5_THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF SAINT-CESAIRE
AN EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY
As you cross the threshold of this tent, you're about to discover the archaeological site of Saint-Césaire!
The discovery of this site was due to chance. An amateur archaeologist with a passion for prehistory, Bernard Dubigny, spotted lithic artefacts in the rubble of a construction site near a mushroom farm. Alerted, the authorities stopped the earthworks in progress and excavations began in 1976 under the direction of François Lévêque. Three years later, a Neanderthal skeleton was unearthed. It was named Pierrette, in reference to the vernacular name of the site where it was discovered, “La Roche-à-Pierrot”.
Several excavation campaigns followed, led by various archaeologists: François Lévêque until 1987, Eugène Morin and François Bachellerie in 2013-2014 and Isabelle Crevecoeur since 2015.
During these excavations, numerous discoveries were made, and the archaeological site of Saint-Césaire has yet to reveal all its secrets!
