Reconstitution de l'entrée préhistorique de la grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc (Ardèche, France) : les apports de l'analyse géomorphologique et de la modélisation 3D
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Reconstruction of the prehistoric entrance of the Chauvet Cave (Ardèche, France) : the contribution of geomorphologic analysis and 3d modelling. The exceptional state of conservation of the Chauvet Cave is mostly due to its sealing because of the collapse of the limestone ledge that used to overhang the prehistoric entrance. This article gives the very first synthesis of the works that have been carried out since 2005 on the entrance of the cave. Special attention is paid to the reconstruction and the chronology of the events that lead to the sealing of the cave. This reconstruction relies on a method coupling the geomorphologic approach and the 3D modelling with digital clones acquired by lasergrammetry. This original method allowed us to find the former extension of the Chauvet Cave that was cut off by the receding of the slope, to detail the features as well as the size of the prehistoric porch, and to assess the processes that occurred during the sealing of the cave. A relative chronology of the events is proposed in this article, in the present absence of dates able to constrain the morphogenetic model. After presenting the contribution of geomorphologic mapping to the understanding of the events that shaped the present relief, we elaborate on the contribution of 3D modelling to spatialise the geomorphologic data and better take into account the spatial and geometrical constraints. With this approach, we reveal the role of the ceiling pendants in the spreading of collapsed rocks within the cave and thus better grasp the structure of the internal scree ; likewise the identification of a gallery that was cut off allowed us to better understand the distribution of the collapsed rocks at the base of the scar and the small spatial extension of the internal scree. Finally, the analysis with high spatial resolution of the scar allowed us to estimate the volume of collapsed rocks and to measure their impact on the sealing of the cave. The age of the sealing is estimated with data today available from the dating of speleothems that seal up the scree and the underground fauna. The proposed bracket remains wide on the basis of these data : the cave was blocked off between 23 000 and 11 500 BP. In order to reduce this age bracket, we propose leads that could be followed to date the scar of the rockfall.
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Several thin archaeological layers are present in three excavation pits.
“( iii ) several thin archaeological layers are present in three excavation pits (42).”
From A high-precision chronological model for the decorated Upper Paleolithic cave of Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche, France (2016) · cites this paper as [42]
The 36Cl cosmic-ray exposure method identified three successive rockfalls with mean ages of 29.4 ± 1.8 (E1), 23.5 ± 1.2 (E2), and 21.5 ± 1.0 ka (E3).
“This study identified three successive rockfalls with mean ages of 29.4 ± 1.8 (E1), 23.5 ± 1.2 (E2), and 21.5 ± 1.0 ka (E3).”
From A high-precision chronological model for the decorated Upper Paleolithic cave of Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche, France (2016) · cites this paper as [42]
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- Authors
- Delannoy, J.-J., Sadier, B., Jaillet, S., Ployon, E., & Geneste, J.-M.
- Affiliations
- De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie (FR)
- Venue
- Karstologia : revue de karstologie et de spéléologie physique
- Publisher
- PERSEE Program
- Published
- 2010
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 17-34
- ISSN
- 0751-7688 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W43999423
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- fr
- Open access
- green
- www.persee.fr
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-sa
- Locations
- Karstologia revue de karstologie et de spéléologie physique (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- Périodiques Scientifiques en Édition Électronique (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Earth-Surface Processes › Karst Systems and Hydrogeology
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geology › Geotourism and Geoheritage Conservation
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Archaeological and Geological Studies
- Keywords
- Chauvet Cave, rockfall, speleothem dating, geomorphological mapping, 3D modeling, laser scanning, cave conservation, Holocene, Ardèche
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