The Saint-Pierre arches may be evidence of the ebb and flow of the sea that covered the Grands Causses millions of years ago, or they may be ancient witnesses to an underground network that has now collapsed. In any case, these 3 arches still stand on the Causse Méjean in the middle of a forest, in the commune of Saint-Pierre-des-Tripiers. They were rediscovered by Abbé Solanet. This mysterious place is only accessible on foot.
Les Arcs de Saint Pierre on the Causse Méjean. Limestone arch on a hiking trail called "Le sentier des Arcs Saint Pierre".Les Arcs de Saint Pierre on the Causse Méjean. Limestone arch on a hiking trail called "Le sentier des Arcs Saint Pierre".
Discover
Les Arcs-St-Pierre
On the Causse MéjeanAll about
Les arcs de st-pierre
Les arcs de saint pierreLes arcs de saint pierre|
Passage under the Arcs de Saint Pierre.Passage under the Arcs de Saint Pierre.|
Les Arcs de Saint-Pierre walkLes Arcs de Saint-Pierre walk
Forest around Saint Peter's archesForest around Saint Peter's arches|
DID YOU KNOW?
Individuals were trepanned using a flint chisel. Initially, the surgeon operated brutally, then, once past the spongy bone, he attacked the inner table of the cranial bone with greater care. The individuals treated were generally adults, as trepanning was too painful for children.
In a number of cases, where the skulls had previously been caved in, the aim was probably to relieve trauma…
The cave burials
The path leads past a small balsam, the ” grotte de l’Homme Mort” (Dead Man’s Cave ). Excavations carried out in the cave in the 19th century uncovered some 50 human skeletons dating back to the Copper Age, some 35,000 years ago. Most of the skulls found here bore traces of trepanation, as at Baumes Chaudes below the Point Sublime panorama.
- How to get to Les Arcs de Saint-Pierre
From the village of La Vialle, near Saint-Pierre-des-Tripiers, there’s a 5km walk to the rocks.
- Is the site accessible all year round?
Yes, you can access it all year round, as it’s a natural site.
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