A monument with 400,000 years of history
Follow man back through time in a rare experience set 50m above the Verdon Gorge.
After a walk, an amazing discovery awaits you. Baume Bonne cave is an outstanding prehistoric site, and an expert guide from Quinson Museum is here to bring the cave's history to life.
La grotte de la Baume Bonne (Baume signifiant grotte en provençal) est un site archéologique majeur en Europe. En effet, elle témoigne de la présence de l'Homme dans le Verdon depuis 400 000 ans.
La collection de la grotte de la Baume Bonne est inestimable puisqu’elle rassemble à elle seule plus de 93 000 objets archéologiques. Parmi les objets retrouvés : des milliers de silex taillés, des empierrements de galets de grès, des restes d’animaux tels que des chevaux et des chamois, ainsi qu'un vieil ours.
La grotte de la Baume Bonne vue du ciel : un habitat très ensoleillé à l'abri du vent et de la pluie, de l'eau toute l'année, du gibier abondant. Autant de raisons qui expliquent la continuité exceptionnelle de la présence de l'Homme dans ce lieu.
En compagnie d'un médiateur, explorez attentivement la grotte. Vous ressentirez une impressionnante amplitude temporelle et remonterez les époques, strate par strate.
Les archéologues ont laissé des traces de leurs fouilles. Ici vous pouvez observer des câbles métalliques matérialisant des carrés d’un mètre de côté, une sorte de « grille de mots croisés ». C’est ce qu’on appelle le carroyage. Cette technique permet de localiser l'endroit d'où a été extrait un objet, et de dresser la cartographie du lieu des fouilles.
Depuis sa découverte en décembre 1946 par Bernard Bottet, la Baume Bonne a fait l’objet de plusieurs séquences de fouilles archéologiques qui ont révélé des témoignages très variés de la présence de l’Homme.
L'intérieur de la grotte, ultime récompense des visiteurs après 1h15 de marche.
Baume Bonne is one of the major sites of European prehistory, and a listed historic monument. Here, you will discover the traces left by man over 400,000 years ago, in one of the world's earliest known human habitats.
First through, you have to walk a little. The pleasant hike follows a path through the garrigue, set with information panels, in the most beautiful natural setting. An expert guide from the museum will lead the way, and then show you round the cave.
Several series of excavations have been carried out in Baume Bonne cave since it was discovered by Bernard Bottet in December 1946. Archaeologists have found an eclectic body of evidence of the presence of man. The oldest traces date from the Lower Palaeolithic period.
You will feel this impressive stretch of time as you come into the cave and travel back through the different eras, stratum by stratum. In the oldest stratum are piles of sandstone pebbles constructed by the Anteneanderthals – man was already taking control of space. A little higher, notice the black layers – fire had been domesticated. Around 250,000 BCE, the Levallois technique for knapping stone appears at Baume Bonne. Around 130,000 BCE, the climate is significantly warmer.
In the more recent layers we find evidence of Neanderthal man: knapped flints and deer bones. A very old cave bear came here to die, several tens of thousands of years ago.
Cro-Magnon man also made his presence felt in Baume Bonne. He left behind him flint blades and slivers, and spear and arrow tips. Then came Neolithic man, with his ceramics, polished tools, grinding basins and rubbing stones, sheep and goats, 6,000 years BCE. Then came the metals – the Copper Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
Next, Phocaean ceramics appear, demonstrating that Massalia had been founded. The upper layers of the cave contain a mixture of objects left behind by shepherds and hunters.
You will discover all this and more when you come to visit us. Ready for your trip?
- Ages 7 and over
- Reservations essential: +33 (0)4 92 74 09 59
- Duration of visit: 3 1/2 hours, of which 2 1/2 hours are spent walking to and from the cave (walking shoes and a water bottle are essential).