Pierre-Lucien Bertrand, a 72-year-old publisher and filmmaker from Le Bugue in the Dordogne region of southwestern France, has been making extraordinary archaeological discoveries since 2013. Despite having no formal training as an archaeologist or historian, this passionate enthusiast has uncovered what he believes to be thousands of ancient artifacts, tools, and sculptures across more than twenty different sites in the communes of Le Bugue, Journiac, Mauzens-et-Miremont, and Savignac-de-Miremont.
Bertrand is convinced that his discoveries date back to the protohistoric period - the intermediate era between prehistory and recorded history that begins with the Bronze Age and ends with the emergence of written language. He estimates having found hundreds of cave paintings and rock engravings across his various discovery sites. However, despite sending correspondence to the DRAC (Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs), his findings have not received official declarations or recognition.
One of Bertrand's most significant discoveries is a cave he found in 2022 in the heart of the forest in Le Bugue commune. The cave, measuring eight meters high, is covered with what Bertrand identifies as Celtic-Gallic engravings and paintings. "That's an engraved horse," he explains, pointing to the rock face. "You have 200 engravings and bas-reliefs in this cave. It's an absolute treasure. It's the Celtic-Gallic Lascaux," he asserts with confidence.
On the exterior facade of this cave, Bertrand identifies various animal figures including fish and wild boars. "Here, you can clearly see the horn, the eye that was carved out," he explains while pointing at the stone. "Their technique was to use the cracks, holes, and relief of the wall. Sometimes they would add a piece of a chin, for example, and it becomes an animal head, clearly." According to his assessment, this form of art dates back more than 3,000 years.
Bertrand's most recent discovery, made at the beginning of this year, is another cave featuring drawings of what he interprets as elephants and birds, located in Savignac-de-Miremont. The site requires a ten-minute hike through the forest to access.
However, his most impressive find remains a quarry in the Le Bugue forest - his very first discovery made twelve years ago. "It was a garbage dump, and I worked for a year to clear this quarry and save it," Bertrand explains. At the time, he was scouting locations for a film about prehistory and was considering these cliffs in Le Bugue commune to have extras recreate scenes from old postcards of the period.
"I went to these cliffs and there I stumbled upon a passage that was half-filled with earth, and I could see stones emerging like icebergs," Bertrand describes. He then removed the earth and discovered sculptures and tools, keeping some of them at his home. "I had a period where I started to clear vegetation from hundreds of meters of cliff face."
The result is a site that he now maintains, featuring what he believes is an engraved bestiary including "wild boar, bull, chickens. There's even an absolutely magnificent crocodile eating a bear's head, I think," he describes enthusiastically.
When contacted by the local media outlet ICI Périgord, prefecture services confirmed they had received correspondence from the Dordogne resident. However, his work has not been the subject of an official declaration, and no agent from the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs has examined his discoveries.
Despite this lack of official recognition, Bertrand maintains that he has already contacted prefecture services. His dream is for his discoveries to be officially recognized, protected, and made freely accessible to the public. Currently, he conducts volunteer guided tours of his sites. "To show that this is actually the first societal human occupation of this entire region, after prehistory of course," he explains.
Bertrand has compiled his research into a book, which he sent to the mayor of Le Bugue. Surprisingly, the mayor was not previously aware of Bertrand's extensive archaeological work in the area.
The amateur archaeologist's dedication over more than a decade has resulted in what he considers to be one of the most significant collections of protohistoric art and artifacts in the region. His discoveries span multiple sites and include cave paintings, rock engravings, sculptures, and various tools and objects that he believes provide evidence of early human settlement in the Dordogne after the prehistoric period.
While awaiting official recognition and authentication of his findings, Bertrand continues his preservation efforts, hoping that future generations will be able to study and appreciate what he believes to be invaluable cultural heritage from France's ancient past.
