Prince Albert I of Monaco (1848-1922), an enlightened scientist and patron of the arts, had long sensed the archaeological potential of the cave nestled in the “Baussu” cliff, northwest of the Principality of Monaco, and known as the Grotte de l'Observatoire.
In 1916, archaeological remains were discovered during work on the Jardin Exotique, with plans to build a pool at the entrance to the cave. Over the next 4 years, Canon Léonce de Villeneuve, director of Monaco's first Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology, undertook rescue excavations.
As a result of these excavations, from 1916 to 1920, and the worksites that followed (Barral and Simone, 1982-1987), three major archaeostratigraphic ensembles, separated by stalagmitic floors, were revealed: the Upper Palaeolithic in “la Chambre”, the Middle Palaeolithic in “la Crypte” and the Lower Palaeolithic in “la Fosse”.
The Observatoire cave reveals traces of Monaco's first inhabitants, various groups of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers who came to occupy the entrance to the cave.
This presence is attested to by the remains of animal bones that constituted their food. These remains also bear witness to the climatic variations that have occurred over the past 250,000 years.
The visit to the cave, included in the entrance ticket to the Exotic Garden, is guided by specialists.
Grotte de l'Observatoire
62, boulevard du Jardin Exotique,
98000 Monaco
https://www.grottesdefrance.org/grotte-aven-gouffre/grotte-de-l-observatoire/
Translated with DeepL.com
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