Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave (Ardèche): Morphosedimentary Evolution of the Entrance. Implication for the Occupations and the Preservation of Remains
Résumé
The exceptional preservation of the Chauvet-Pont d'Arc cave, world famous for its paintings, is partly due to the early closure of the entrance. This study shows that the phenomena does not only result of the collapse of the cliff overhanging, but occurs in a long morphological and sedimentological evolution. Filling up begins with cryoclastic deposits, spreading inside the cavity by solifluction. Among them, the lower scree contains a layer with aurignacian charcoals. Then a polyphase collapse of the cliff obstructs definitively the cave about 21.5 +/- 1 ka. Sedimentation then result of run off, building an alluvial fan in the Brunel Room, and, since the Glacial - Postglacial transition, carbonated deposits which superimposed on all facies. During the Aurignacian, humans and animals enter in the cavity through a wide open access, whereas during the Gravettian, they enter only through the eastern part due to the partial filling of the entrance. Once the cave closed, palaeolihic floors located in the Wallows Room were only little disturbed and conserved their archaeological remains on their surface, while the ones in the Brunel Room were covered by alluvium.