Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The prehistoric deposit of La Balutie is a major archaeological site of the Upper Paleolithic, located in the commune of Montignac-Lascaux, Dordogne (New Aquitaine). It is located in the forest, two kilometres from the valley of the Vézère, on a hillside overlooking a tributary, the Saladie. The site extends over a 150-metre long limestone cliff line and includes an 18-metre deep cave and several sub-rock shelters. Private property, it has been classified as a historical monument since December 28, 1960.

The discovery of the deposit dates back shortly before 1872, thanks to Théodore Sorbier and Father Sanna Solaro. The first excavations, carried out between 1873 and 1875 by Alain Reverdit, reveal Moustarian, Solutreian and Aurignacian occupations. Exhumed artifacts are dispersed in several institutions, including the Toulouse Museum, the British Museum, and the National Archaeology Museum. Revertit identifies traces of various human tools and occupations, confirming the importance of the site for understanding local prehistoric cultures.

At the beginning of the 20th century, superficial excavations were attributed to a certain Kardig, and the plot was briefly rented to Otto Hauser, without the latter having the time to work there. In 1925, Franck Delage conducted new investigations and described lithic remains of the Châtelperronian, Aurignacian and Mousterian cultures. In 1954, the abbots Henri Breuil and André Glory discovered a large animal bone with tooth marks, attributed to the Man of Neanderthal. Denise de Sonneville-Bordes later studied the material from the earlier excavations in his thesis, consolidating the knowledge on the site.

The La Balutie deposit illustrates the archaeological richness of the Black Perigord, a key region for the study of Prehistory. Its classification in 1960 underlines its heritage importance, although its access remains limited due to its status as private property. Successive research has documented human occupations spanning several millennia, providing valuable insights into the lifestyles and technologies of paleolithic societies.

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