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Origin and history

The Colombière Rock Shelter, located in Neuville-sur-Ain in the Jura Massif, is a major archaeological site of the Chalcolithic and Neolithic periods. Ranked for its prehistoric artifacts deposit, it was reported in 1867 by Adrien Arcelin, then searched in 1913 by L. Mayet and J. Pissot, revealing a Magdalenian industry and engravings on mammoth pebbles and bones, including the first known anthropomorphic representation.

The excavations carried out by H. Movius from 1948 enabled us to establish a reliable stratigraphy and to discover a tenth engraved scab. The site sparked debate on Paleolithic burials and the interpretation of furniture art, notably with the Hoteaux cave in Rossillon. These controversies marked the history of French archaeology.

Although located on a private property inaccessible to the public, the shelter is visible from a pedestrian path from Neuville-sur-Ain to Poncin. It has been protected as historical monuments since 1946 and has benefited from conservation measures as a listed and registered natural site. Its porch, a theatre of excavations, dominates the river d'Ain, offering an emblematic setting for the study of Prehistory.

Under its vast porch, a speleological gallery of a few tens of meters, accessible by a 3 meters jump, ends with a fill. This site illustrates both the archaeological and geological importance of the Jura massif, while remaining a mysterious and preserved place.

The artifacts discovered, including the engraved pebbles, provided a variety of assumptions, ranging from prehistoric "drawing books" to propitiatory objects related to hunting. These interpretations reflect the symbolic and cultural richness of Paleolithic societies in this region.

The Colombière Cave, with its historical excavations and legal protections, embodies an exceptional archaeological heritage, bearing witness to the ancient human occupation in the department of Ain and more widely in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

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