Mesolithic period 7 620 à 5 650 av. J.-C. (≈ 635 av. J.-C.)
Hunting and picking legumes.
4 350 à 3 740 av. J.-C.
Ancient Neolithic
Ancient Neolithic 4 350 à 3 740 av. J.-C. (≈ 545 av. J.-C.)
Emerging agriculture and livestock.
9 250 av. J.-C.
Final Paleolithic occupation
Final Paleolithic occupation 9 250 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
First trace of human occupation dated.
2020
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 2020 (≈ 2020)
Official protection of the archaeological site.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The cadastral parcel G n°290, located at the place known as Le Jonquier, containing the archaeological remains of the Fontbrégoua cave: inscription by order of 3 January 2020
Key figures
André Taxil - Discovery of the site
Pharmacist and passionate about prehistory.
Jean Courtin - Archaeological excavations
Directed the excavations from 1971 to 1992.
Origin and history
La Baume de Fontbrégoua is a prehistoric cave in Salernes, Var department (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur). This site, which has been listed as historical monuments since 2020, has a stratigraphy of 11 metres thick, covering nine archaeological levels of the Paleolithic higher than Neolithic. He is particularly well known for his vestiges of continuous human occupation and for his amasses of bones revealing practices of cannibalism to the ancient Neolithic.
The cave, discovered in 1948 by André Taxil and searched by Jean Courtin between 1971 and 1992, is divided into three spaces: the porch, the main room and the lower room. These areas have delivered rich archaeological material, including lithic and bone tools, ceramics, trimmings, carbonized cereals, as well as human and animal remains. The stratigraphic layers illustrate the evolution of lifestyles, from hunting to farming and livestock.
In the final Paleolithic (c. 9,250 B.C.), the site was occupied by hunter-gatherers using hypermicrolithic tools. During the Mesolithic (7,620-5,650 B.C.), the occupants hunted small animals and collected legumes. The ancient Neolithic (4,350 to 3,740 B.C.) marks a transition to a sedentary lifestyle, with the appearance of agriculture (wheat, barley) and livestock (beef, sheep, pigs), as well as decorated ceramics.
One of the most striking aspects of the site is the discovery, in neolithic layers, of thirteen pits containing human and animal bones. The analyses revealed traces of bone removal and fracturing to extract the marrow, suggesting dietary cannibalism. The human bones, treated in a similar manner to those of animals, had sharp cuts and fractures, confirming this hypothesis.
The excavations also highlighted a seasonal and discontinuous occupation in the Neolithic, with evidence of animal parks in the cave. Tools and ceramics evolve over time: the frames of leaf arrows and bifaces appear in the Middle Neolithic, while the Chalcolithic sees the gradual abandonment of the site, marked by thick ceramics and campaniform elements.
Listed as a historic monument in 2020, the Fontbrégoua Cave is now protected for its archaeological importance. It offers an exceptional testimony on prehistoric lifestyles, funeral practices and the evolution of human societies in south-eastern France.
