Cussac Cave: Upper Palaeolithic Art and Human Remains Discovered in France

Underneath the beautiful, rolling hills of the Dordogne area in south-western France, there lay a large-scale secret of history in total darkness for thousands of years. On September 12, 2000, a devoted cave explorer by the name Marc Delluc was hunting for new passageways in the caves in this region. He finally found out that there was a very small and hard-to-notice fissure in the limestone rock from where he decided to squeeze his body. While he was moving through the dark and wet underground passage, he lifted his lamp to examine the walls. As per his expectations, he should have come across normal geological features; however, he saw many beautiful, detailed lines carved on the stones. The marks could be thoughtlessly overlooked by archaeologists since they might simply be random scratches made by cave bears or erosion. Yet, as Delluc explored further inside, the marks began to create magnificent images of mammoths, bison, and wild horses that had long since died out. This was a rare find indeed – an untouched Upper Palaeolithic gallery that would soon be dubbed Cussac Cave by the rest of the world.

Unravelling the two mysteries of a prehistoric shrine This exciting discovery shook up the scientific community since this cave held a mixture of prehistoric wonders that had never before been witnessed by humans. According to an In situ study of the Gravettian individual from Cussac cave, a complete anthropological study featured in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology, the cave was quite unique since it housed monumental rock paintings as well as untouched human skeletal remains. By analysing the unique artistic style of the animal carvings and utilising advanced radiocarbon dating on the surrounding sediment, researchers determined that the cave was actively used during the Gravettian period, roughly 25,000 to 30,000 years ago.

Further exploration uncovered an intact human skeleton, suggesting the cave served as a prehistoric burial site and a place of worship. Remarkably, ancient footprints preserved in the mud indicate the use of sophisticated footwear. Image Credit: Evidence of the use of soft footwear in the Gravettian cave of Cussac (Dordogne, France) Fig 2

The scientists, concentrating on one particular part of the underground structure known as Locus 2, discovered an almost complete skeleton of a human being lying in a natural depression. It became obvious that a layer of clay, covering the bones, had been applied intentionally by placing a body inside the natural hollow for an archaic burial ceremony. It showed that the cave was no longer only a location for creating prehistoric art but a highly important place that combined both religious aspects of worshipping the dead ancestors, along with artistic activities.

The ghostly footsteps left in the ancient mud In addition to spectacular wall carvings and perfectly preserved skeletons of the ancients, the unique cave environment managed to retain something else, too. As mentioned in a special archaeological study called Evidence of the use of soft footwear in the Gravettian cave of Cussac, published in the magazine Scientific Reports, the muddy floors of the corridor retain the footprints of the inhabitants from thousands of years ago. In the study of the footprints, it was observed that there were some circular impressions in the form of a depression, which lacked individual toe impressions from the feet. Due to this particular feature, the scientists assumed that the ancient population used highly sophisticated leather shoes to protect themselves from the cold stone floors of the caves. Cussac Cave is protected with great precision today by the French government, as its opening is not easily accessible to many people every year, so that the delicate drawings are not harmed because of excess moisture and breathing in the air. As we walk the streets of modern French towns that are busy in their daily bustle, an old world, rich in its depths, waits patiently for us in the darkness just below our feet.