Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cosquer caves, the Triperia cave, the Figuier cave and the Renard cave, located in the calanques of Marseille (9th), constitute a major archaeological complex of the Upper Paleolithic. The Cosquer Cave, discovered in 1991 by diver Henri Cosquer, is distinguished by its unique underwater entrance, located 37 metres deep. His rock paintings, dated between 33,000 and 18500 years B.C.E., give an exceptional testimony of the serioustian and solutrean parietal art, with 65 negative hands and 177 animal representations, including 16 rare marine species such as seals or penguins.

The cave was visited in two distinct phases: a first occupation around 27,000 years old (Gravetien), marked by stencil hands, and a second at about 19,000 years old (Soltreen/Epigravetien), rich in animal figures. Its access was possible on dry foot during the last glaciation, when the level of the Mediterranean was 120 meters lower. Ranked a historic monument in 1992 with the other three caves in the area, it is now protected by an underwater grid and forbidden access to preserve its heritage and avoid new accidents, such as that of 1991 which cost the lives of three divers.

The discovery of the cave was the result of a collaboration between Henri Cosquer and Belgian speleologists, the Van Espen brothers, who explored his drowned casing in 1990-1991. The first expertise, led by prehistorians Jean Clottes and Jean Courtin, confirmed its authenticity despite initial doubts. Between 2001 and 2015, archaeological campaigns led by Luc Vanrell (DRAC PACA/LAMPEA) allowed us to study its 517 parietal figures and its geological context, revealing its status as an ancient karst resurgence.

A partial replica of the cave, created from high precision 3D scans, opened to the public in June 2022 in the Villa Méditerranée in Marseille. This facsimile, managed by Kléber Rossillon, allows to discover his masterpieces without risking to degrade the original, threatened by the rise of the waters. With 809 196 visitors in one year, this site has become a major tourist asset, while perpetuating the memory of a fragile and unique prehistoric heritage in the world.

The dispute between Henri Cosquer and the Ministry of Culture, dealing with compensation for discovery, illustrates the legal and ethical issues related to the protection of archaeological sites. At the same time, a second secret entrance, called "cattle", explored since the 1990s but revealed only in 2025, highlights the challenges of preservation in the face of the risks of intrusion. The cave remains a subject of study for researchers, particularly on the ritual or symbolic motivations of his paintings.

The geological context of the Marseille calanques, marked by urgonian limestones and karst phenomena, explains the formation of these cavities. The Cosquer cave, like the ex-emergence of Port Miou, bears witness to the past variations of the sea level, having transformed a dry gallery into a submerged site. The absence of permanent housing remains suggests one-off visits, possibly linked to ceremonial or artistic practices, in an environment that is now inaccessible without specialized diving equipment.

Future

The cave is not open to the public and its entrance has been barred by concrete blocks in order to preserve it and prevent accidents.

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