillé, in the department of Vienna. Its porch, cleared during excavations conducted in the nineteenth century, opens onto the valley and gives access to two rooms dug perpendicular to the cliff. This site is particularly remarkable for its large slope in front of the entrance, which is a key element of its archaeological interest.
The Cottes cave and its slope form one of the few archeo-sequences of Western Europe covering the entire end of the Middle Paleolithic and the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic, around 35,000 to 37,000 years. This pivotal period marks the disappearance of the last Neandertalians in favor of the modern Homo sapiens. The vestiges discovered on the spot thus shed light on this major transition in the history of humanity, offering a material testimony of the lifestyles and cultural changes of the era.
The site was classified as a Historical Monument entirely by order of 11 October 2017, including the cave itself and the soil of the plot containing it. Today, the Cottes cave belongs to a private company. Although its access is restricted, its scientific importance remains unquestionable for understanding prehistoric societies in Western Europe.
