Abbe Henri Breuil

1877-1961

            Henri Breuil was born in Mortain, France in 1877. During his more than eighty years of  life, he pursued his interests and encouraged others to share in his appreciation for art. His faith brought him into the priesthood, and he left a mark on the face of archaeology by pioneering the study of Paleolithic cave art. Breuil first studied to become a priest, and then in 1900 pursued his interest in cave art. This profound interest led to his discovery of decorated caves at Combarelles and Font-de-Gaume in the Dordogne in 1901.  Breuil became well known throughout the archaeological world, and was thought of as one of the most influential figures in his field.

            Upon any marked discovery of a cave within which drawings were found, Breuil was usually one of the first present. One of the most famous discoveries occurred in 1940. A cave which was left untouched for thousands of years was happened upon by some French boys near Lascaux, in southern France. As the story goes, these boys were out in the woods with their dog, Robot, when he disappeared. They could hear the dog's echoing bark in the distance. Robot had slid down a hole left by the roots of a fallen tree. When they descended the 25 feet to retrieve their dog, the boys realized that they had stumbled upon something very special. They found themselves in a large room with colorful markings on the walls depicting wild bulls, horses, deer, bison, and other animals.

            Abbe Henri Breuil was one of the first to be notified of this astonishing find. While studying this cavern at Lascaux, Breuil found bone fragments, refuse, and other evidence that humans had occupied caves within the cavern. This find proved to be one of the most important discoveries of caves in France due to its well preserved artifacts, and the fact that this cave was much larger than others previously discovered. After discoveries were made of cave art, Breuil always wrote of his findings, and his conjectures about them. Many of his writings were thought of as 'romanticized.' It is said that he loved to paint elaborate pictures in the minds of his readers. He often wrote of the hardships endured while attempting to reach a particularly out of the way cavern, and the breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and rock faces that loomed nearby.

            It seems, from his writings, as though these attempts at discovering that which no one had beheld for thousands of years, and the absolute thrill of the search, was more spectacular than the actual find. While pursuing his interests in caves around the world, Breuil also was a Professor at College de France. He taught there from 1929 to 1947, and during this time occupied the position of the Chairman of Prehistory at this college.

            Although he was generally regarded as an authority in his field, some felt that he over dramaticized his findings, and took too much liberty with his theories of the drawings. "...the Abbe Henri Breuil, was responsible for some gross errors that are still encountered today." Whatever the case may be, we can never be positive of the exact reason or meanings behind our ancestors' artworks. The most that we can hope to accomplish is to merely hypothesize about their drawings, and stir our imaginations doing so -- as did Abbe Henri Breuil.

References:

"So who were the cavemen, anyway" http://www.csrr.com/20.htm

www.biography.com

Lascaux cavern -- http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Las/Las.html

Written by: Martha Renner