Caves and Bats: morphological impacts and archaeological implications. The Azé Prehistoric Cave (Saône-et-Loire, France) - CNRS - Centre national de la recherche scientifique Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Geomorphology Année : 2021

Caves and Bats: morphological impacts and archaeological implications. The Azé Prehistoric Cave (Saône-et-Loire, France)

Résumé

The Prehistoric Cave at Azé (France) was divided in two parts by calcite flowstone. This isolated the innermost parts of the cave from the entrance, which remained connected to the surface. Since the closure, bats have not been able to access the cave beyond the flowstone blockage. They have been present only in the cave entrance. The byproducts released by bats had a considerable effect on this entrance part. Gaseous exhalations have changed the composition of the surrounding atmosphere, leading to the development of dome-shaped cupolas and other wall weathering features. Guano deposits built up causing the formation of aerosols and acidic leachates. The resulting corrosion of the limestone has led to the formation of phosphate deposits and biogenic karst. The rate of retreat of the cave walls has been estimated at 5 to 7 mm/ka. Corrosion has also affected archaeological artefacts, as well as any traces left on the walls by humans or animals. Bioglyphs linked to bears as well as anthropic graffiti have completely disappeared from the part of the cave used by bats.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
Caves and bats Barriquand and al revised with figures.pdf (2.9 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)

Dates et versions

hal-03627654 , version 1 (01-04-2022)

Identifiants

Citer

Lionel Barriquand, Jean-Yves Bigot, Philippe Audra, Didier Cailhol, Christophe Gauchon, et al.. Caves and Bats: morphological impacts and archaeological implications. The Azé Prehistoric Cave (Saône-et-Loire, France). Geomorphology, 2021, 388, pp.107785. ⟨10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107785⟩. ⟨hal-03627654⟩
64 Consultations
72 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

Gmail Facebook X LinkedIn More