Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Blanchard shelter, located in the valley of the Rocks (or Castel-Merle) in Sergeac (Dordogne), is part of a set of six rock shelters occupied since the Upper Paleolithic. This site, excavated in 1911 by Marcel Castanet, is renowned for hosting Europe's richest Aurignacian collection in bone industry, trimmings and art-on-block. Remnants include mammoth ivory beads, pierced shells, and engraved or painted blocks dated between -30,000 and -35,000 years. It was classified as a Historic Monument in 1931.

The Castel Merle Valley, dominated by two 100-metre-long cliffs, offers an exceptional concentration of prehistoric habitats. The site is occupied successively by the Neanderthalians (Gabri Blanchard II) and then by Homo sapiens (Cro-Magnon), the traces of the Aurignacian, gravetian, solutrean and Magdalenian cultures. The natural collapses of the vaults preserved the archaeological layers, revealing thousands of flints, sculptures (such as the frieze of the Reverbit shelter), and adorned graves.

The excavations, initially conducted by Marcel Castanet for the Eyzie Museum, were taken over by international teams, including Randall White in 1995. In 2012, an engraved plaque dated -37,000 years (subject to reservation) was discovered, potentially the oldest in the world. The site, integrated in 2025 with the Council of Europe's "Prehistoric Rock Art Trails", attracts its unique heritage and its museum exhibiting necklaces and Aurignacian objects.

The topography of the valley, crossed by an ancient stream today dried up, and its proximity to the Vézère (8 km from Lascaux) make it a key place to understand prehistoric lifestyles. Neighboring shelters, such as Castanet (classified in 1922), Labattut or La Souquette, complement this archaeological complex, showing continuous occupation and advanced symbolic practices (art, trimmings, rituals).

The research has highlighted innovative techniques, such as the control of light and heat in shelters, or the manufacture of ivory "basket beads". Recent studies (Bourrillon, White, Delluc) highlight the importance of the site for the understanding of the Aurignacian in Western Europe, notably through the analysis of collections held in the United States and France.

Despite stratigraphies partially damaged by ancient excavations (such as those of O. Hauser), Castel-Merle remains a reference point for studying cultural transitions and interactions between human groups during Prehistory. Its classification as Historic Monuments and its integration into European heritage networks make it a major site for research and scientific dissemination.

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