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  2. Patrimoine
  3. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  4. Ardèche
  5. 07700 Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche

  6. Grotte du Figuier

Grotte du Figuier à Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche en Ardèche

Ardèche

Grotte du Figuier

    36 Escrouzille
    07700 Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Grotte du Figuier
Crédit photo : Thilo Parg - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1878
Beginning of archaeological excavations
1906
Discovery of engravings
1928
Authentication of engravings
1950-1966
Records of engravings
17 mars 2017
Registration for historical monuments
20 mai 2025
Final classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The parcel section A No. 2099 of the cadastre, in its entirety, situated at the place known as "Escrouzille", Route des Gorges, housing the Huchard Cave, also called Ranc Pointu No. 1, the Cave of the Figuier, the Cave Sombre and the Cave of the Two Openings, as coloured in pink on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by order of 20 May 2025

Key figures

Paul Raymond - Doctor and Prehistorian Discoverer of engravings in 1906.
Henri Breuil - Prehistory Authenticated the engravings in 1928.
Jean Combier - Archaeologist First survey of engravings in 1950.
Marie-Hélène Moncel - Prehistorian Studies on the Moustarian site.

Origin and history

The Figuier Cave is an adorned cave located in the commune of Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche, in Ardèche. This archaeological site includes strata dated to Mousterian and Upper Paleolithic (Aurignacian, Solutrean, Magdalenian), revealing a prolonged human occupation. The excavations, initiated in 1878, revealed lithic tools and a child's burial of the Magdalenian, covered with ochre and accompanied by a pierced shell.

The parietal engravings, discovered in 1906 by Dr.Paul Raymond, were first ignored before being authenticated in 1928 by Henri Breuil. These works, located at the bottom of the cave, represent animals (bisons, mammoths) in a homogeneous style typical of the Upper Paleolithic. Their conservation status is precarious due to erosion and stalagmitic deposits.

The cave was listed as a historical monument in 2017, and was classified in 2025. It is not accessible to the public, but its study has contributed to the understanding of regional parietal art, particularly in connection with nearby caves such as Chabot or Oullins. Recent research (2012, 2020) has refined knowledge of his occupations, from Moustarian to Magdalenian.

The entrance porch, 15 meters wide, leads to a rectangular room of 150 m2, whose pierced ceiling favored post-glacial sedimentary fillings. Two main panels adorn the west and north walls: one shows a 50 cm bison, the other a 1 m mammoth, partially covered with stalagmites. Other less distinct figures evoke horses or ibex.

The excavations revealed tools characteristic of each period: Aurignacian blades, Solutrean tips, Magdalenian sagaies. The burial of the child, studied in 1953 and 2008, illustrates symbolic funeral practices (ocre, parure). These discoveries underline the importance of the site in the study of prehistoric societies in south-eastern France.

The Figuier cave is part of a network of prehistoric sites in the gorges of the Ardèche, associated with caves such as the Two Openings or Castanié. Its 2025 classification protects a unique archaeological and artistic ensemble, witness to the first human symbolic expressions in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum