Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Etxeberri Cave, also known as Etcheberria Cave or Etcheberriko-Kharbia Cave, is an adorned cave located in Camou-Cihigue, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It is famous for its parietal representations attributed to the Middle Magdalenian, a period of the Upper Paleolithic. These works, gradually discovered in the 20th century, include figures of horses, bisons and bouquetins, divided into two main rooms: the "Room of Paintings" and the "Room of Gouffre". The cave, classified as a historical monument in 1952, is a rare testimony of prehistoric art in this region.

The cave has been known since the beginning of the 20th century, but it was only in 1950 that Pierre Boucher and Georges Laplace discovered a first performance, a small red horse. Laplace conducted extensive studies from 1951 onwards, publishing its results in 1952. In the 1980s, Éric de Valicourt and Michel Lauga identified new figures, bringing the total to 68 graphic representations recorded in 1988. However, some of these works have disappeared or become illegible due to the degradation caused by the use of the site.

Located 440 metres above sea level on the western slope of the Axkoargibela mountain, the cave extends over about 200 metres. Its access is perilous, requiring speleological equipment due to its wells, catyards and gulfs. The "painting room", located 150 metres from the entrance, houses most of the ornaments, including 14 horses, a bison and a bouquet, all of large dimensions. The figures, made with natural pigments like clay, present a naturalistic style characteristic of the Magdalenian.

The "Salle du Gouffre", accessible after a slope break of 8 meters and a 20 meters abyss, contains other representations, including a horse engraved in clay and figures drawn to the finger. These works, although partially erased, bear witness to the audacity of prehistoric artists who have overcome the difficulties of access to these places. The archaeological furniture found in the cave is limited to a few flint tools and fragments from the ochre, suggesting short and sporadic occupations.

Dates made in 2008 on bones and shells found in the Paintings Hall allowed to estimate the age of representations between 16,084 and 13,770 years before the present. These results confirm the attribution of the works to the average Magdalenian and underline the importance of this site for the understanding of paleolithic parietal art in the Pyrenees.

Despite its archaeological richness, the Echeberriko-Kharbia Cave remains fragile. The deterioration observed in the late 1980s led to an awareness of the need to protect this exceptional heritage, now classified and preserved for future generations.

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