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Ridden like a ghost train: the Villa Méditerranée in Marseille now houses replicas of the rock paintings from the Cosquer Cave.
Photo: Daniel Cole / dpa
The original with around 500 prehistoric illustrations and signs is 37 meters below the sea surface near Marseille: A replica opened this Saturday now brings the treasures to light, some of which are up to 27,000 years old.
The Cosquer Cave is considered to be the only known underwater cave with rock paintings in the world.
It was discovered in 1985 by commercial diver Henri Cosquer in the Calanque de la Triperie near Marseille.
The cave has been closed for decades.
It is also known as »Underwater Lascaux«, in reference to the Stone Age cave of the same name in south-west France.
The faithful replica resides in the Villa Méditerranée, a futuristic building that is partially submerged.
The construction resembles a huge springboard and is located next to the no less striking MuCEM museum near the old port.
The 23 million expensive cave copy is around 1700 square meters, only 800 square meters smaller than the original.
As in a ghost train, stalactites and stalagmites as well as depictions of horses, bison, ibexes and penguins – which are ancient – go in wagons.
The original cave was once 120 meters above sea level and the coast around 15 kilometers from the cave entrance.
Scientists fear that the art treasure will be completely swallowed up by the water by the end of the 21st century.
Due to global warming and the melting of glaciers since the end of the last ice age around 10,000 years ago, sea levels are constantly rising.
hpi/dpa