Located in the Célé valley, in Cabrerets, the Pech Merle cave hosts the Prehistory Center and the Amédée Lemozi Museum.
In the heart of the Regional Natural Park of the Causses of Quercy, Pech Merle, a site preserved for thousands of years, presents one of the most beautiful artistic expressions of humanity, an authentic masterpiece of prehistoric art.
The cave...
The cave of Pech Merle is vast, its developed length exceeds two kilometers and the rooms have important volumes.
The upper network of the Pech Merle cave, without any trace of prehistoric frequentation, was explored at the beginning of the 20th century. The prehistoric galleries of the lower network were discovered in 1922 by André David and Henri Dutertre, aged sixteen and fifteen. The study of the paintings and engravings was undertaken immediately by Abbé Amédée Lemozi, priest of Cabrerets.
The cave, open to the public since 1926, was classified as a "Historic Monument" in 1952. The commune of Cabrerets is the owner and manages the visits.
Its geological interest is fundamental. All the stages of its formation, which lasted several million years, are still visible: digging by the corrosion of water, collapses, successive filling and emptying of water, sand or clay, formation of stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, disks, eccentrics, gours, stalagmitic floors, breaking or wear of these different types of concretions have left their trace in this or that part of the cave. It is a real memory of the Earth.
The prehistoric works are numerous, well preserved, and representative of all the techniques and subjects of cave art.
The paintings of Pech Merle are more than 20,000 years old and have come down to us in a remarkable state of preservation. However, they remain extremely fragile.
To preserve them, the number of visitors and the duration of the visit are limited.
In the vicinity of Pech Merle, within a radius of about ten kilometers, there are a dozen decorated caves that are not open to the public.
The Amédée Lemozi Museum
The museum of regional prehistory Amédée Lemozi preserves in its collections more than 350.000 years of human occupation in Quercy. The prehistory exhibition shows the most beautiful pieces.
The projection of a documentary film and a space dedicated to cave art complete the visit of the cave.
The quality of the museum's collections is recognized by the label Musée de France:
exhibition Cave Art of Quercy
exhibition Prehistory of Quercy
cinema : documentary film
history of the museum
research and studies of the collections
Various animations and several prehistoric workshops are proposed on the site.
To take part in these activities, reservations are necessary by phone at 05 65 31 27 05.
Center of Prehistory
Pech Merle
46330 Cabrerets
Tel : 05 65 31 27 05
https://www.pechmerle.com/le-centre-de-prehistoire/
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