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La Grotte des Fées

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La Grotte des Fées is a cave located in Châtelperron, in the French department of Allier, in the Auvergne region.[1]

Description

The name refers to three caves, among which one is collapsed.

Location

The caves are located in the commune of Châtelperron, in the Allier department.

They are situated 1 km north of the town, on the left bank of the Graveron (03° 03’ 18”E, 46°24’42”N), à 5 ou 6 m}} above stream level.

They belong to the Massif central.

History

Two interlinked caves were first discovered around 1840, perhaps in 1848, during the railway track construction[2] which used to link the mines from Bert to Dompierre-sur-Besbre.[3] The first delving research was led out by Albert Poirrier, who carried out the construction of the railway line and who had a keen interest in prehistory. A few years later, between 1867 and 1872, Dr. Guillaume Bailleau undertook new research. A third cave (today collapsed), was discovered in 1867 par Bailleau. Several thousand flint blades and mammoth tusks of over Template:Unit long were found. The last research was led out from 1951 to 1954 and in 1962 by Henri Delporte and revealed back blades of flint, named « couteaux de Châtelperron », burins, drills and scrapers.

Most of the artefacts are today located at the British Museum and at the Philadelphia museum. A fews pieces are on display at the Moulins museum and at the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The showroom of Châtelperron (Préhistorama, located in the former railway station) only has reproductions for the time being.

It is to la Grotte des Fées (35,000 - 30,000 B.C.) that the « châtelperronian » era owes its name to. Delving results have also sparked the debated theory of the hypothetical cohabitation between anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals.[3]

The site was ranked as a French monument historique in 1949.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Grottes préhistoriques (deux)
  2. ^ The railway line, which followed the Graveron hollow, has disappeared, where a path now runs.
  3. ^ a b For the delving research results, see : João Zilhão, Francesco d’Errico, Jean-Guillaume Bordes, Arnaud Lenoble, Jean-Pierre Texier et Jean-Philippe Rigaud, « La Grotte des Fées (Châtelperron, Allier) ou une stratification « Châtelperronien-Aurignacien » illusoire. Histoire des fouilles, stratigraphie et datations », Paléo, 19, 2007, pp. 391-432. viewable online.