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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Marche Cave is a prehistoric cave located in Lussac-les-Châteaux, Vienna, New Aquitaine. It is one of the most important archaeological sites for stone engravings of the Magdalenian period (upper Paleolithic, around 17,000 to 12,000 years AP). It delivered carved limestone plates resting in the archaeological layer of Magdalenian III, according to the classification of Henri Breuil. The sagaies of Lussac-Angles, typical of this period, were also discovered.

The cave was first explored in 1914 by Henri Lavergne, who found only a few flint tools. In 1937-1938, Léon Péricard and Stéphane Lwoff, later accompanied by Henri Breuil, discovered an exceptional lithic site, including engraved stones. Breuil confirmed the authenticity of the engravings, and the excavations continued until 1945, before being interrupted by the law on excavations.

Research resumed in the 1950s and 1980s, notably by Jean Airvaux and Dr Pradel. In 1970, the cave was classified as a Historic Monument after the installation of grids to protect it. It has delivered a unique collection of 1,512 engraved plaques, preserved at the Museum of Man and the Museum of Prehistory of Lussac-les-Châteaux. These works, analysed by Léon Pales and Marie Tassin de Saint-Pereuse, reveal complex figures, including a human face seen from the face.

The Marche cave is also known for its volcanic slags, probably from the Massif Central, and its hyoid bones engraved, similar to those found in Spanish sites like Tito Bustillo. These discoveries attest to exchanges or movements over long distances. The site is considered the richest in furniture art of Magdalenian III, after El Parpalló in Spain.

The excavations also revealed engraved foal teeth, characteristic of a limited space between Vienna and Charente. Despite its importance, the cave was not protected immediately, and its inventors, Léon Péricard and Stéphane Lwoff, rest at the Lussac cemetery without any special tribute. Today, it remains a reference site for the study of prehistoric art and cultural exchanges of the higher Paleolithic.

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