Cosquer Cave, Prehistoric cave in Marseille, France
Cosquer Cave is an underwater rock chamber on the French Mediterranean coast, covered with over 400 prehistoric images. The drawings show animals like penguins, deer, and bison, along with geometric patterns and handprints scattered across the walls.
A sport diver named Henri Cosquer discovered this underwater cave in 1985, leading to its recognition as a historic site. The artwork spans two periods: an older phase roughly 27,000 years ago and a younger phase roughly 16,000 years ago.
The handprints on the walls were left by people who wanted to mark their presence in this space thousands of years ago. These personal traces connect us directly to our ancestors and show how they saw themselves and the world around them.
The original site can only be visited by experienced divers, but a full-scale replica called Cosquer Méditerranée is located at Villa Méditerranée. This copy allows everyone to view the prehistoric artwork through guided tours in a controlled setting.
Seawater intrusion has transformed the original cave so completely that only specially trained divers can reach it. This makes it the only known site of its kind where prehistoric paintings sit underwater.
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