Bouffia Bonneval (sépulture néandertalienne)

La Chapelle-aux-Saints

In the village of La Chapelle-aux-Saints, in the Corrèze, a small cavity called the ‘bouffia Bonneval’ gave its name to one of the most famous Neanderthals. On 3 August 1908, the abbés Amédée and Jean Bouyssonie discovered there an almost complete skeleton. It was an elderly man, who had no teeth left: some researchers think his group took care of him. The body lay 30 or 40 cm deep, beneath a rock overhang. For more than a century, people wondered whether he had been buried on purpose or simply covered by earth. After twelve years of new excavations, a team published in 2014 evidence that the pit had been dug by human hands and that the body had been covered very quickly. The man is dated to about 50,000 years ago. One question remains unanswered: one of the researchers admits that it cannot be known whether this gesture was a ritual or a practical measure. The site is now protected as a historic monument.

French Ministry of Culture, Mérimée database — Gisement préhistorique Bouffia Bonneval ↗

Getting there: The deposit is inscribed as a historic monument and belongs to a private owner (Mérimée record). Visiting conditions have not been verified: enquire at the town hall of La Chapelle-aux-Saints before travelling.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound