Cosquer Cave

About

The Cosquer Cave is a paleolithic adorned cave located in the Calanque de la Triperie, in Marseille, at the foot of the tip of the Voile, near Cap Morgiou. According to the carbon-14 dating of rock paints, it was used between 33,000 and 18500 years before the present (PA). The cave has more than 517 parietal figures corresponding to two periods of occupation, one gravetrine (27,000 AP) and the other epigravetrine or solutrean (19,000 AP).

It is also the only decorated cave, known to date, whose entrance opens under the sea: its only entrance penetrable by humans is an underwater siphon. It is located 37 m below sea level. During the last glaciations, the level of the Mediterranean Sea being 110 to 120 m lower and the coastline 8 km further, the men of the Paleolithic were able to access it directly on dry foot via a rolling gallery constituting the upstream branch of the siphon and leaving their betting masterpieces there.

The cave is named after Henri Cosquer, the diver who reported it in 1991.