Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Labastide Horse Cave, also known as Labastide Cave, is part of a karst network located in the municipality of Labastide (Hautes-Pyrénées, Occitanie). This prehistoric site, dated from the Magdalenian (upper Paleolithic), is distinguished by its large polychrome horse and a remarkable d-archeoacoustic effect, where sounds resonate between different spaces of the cavity. The caves, whose entrance is 500 metres west of the village, also include the cave of La Perte and the White Cave, in a limestone massif crossed by an underground river.

The cave of the Horses was explored in the late 19th century by locals and speleologists like Armand Viré. In 1932 Norbert Casteret identified parietal figures, confirming its archaeological importance. Excavations by Henri Begouën, Georges Simonnet, and André Glory revealed engravings (horses, bisons, bouquetins), engraved plaques, and human remains, including 14 burials dated Magdalenian IV. The site also delivered objects such as a stalagmite lamp, testifying to its prolonged occupation.

Ranked a historical monument in 1983, the Cave des Chevaux is a rare example of a link between parietal art and acoustics. Red dots near sound niches suggest ritual use, possibly associated with musical or shamanic practices. The karst network, with its loss-resurgence, drains a basin of 6 km2, and its waters reappear at the resurgence of the Echourdet in Esparros. The cave was also used as a cinematic setting, as in The Wolf Pact (2001).

The toponym Laspugue (or Aspugue) comes from the spugue occitan, derived from the novel spulga (fortified grove), reflecting the importance of cavities in the region. The site is part of the great hiking trail Tour des Baronnies de Bigorre and illustrates the human occupation of the Pyrenees since the Prehistory, with traces up to the age of bronze and iron. Archaeological studies, such as those of François Rouzaud on deep homes, highlight his role both domestic and symbolic.

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