Eagles once soared here. Yes, we are talking about the Grotte de l’Aigle. This cave and the Montagne de l’Aigle owe their names to the Bonelli’s eagles. These eagles once frequented this mountain. They hunted and nested here. They reproduced near a reliable food source.
Sadly the Bonelli’s eagle is no longer seen here. It migrated due to changes in the game population. The eagles needed sufficient prey to feed their families. A “Plan National d’Actions” has been in place since 2014. It aims to protect the Bonelli’s eagle. The Parc National des Calanques oversees this initiative. This shows a commitment to preserving this local raptor species.
Standing here near the Grotte de l’Aigle imagine a landscape shaped by more than just nature. Nearby you can still find traces of old sand quarries. These quarries were common in the Massif. They provided raw materials for construction for centuries. The mountain reaches 201 meters high dominating the Roy d’Espagne district. Its height offers a commanding view.
Let’s consider another nearby cave. It is the Grotte Cosquer. This cave is in the Calanque de la Triperie near Cap Morgiou. The Grotte Cosquer features prehistoric art. This art dates back between 33000 and 18500 years. This cave contains over 517 parietal figures. These correspond to two periods of occupation. One is Gravettian about 27000 years ago. The other is Epigravettian or Solutrean around 19000 years ago.
The Grotte Cosquer is unique. Its entrance is underwater. It is the only known decorated cave with a submerged entrance. The entrance lies 37 meters below sea level. During the last ice age the Mediterranean Sea was much lower. It was 110 to 120 meters lower. The coastline was about 8 kilometers farther out. Paleolithic humans could access the cave on foot. They used a rising gallery to enter and create their art.
Henri Cosquer discovered the cave in 1991. He was a diver. The cave had been known since the 1970s. An illustration appeared in a diving manual in 1971. Jacques-Henri Baixe mentioned it in 1984. He described “petroglyphs that the sea has protected like a submerged Lascaux.”
Henri Cosquer explored the cave’s submerged passage. In June 1991 Marc Van Espen assisted Cosquer. They secured a guideline in the submerged part of the cave. This allowed them to explore the first chamber. Later Cosquer and friends explored the above water sections more thoroughly. Yann Gogan spotted a hand outline on a wall. Pascale Oriol suggested it was a rupestrian painting. This discovery led to further explorations and documentation.
Sadly tragedy struck. Three divers died in the cave. They could not find their way out of the access tunnel. Henri Cosquer and Yann Gogan helped recover the bodies. Cosquer reported the cave to maritime authorities. Experts then authenticated the prehistoric art.
Today the Grotte Cosquer is protected. Its entrance is blocked to prevent accidents. A 500-meter radius around the entrance prohibits diving. The cave is in urgonian limestone. This is typical of the Calanques.
During the last glacial maximum the sea level was much lower. The cave’s entrance was dry. As the sea rose the entrance became submerged. The cave now has both submerged and emerged sections. Rising sea levels threaten the art in the Grotte Cosquer. The fragile masterpieces face complete submersion in the coming centuries.
The cave contains dozens of painted and engraved works. Radiocarbon dating confirms two main phases of art. The older phase features negative hands and digital tracings. These date back about 27000 years. The more recent phase includes signs and animal figures. These are about 19000 years old. Animals include horses ibex deer bison and aurochs. There are also marine animals like seals penguins jellyfish and cetaceans. The motivations behind the art remain unknown.
A partial replica of the Grotte Cosquer is open to the public in Marseille. It is near the Mucem. This allows everyone to experience the cave’s wonders without endangering the original site.
The Montagne de l’Aigle and the Grotte Cosquer remind us. They remind us of the long history of life and art along this coastline. They show the importance of preserving both natural and cultural treasures.