New excavation campaign at Trou Al'Wesse, tracing the settlement of Homo sapiens in our regions

Archaeologists the University of Liège are conducting a new excavation campaign at the Palaeolithic site of Trou Al'Wesse in Modave. This exceptional site provides valuable information about the settlement of the first Homo sapiens populations in north-western Europe around 40,000 years ago. It is also an opportunity for archaeology students to gain practical experience in the field.

In the heart of a secluded nature reserve on the right bank of the Hoyoux river lies an archaeological treasure of exceptional value: the Trou Al'Wesse cave. Nestled at the foot of a limestone spur, this cave in the municipality of Modave is the subject of scientific excavations carried out by the Prehistory Department of the University of Liège, in collaboration with several partner institutions, including the University of Bordeaux.

Known to archaeologists since the 19th century, the cave had already been explored by palaeontologist Philippe-Charles Schmerling in the 1830s, then by Edouard Dupont in the 1860s. The latter uncovered 'bone levels' rich in the bones of extinct fauna such as reindeer and mammoths, mixed with stone tools carved by Palaeolithic humans. "These initial excavations, carried out at a time when archaeological methods were still rudimentary, yielded material without any precise stratigraphic context," explains Damien Flas, archaeologist at ULiège. "Much of the objects collected were lost over time."

A new turning point came in the late 1980s when the University of Liège resumed its investigations. Although the interior of the cave appeared to have been disturbed by previous excavations, traces of prehistoric occupation were found outside. It was not until 2003 that new, deeper surveys revealed sedimentary deposits that were still intact. And with them came a series of major discoveries.

Since then, archaeologists have unearthed objects attributable to the very first Homo sapiens populations to settle permanently in north-western Europe around 40,000 years ago. Flint tools, reindeer antler spearheads and fragments of mammoth ivory objects, including a bead and engraved pieces, bear witness to the influence of the Aurignacian cultural complex, the first major culture of the European Upper Palaeolithic. These objects have undergone carbon-14 dating tests, which have confirmed that they are more than 35,000 years old.

"These discoveries shed light on a key period in human history, marked by the emergence of the first forms of art, such as the famous Chauvet cave paintings and the ivory statuettes of the Swabian Jura, and the first musical instruments," explains Veerle Rots, archaeologist and director of the TraceoLab at ULiège. They enrich an already remarkable regional corpus, alongside the iconic sites of Spy and Goyet."

Beyond their scientific significance, the Trou Al'Wesse excavations are also a valuable training ground, where archaeology students from the University of Liège, as well as from universities in Brussels, Toulouse and Bordeaux, are trained every summer.