Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The prehistoric deposit of the Moustier, located in Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère in the Dordogne, is an emblematic site of the Prehistory, especially for the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. It consists of two main shelters: the upper shelter, where Édouard Lartet and Henry Christy discovered in 1860 a lithic industry named Moustérien, and the lower shelter, searched by Otto Hauser and Denis Peyrony. The latter exhumed in 1914 the skeleton of a Neanderthal child, Le Moustier 2, studied much later in 2002. The site, acquired by the state in 1910, is a key witness to human occupations between 56,000 and 40,000 years B.C.E.

The excavations of the upper shelter, led by Lartet, Christy, then Maurice Bourlon and Denis Peyrony, revealed stratigraphic layers of the typical Moustarian, the Moustarian of Acheulean Tradition and the Aurignacian. Peyrony published precise works in 1930, although the shelter is now emptied. The lower shelter, on the other hand, delivered Neanderthal remains, including Le Moustier 1, a poorly preserved skeleton sold at the Berlin Museum, and various lithic industries (Châtelperronien, Aurignacien). Thermoluminescence and ESR dates place occupations between 56,000 and 40,000 years.

Le Moustier is one of the fifteen prehistoric sites in the Vézère Valley listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Its acquisition by the state in 1910, on the initiative of Denis Peyrony, allowed its preservation. Subsequent research, such as H. Laville and J.-Ph. Rigaud in 1969, refined stratigraphic knowledge. The site also illustrates François Bordes' pioneering methods in lithic typology, applied to local Musterian industries.

The discoveries of the Mustier, especially the Neanderthal remains, played a crucial role in understanding prehistoric populations. The skull of Le Moustier 1, the only preserved vestige, and the virtual reconstruction of Le Moustier 2's skull allowed unprecedented anthropological comparisons. The excavations also revealed the use of manganese by Neandertalians, studied in 2019 by africa Pitarch and his team. These elements make the Mostier a reference site for the study of ancient human behaviour.

The lower shelter was the scene of controversial discoveries, such as the chaotic exhumation of Le Moustier 1 in 1907 by Otto Hauser, where the skeleton was repeatedly dug up and rebuked before being sold. This context highlighted the importance of rigorous archaeological protocols, which were absent at the time. Peyrony's work, on the other hand, marked a methodological turning point, with detailed publications and a precise stratigraphic approach, still referenced today.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1932 and part of the world heritage, the Moustier symbolizes both the prehistoric richness of the Dordogne and the challenges of archaeological conservation. Its inclusion in all the prehistoric sites and caves adorned with the Vézère valley reinforces its status as an exceptional heritage, attracting researchers and visitors for its scientific and cultural heritage.

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