Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Regourdu is a prehistoric site discovered in 1954 by Roger Constant, owner of the land, after observing a ground collapse near his farm in Montignac-Lascaux. Thinking of finding the natural entrance to the Lascaux cave, he dug without permission and discovered in 1957 a mandible of Man of Neanderthal. The official excavations, led by Eugène Bonifay, revealed a partial Neandertalian skeleton and brown bear bones, interpreted as traces of a possible cult, although this hypothesis is now contested.

The Neanderthal skeleton, dated about 70,000 years, is remarkable for its well preserved mandible and fossilized sternum, rare in archaeological discoveries. Roger Constant, passionate, continued his excavations in a nearby abyss, discovering marine fossils and an ocher deposit used to restore Lascaux's paintings. He also established a bear park in 1988 to commemorate the presence of these animals on the site, while transforming his home into a museum exhibiting his discoveries.

Ranked a historic monument in 1959, the Regordu is one of the prehistoric sites of the Vézère Valley, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The site, which remained private and family according to the will of Roger Constant, now includes a museum, a wildlife park with five brown bears, and plans to resume excavations in the abyss. Its history illustrates the commitment of an enlightened amateur and the archaeological richness of the Dordogne.

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