The site Cosquer Mediterranean opens its doors to the public this Saturday, June 4. 30 years after the discovery of this cave with an underwater entrance, the public can finally admire the replica of a site filled with history.Installed in the heart of the Villa Méditerranée, in front of the Mucem, the reproduction of the Cosquer cave, the only underwater decorated cave in the world, invites you on a journey 30,000 years before our era. Entirely modeled from 3D plans of the original cave and created by artists specialized in this field, this reproduction reveals to the general public this prehistoric heritage with impressive realism!
To immerse you as close as possible to the real conditions, the 1,750 m² of the cave have been recreated and installed below the sea surface! On board an autonomous module that can accommodate 6 people, you journey through the galleries discovering hand traces, bison, horses, as well as penguins, witnesses of an ice age in Provence. The cave is not the only space the Villa offers, discover on the esplanade the access bridge to the building from which you can observe a replica of the Cro-Magnon, the boat of Henri Cosquer.
The visit continues with the viewing of a documentary on the discovery of this submerged cave. Finally, the Mediterranean gallery, a space of 2,500 m² dedicated to the Paleolithic era, presents an interpretation of the cave, life-size reproductions of animal species from the calanques during the ice age, and explanations on the impact of rising waters…A heritage 30,000 years old, discovered 30 years agoIn 1985, Henri Cosquer discovered this cave during an exploration of an underwater passageway about a hundred meters long. It wasn’t until 1991, after several excursions into the cave, that the first hand traces appeared under the beam of his lamp! Declared to the authorities and authenticated, it would ultimately be an impressive array of 500 drawings and engravings that were cataloged in these galleries. It is the only underwater decorated cave known to date. Since this incredible discovery, the cave – due to its difficult access and to preserve its millennia-old artworks – was open only to a few rare scientists, archaeologists, and experts.
The adventures of Henri Cosquer in comicsThe famous illustrator of The Adventure of the Calypso, Dominique Sérafini, was chosen to bring this story to life as he does so well: through a comic book! It is made in collaboration with Thierry Félix, an educational advisor, researcher, prehistorian, and comic book scriptwriter. He enriches the work with a 16-page booklet on the history of this cave.
Relive alongside Henri Cosquer, discoverer of the site, the incredible adventure he experienced from 1985 to 1991: his first incursion into this passageway, repeated explorations of the gallery that delved ever deeper into the limestone massif, up to the discovery and revelation of its exceptional decor. A crowdfunding has been set up to enable the release of the comic book The Secrets of the Cosquer Cave.
>>> access the crowdfunding campaign <<<
To learn more, don’t miss the special feature on the Cosquer cave in issue No. 40 of Dive in! Scheduled release in newsstands on July 1.