Castel Merle

About

Castel Merle or Castermerle is a prehistoric site that includes several rock shelters in the commune of Sergeac, Dordogne, in the Black Perigord. It has been the subject of archaeological excavations since 1878. The Blanchard shelter (not to be confused with the Blanchard cave in Saint-Marcel, Indre) is Europe's richest goldfield in bone industry, trimming and art-on-block.

The Castanet shelter delivered an Aurignacian engraved plaque. In December 2025, the site joined the "Prehistoric Art Routes" — emanating from the Council of Europe — which already includes 160 European sites attracting four million visitors a year.