Origin and history
The caves of Montmaurin, located in the gorges of the Seygouade (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie), form an exceptional karst complex searched since the beginning of the twentieth century. They delivered remains covering a period from the Mindel-Riss interglacial (around 400,000 years) to the Gallo-Roman era, with a remarkable concentration of human fossils and lithic tools. The mandible of Montmaurin, discovered in 1949 in the cave of La Niche, was long considered the oldest human fossil in France before the discovery of the Man of Tautavel. These cavities, classified as Historic Monument in 1949, have also revealed successive occupations (Acheulean, Moustarian, Aurignacian, Magdalenian) and fossils of missing animals such as cave lions or cave bears.
The Gorge Cup Cave, which was excavated by Louis Méroc from 1946 to 1961, delivered 200,000-year-old human remains and tools typical of the Middle Paleolithic. The cave of the Abeilles, on the other hand, is the first site where the Protoaurignacian was identified, a transitional culture towards the Aurignacian. The excavations, conducted in a context of constant threat related to the exploitation of local quarries, documented complex stratigraphics, reflecting major climate change (Riss and Würm glaciations) and human adaptations. The nearby caves of Lespugue, sharing the same geological formation, have also delivered emblematic artifacts such as the Venus de Lespugue, reinforcing the regional importance of this heritage.
The caves of Montmaurin are dug in sea limestones of Danien (66 to 61.6 million years), formed by the tectonic thrust of the Pyrenees. Sedimentary filling, preserved on four levels corresponding to the sinking phases of the Seygouade, offers a rare stratigraphic sequence in Europe. The cave of the Putois, at the lower level, revealed burials of the Bronze Age and Magdalenian foyers, while the cave of the Terrasse, collapsed, delivered acheulean tools associated with coproliths of hyenas. These discoveries, combined with a variety of wildlife (reindeer, mammoths, horses), illustrate landscapes ranging from cold steppe to temperate environments, depending on interglacial periods.
The systematic excavations, initiated by Louis Méroc and supported by figures such as Abbé Breuil or Henri de Lumley, made Montmaurin a reference site for the study of the European settlement. However, the tensions between Méroc and Georges Laplace, as well as the premature death of Méroc in 1970, left some of the collections unsolicited. Today, these caves, threatened by career projects, remain a major preservation issue. The Musée de Montmaurin, inaugurated in 2020, exhibits a selection of objects from the excavations, while the collections are divided between the Musée d'Archéologie nationale (Saint-Germain-en-Laye) and the Musée national de Préhistoire (Les Eyzies).
The geology of the site, marked by a brachy-anticlinal and covered gorges, favored the exceptional conservation of these remains. The caves, located near the Seygouade-Save confluence, benefit from a microclimate suitable for biodiversity, with refuges for Mediterranean and mountain species. This environmental context, coupled with a rich stratigraphy, makes it a "high place of humanity", compared to sites like Tautavel or Ceprano. Despite their ranking, caves remain vulnerable to extractive activities, stressing the urgency of their Sanctuary for future generations.
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