Édouard Piette's search 1871-1874 (≈ 1873)
Discovery of Aurignacian remains, Magdalenians, Azilians.
1956
First classification Historic Monument
First classification Historic Monument 1956 (≈ 1956)
Initial protection of the cave.
1989
Discovery of parietal art
Discovery of parietal art 1989 (≈ 1989)
Naturalist animal figures identified.
2014-2015
New rankings Historic Monument
New rankings Historic Monument 2014-2015 (≈ 2015)
Extension of site protection.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Elephant Grotte: for the ground and the basement, including the cave and its underground network, a part of Parcel B2 260, Place Bouchet, where the underground network of the paleolithic adorned cave develops, according to the following delineation in the direction of the hands of a watch, in accordance with the cadastral plan (red delimitation) and the plan on the ground of the cave, annexed to the decree: starting point: point A at the limit of the so-called Artigues road and plot 260, located at the distance of 250 metres from the point of the topographical surface positioned at the aplomb of the point where the said cave sinks deep in the bottom of the earth (large hall, eastern sector, at its eastern end), an arc of circle of the same centre and radius unfolding towards the east of the said plot, point B where the arc of circle joins the limit of Parcel 261, the limits between Parcels 261 and 260, between the latter and the rural road, then the road known as the Artigues road to reach the point of March 9 of the end of 2015:
Key figures
Édouard Piette - Prehistory
Conducted the first excavations (1871-1874).
Origin and history
The Elephant Cave, also known as the Gourdan Cave, is an archaeological site located on the west side of the Bouchet Hill in Gourdan-Polignan. It was first explored between 1871 and 1874 by Édouard Piette, revealing furniture remains attributed to three distinct periods: the Aurignacian, the Magdalenian and the Azilian. These discoveries have helped define the "Gourdanian", a stratigraphic subdivision of the Magdalenian, now abandoned but historical for prehistory.
In 1989, paleolithic parietal representations were revealed, confirming its status as an adorned cave. These works, remarkable by their naturalist style, now incorporate the corpus of the adorned French caves. The cave was listed as a historic monument in 1956, and again in 2014 and 2015 to protect its underground network and archaeological remains.
The site is associated with the development of prehistory as a scientific discipline in the 19th century. The excavations delivered abundant furniture, testifying to an intense human occupation during the Upper Paleolithic. The cave, with its Grande Salle and its lower galleries, offers an exceptional overview of lifestyles and artistic expressions of prehistoric societies in Western Europe.
The current protection covers not only the cave itself, but also part of the surrounding terrain (park B2 260, called Bouchet), in order to preserve the integrity of the site. The commune of Gourdan-Polignan, situated in Haute-Garonne, in the land of Comminges, thus enjoys a prehistoric heritage of world renown, supplemented by other historical monuments such as the bridge over the Garonne or the chapel Notre-Dame de Polignan.
The research carried out in this cave has led to a better understanding of the cultural transitions between the different phases of the Upper Paleolithic. The objects discovered, as well as the parietal works, illustrate the richness of the symbolic and technical practices of the human groups that occupied it. Today, the Elephant Cave remains a key place for the study of prehistory in France.
Its successive ranking (1956, 2014, 2015) underscores its heritage importance. The site is now protected as a whole, including soil, basement and karst network, in order to avoid any degradation. This preservation allows researchers and the public to continue to explore this exceptional testimony of the first sedentary human societies in the region.
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