©Tiphaine Jacquin
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Prehistory
Once upon a time,
in Prehistory…
Vallonnet Cave in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is considered one of the oldest prehistoric sites in Europe and proves Homo Erectus was here 1 million years ago. Archaeologists have found wild animal fossils, lithic tools and uniform pebble structures here.
5000 years ago in a mineral sanctuary around Mont Bégo in the heart of Mercantour National Park, people carved their beliefs in Europe’s biggest cave art site!
A potted Prehistory:
- 1 million years ago: Vallonet Cave in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
- 25,000 years ago: Grimaldi Caves
- 10,000 years ago: Abri Pendimoun in Castellar
- 5000 years ago: cave art in the Valley of Wonders in Tende
Once upon a time,
in Prehistory…
You can see relics from the time of Cro-Magnon man in the Grimaldi Caves on the Italian border: tombstones, “Venus” statues and animal bones from 25,000 years ago.
In Neolithic Castellar, the first farmers and shepherds in France settled at the foot of Roc de L’Orméa 6000 years ago. They had everything they needed for their lifestyle: water, clay and flint. Domestic animals, polished axes, pottery and the famous “Castellar man” skeleton were found in the Abri Pendimoun shelter.
The Valley of Wonders,
mysterious cave paintings
Its 40,000 cave paintings from the Neolithic and Bronze Age make it one of the most exciting valleys in Mercantour National Park. The paintings were discovered in the late 19th century and are displayed on fantastic colourful rocks polished by glaciers. These 3BC blocks got the coastal farmers and shepherds’ creative juices flowing when they headed to the mountain pastures for summer. They painted all sorts of things: horned figures, weapons, anthropomorphic and geometric shapes. These paintings are believed to tie into Mont Bégo’s religious and sacred personality. But it’s all still a mystery…
Take a guided tour or go it alone?
You can go it alone as the footpaths are signposted and you can pick up the Prehistory Route map from Tourist Information. But if you want to get a real feel for the area and get off the beaten track then it’s best to join a state-qualified guide approved by Mercantour National Park. Many of them have grown up in this wonderful playground so they know it like the back of their hand.
Tour booking required.
Around Mont Bégo,
a sprawling cave art site
There are around 100,000 cave paintings around Mont Bégo and the Rock of Wonders covering seven mountain valleys at an altitude of over 2000m. Six of the valleys are in France: Vallaureta, Valaque, Col du Sabion, Lake Saint-Marie and the most impressive ones are the Valley of Wonders and Fontanalba. Since most of the paintings are around Mont Bégo, in the Tende area, the assumption is that the mountain was sacred. It’s easier to reach these archaeological sites through the Roya Valley.
