Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The cellar in Margot, also known as the Margot Cave, is a major archaeological site of the Paleolithic, part of the Saulges cave group. Located in Thorigné-en-Charnie in Mayenne (Pays de la Loire), it was mentioned in 1701, with a local legend evoking the Margot fairy. Its access was historically difficult, with a narrow entrance of 50 cm and passages requiring crawling, which caused several tragic accidents.

The excavations of the 19th century and the works of Raoul Daniel revealed traces of successive occupations: Moustarian, Aurignacian, Solutrean and Magdalenian, as well as remains of dens of hyenas and bears. The stalagmitic floor, used by the men of the Upper Paleolithic, was damaged by these excavations and tourist exploitation. The cave, 319 metres long with a 14-metre elevation, functioned as a " corridor" where visitors had to crawl, except in some rooms such as the Hunter's Hall or the Margot Palace.

In 2005, Romain Pigeaud's team discovered the first indisputable paleolithic figures, confirming its importance in parietal art. The cave now has 124 graphic units, divided into two stylistic sets. Ranked a historic monument in 1926 after the discovery of medieval skeletons in 1924, it attracts more than 22,000 annual visitors, seduced by its concretions (like the "petrified oak") and its legend.

Recent research (since 2006) has also revealed the bones of bears, wolves, and a fragment of child's pelvis in the nearby Rochefort cave, as well as an engraved blister representing a bouquetin. These discoveries reinforce its status as a major cavity, comparable to the cave of Arcy-sur-Cure (Yonne).

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