Cave of Mayrières supérieure
Grotte de Mayrière supérieure | |
 .svg.png){kind=icon} Location in France  Cave of Mayrières supérieure (France) | |
| Alternative name | Upper Mayriere Cave |
|---|---|
| Location | near Bruniquel |
| Region | Occitanie, France |
| Coordinates | 44°2′22″N 1°41′3″E / 44.03944°N 1.68417°E |
The Cave of Mayrières supérieure (French: Grotte de Mayrières supérieure, English: Upper Mayriere Cave) is an archaeological site near Bruniquel, Tarn-et-Garonne, France, which contained two prehistoric cave paintings of bison until they were erased during an attempt to remove modern graffiti by members of the Eclaireurs de France, a French scouting association.[1][2]
In March 1992, about 70 youth who belonged to the group descended on the cave with steel brushes to clean up graffiti. They damaged a portion of the cave's 15,000-year-old bison paintings before realizing what they were. René Gachet, director of cultural affairs for the Tarn-et-Garonne department, described the mistake as "absolutely stupid!"[1]
The act earned them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in Archaeology.[3]
References
- ^ a b "French Youths Clean a Cave And Damage Prehistoric Art". The New York Times. 22 March 1992. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
- ^ "Dans la seule grotte peinte du Tarn-et-Garonne : des victimes d'un excès de zèle". Le Monde (in French). Presse.ffspeleo.fr. 30 October 2003. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ "The 1992 Ig Nobel Prize Winners". Improbable Research. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
External links