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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Paleolithic deposit of the Roche-Cotard, located in Langeais (Indre-et-Loire), is an archaeological complex composed of three zones (Roche-Cotard I, II and III) revealing human occupations dated to the Moustarian, between 75,000 and 32,000 years. The main cave (Roche-Cotard I), discovered in 1912 by François d'Achon, delivered flint tools, bones of animals (bisons, horses, rhinoceros) and traces of Neanderthal habitats. Its entrance, buried under 8 to 10 metres of sediment, had been cleared in 1846 during work.

In 1975, Jean-Claude Marquet revived the excavations and identified two other sites (Roche-Cotard II and III), as well as parietal engravings and a modified flint block, nicknamed the "Moustarian mask". The latter, dated between 75,600 and 40,000 years, is interpreted as a possible Neanderthal symbolic representation, although this hypothesis remains debated. Roche-Cotard II also revealed a hearth and flint tools, while Roche-Cotard III contained large mammal bones and large shrapnel.

The site was listed as a historic monument in 2018 and was classified in 2021 for its exceptional importance. Recent dates (luminescence, carbon 14) confirm its attribution to Man of Neanderthal, especially for the digital tracks discovered in 1975 and re-examined in 2023. These engravings, between 57,000 and 75,000 years old, are among the oldest evidence of artistic expression in the world.

The Roche-Cotard artifacts include nearly 100 flint tools (raclers, moustarian tips), quaternary wildlife bones, and the "mask", a 10.55 cm block drilled naturally and modified by symmetrical retouches. Its interpretation oscillates between symbolic object, utility weight or toy, reflecting the debates on the cognitive abilities of Neanderthalians. Sedimentary layers also delivered remains of megakeros deer, hyenas of caves and primitive bovids.

The excavations revealed a discontinuous occupation, with traces of flint in situ (Roche-Cotard III) and temporary camps (Roche-Cotard II). The absence of small shrapnel in some levels suggests that the tools were partially manufactured elsewhere. The site thus illustrates the Mousterian lifestyles, between hunting, collecting and possible symbolic practices, in an environment of cold steppes bordering the Loire.

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