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Rock of Solutré

Escarpments of EuropeLandforms of Saône-et-LoireMâcon
Roche de Solutré 05.24
Roche de Solutré 05.24

The Rock of Solutré (French: Roche de Solutré) is a limestone escarpment 8 km (5.0 mi) west of Mâcon, France, overlooking the commune of Solutré-Pouilly. It is an iconic site in the department of Saône-et-Loire, in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Protected by the French law on sites naturels classés and currently at the heart of a grand site national operation, the outcropping is notable in several aspects: as a rare geological phenomenon of the region, as a prehistoric site of the eponymous Solutrean paleolithic culture, and for the natural environment at its summit, the pelouse calciole grassland of Mâcon, with its distinctive flora and fauna. Occupied by humans for at least 55,000 years, it is also located in the heart of the Pouilly-Fuissé wine appellation. It has attracted media coverage since the 1980s, when French President François Mitterrand began his annual ritual ascent of the peak.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Rock of Solutré (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Rock of Solutré
Chemin de la Roche, Mâcon

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Wikipedia: Rock of SolutréContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 46.299166666667 ° E 4.7191666666667 °
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Address

Sommet Roche de Solutré

Chemin de la Roche
71960 Mâcon
Bourgogne – Franche-Comté, France
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Roche de Solutré 05.24
Roche de Solutré 05.24
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Parc archéologique et botanique de Solutré

The Archaeological and Botanical Park of Solutre (“Parc archéologique et botanique de Solutré” in French) (13,000 m²) is an archaeological site and botanical garden maintained by the Musée départemental de Préhistoire, Solutré-Pouilly, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France. It is open daily but closed in December. The park preserves one of the richest archaeological sites of prehistoric Europe: a hunting site used for more than 25,000 years during the Upper Paleolithic period, where hunters came to hunt and butcher thousands of horses and reindeer. Flint tools from this site have been termed Solutrean style. It was first excavated in 1866, classified as a historic monument in 1942, transferred to the management of the Conseil général de Saône-et-Loire in 1993, and opened to the public in 2006. The park contains a marked trail through the former hunting site, with eight information areas describing the natural environment, its plant species, and results of archaeological research to date. Described are geology, animals in prehistoric times, hunting techniques, the landscape in prehistoric times, the site's discovery and initial excavation, and contemporary excavations. Many regional trees, shrubs, and plants are labeled, including Acer campestre, Fraxinus excelsior, Juglans regia, Prunus mahaleb, Pyrus communis, Quercus pubescens, and Robinia pseudoacacia; Cornus sanguinea, Hippocrepis emerus, Ligustrum vulgare, Prunus spinosa, Ribes uva-crispa, Rosa canina, and Sambucus nigra; Aceras anthropophorum, Campanula rotundifolia, Clematis vitalba, Crataegus monogyna, Fragaria vesca, Geranium dissectum, Geranium molle, Geranium robertianum, Helleborus foetidus, Himantoglossum hircinum, Hypericum perforatum, Rubia peregrina, Rumex scutatus, Sanguisorba minor, Saponaria officinalis, Seseli montanum, Sedum album, Sedum reflexum, and Verbascum thapsus.