Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sainte-Reine Cave, also called Trou de Sainte-Reine, is a natural cavity located on the right bank of the Moselle River, at Pierre-la-Treiche (Meurthe-et-Moselle). Formed in an endokarst intersected by the collection of the river, it was partially filled by alluvials before the capture of the Moselle by the Meurth. Its archaeological importance was recognized as early as the 19th century, with the discovery of cave bear bones, hyenas, and prehistoric tools such as cut flints or a deer wood amulet. Ranked a historic monument in 1910, it is the second largest cave in the department, with a development of 1,260 meters.

The systematic exploration of the cave began in the mid-19th century, led by pharmacist Nicolas Husson and his son Camille. They discovered remains of prehistoric animals (macheries, femur, teeth) and human artifacts, analysed by scientists such as Dominique-Alexandre Godron and Paul Gervais. The excavations also revealed objects of Roman times, including a vase in enamelled blue glass. At the turn of the 20th century, Ernest Brazillon and Charles Deschamps published a detailed plan, taken up by Édouard-Alfred Martel, while 20th century speleologists (such as USAN and ASHM) extended the known network, discovering new galleries such as Salle 33 (2008) or Galerie Rat-Lynx (2016–2020).

The cave derives its name from a local legend evoking a "holy queen", perhaps a woman of Celtic chief, Gallo-Roman or Franca, whose body would have been hidden in the cavity. Occupied in the 18th century (a hermitage was installed there), it was cited in 1861 by Henri Lepage in his Dictionnaire géographique de la Meurthe. Recent research, like that of Benoît Losson in the 1990s, has made it possible to date the caves more than 300,000 years old, linking their formation to the geological capture of the Moselle. The site also houses a rare troglophilic fauna, studied since the 19th century, including collemboles, isopods (Cæcosphæroma burgundum), and spiders like Meta menardi.

The Sainte-Reine Cave is entirely classified (except for a few areas in class 2) and is owned by the commune of Pierre-la-Treiche. His exploration continues to reveal archaeological remains and karst phenomena, while offering an exceptional testimony of the Lorrain prehistory and interactions between man, fauna, and the geological transformations of the Moselle Valley.

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