Depot of human remains 2300 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
300 individuals found in the cave
mars 1952
Initial exploration
Initial exploration mars 1952 (≈ 1952)
By the seleological group of Millau
24 novembre 1953
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 24 novembre 1953 (≈ 1953)
Ministerial Order of Protection
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Prehistoric cave of the Pas-de-Joulé (part) (Box A 403): classification by decree of 24 November 1953
Key figures
Garde de la maison forestière de la Canayère - Local Informant
Indicated location to speleologists
Groupe spéléologique de la société alpine de Millau - Site Explorers
Discovered in 1952 and first investigations
Origin and history
The cave of Pas-de-Joulé is a major prehistoric site located on the Canayère massif, in the commune of Trier (Gard, Occitanie). Discovered in 1952 by the speleological group of the Alpine society of Millau, it was classified as a historical monument in 1953. His exploration revealed a large gallery containing the remains of more than 300 individuals, dated about 2300 B.C., without their collective deposit being clearly explained (conflict, epidemic or successive deaths).
The excavations revealed a limited archaeological material: a stone axe and some bronze-age ceramics. These remains, exposed to the Millau Museum, suggest a prolonged human occupation, although the precise circumstances of their accumulation remain enigmatic. The cave thus illustrates funeral practices or the demographic disasters of the final Neolithic in the south of France.
The site, protected by a ministerial decree in 1953, is located in the territory of Trier (code Insee 30332), in the former Languedoc-Roussillon region, now integrated into Occitanie. Its exact address, although referenced in the Merimée database, remains imprecise (level of location estimated at 5/10), limiting in-depth topographic studies.
