First certified occupation Magdalénien (Paléolithique supérieur) (≈ 1505000 av. J.-C.)
Specialized hunter-collector societies.
Laborien (Mésolithique)
End of prehistoric occupation
End of prehistoric occupation Laborien (Mésolithique) (≈ 8000 av. J.-C.)
Transition to Neolithic.
1947
Discovery of the rock decor
Discovery of the rock decor 1947 (≈ 1947)
Engravings found in the northwest sector.
29 avril 1948
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 29 avril 1948 (≈ 1948)
Official cave protection.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Grotte dit du Gazel ou des Marronniers (cad. 438) : classification by decree of 29 April 1948
Key figures
Information non disponible - No historical character cited
The source text does not mention any names.
Origin and history
The Gazel Cave, also known as the Marronnier Cave, is an adorned cave in Sallèles-Cabardès, Aude department, Occitanie region. Dated from the Magdalenian (upper Paleolithic), it was also occupied during the ancient, medium Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and the age of ancient and final bronze. It was classified as historical monuments in 1948 and remains a private property.
The cave opens to the west and is located on the left bank of Escole Creek, about 275 m above sea level, overlooking the 30 m stream. It is dug at the junction of geological layers dated from the lower Cambrian, composed of dolomies and black limestone. Its network, 300 m long, is divided into two sectors, one to the north-west of which houses a rock decor discovered in 1947.
The rock representations, located mainly in a rotunda, include horses, ibex, an accephalous feminine silhouette and various signs, spread over twenty-three engraved panels. These works bear witness to the occupation of the cave by hunter-collector societies specialized in the exploitation of large ungulates, in particular the reindeer, a major resource both food and technical.
The occupation of the site extends from Magdalenian to Laborian (Mesolithic), through Azilian (Epipaleolithic). The cave thus illustrates a long sequence of human occupation, reflecting the cultural and technological evolutions of the prehistoric populations of the region.
The protection of the cave as a historical monument in 1948 underscores its archaeological and heritage importance. However, its state of private property limits its accessibility to the public, although its study continues to enrich knowledge of Prehistory in Occitanie.
