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  2. Patrimoine
  3. Occitanie
  4. Ariège
  5. 09320 Massat

  6. Paleolithic cave of the Rock of Ker in Massat

 Paleolithic cave of the Rock of Ker in Massat dans l'Ariège

Patrimoine classé
Vestiges préhistoriques
Grotte
Grotte ornée
Ariège

Paleolithic cave of the Rock of Ker in Massat

    Le Bourg
    09320 Massat
Grotte ornée paléolithique du Rocher de Ker à Massat
Grotte ornée paléolithique du Rocher de Ker à Massat
Grotte ornée paléolithique du Rocher de Ker à Massat
Grotte ornée paléolithique du Rocher de Ker à Massat
Grotte ornée paléolithique du Rocher de Ker à Massat
Grotte ornée paléolithique du Rocher de Ker à Massat
Grotte ornée paléolithique du Rocher de Ker à Massat
Crédit photo : Pierre Goujet - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1856
Initial discovery
1861
Prehistoric classification
22 septembre 1957
Discovery of engravings
20 novembre 1974
Historical monument classification
1991
Biotope protection (APPB)
2012
Natura 2000 integration
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Paleolithic adorned cave (Box K 5): by order of 20 November 1974

Key figures

Édouard Lartet - Prehistory Establishes prehistoric chronology via Massat.
Alfred Fontan - Discoverer Report the site to Lartet in 1856.
Jacques Paloumé - Speleologist Discover the engravings in 1957.
René Gailli - Prehistory Studies and publishes engravings.
Félix Garrigou - Local searcher Find objects engraved in the 19th century.

Origin and history

The paleolithic cave of the Rock of Ker, located in Massat in Ariège (Occitanie), is a major archaeological site of the Magdalenian (upper Paleolithic). It was the first Ariegean cave to reveal prehistoric remains, playing a central role in the establishment of the chronological classifications of prehistory by Édouard Lartet in 1861. His engravings, discovered in 1957, and his abundant furniture (e.g. flint tools, engraved bones, wildlife remains) make this an exceptional testimony of human and animal occupations more than 12,000 years ago.

The site consists of several cavities, including the cave of the Campagnole (or lower cave) and the upper cave, rich in bones of cave bears (Ursus spelaeus). Classified as a historical monument in 1974, the cave has also been protected since 1991 for its underground fauna (chauves-mouse, desman des Pyrénées), integrated into the Natura 2000 network in 2012. Its porch, 620 m above sea level, dominates the Arac River, in a karst landscape marked by limestone cliffs and superimposed galleries.

The discovery in 1856 by Alfred Fontan of carved flint and flint, followed by the excavations by Edward Lartet, revealed emblematic objects such as a deer sting engraved with a bear's head. These findings fueled debates about humanity's seniority, opposing creationists and evolutionists. In the 19th century, Ker also served as a refuge for refractory priests and hermitage, leaving traces like Saint-Branda's loratory near the summit.

The engravings of the adorned gallery, discovered in 1957 by Jacques Paloumé, represent animal figures (bears, herbivores) and abstract motifs. Their study, interrupted by the death of Paloumé in 1967, was taken over by René Gailli and Claude Barrière. The cave, a communal property, remains partially accessible outside of bat protection periods (March 1 to September 30).

The Massat Ker, an occitan term meaning "rockhead", is a limestone massif of the lower Cretaceous, shaped by karst erosion. In addition to its caves, the site preserves historical remains such as the Nabasse hut, linked to its past of hermitage and refuge. Today, it combines prehistoric heritage, remarkable biodiversity and sporting practices (escalation).

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum