A complete panorama of cave dwellings in the south-west of France (in the region of Bordeaux, Agen, Périgueux, Angoulême and Cognac) After a presentation of the geological history of this area, thanks to detailed researches in unknown sites, the author tried to make a reconstruction of the everyday life of the men who used to or still work or live in cave dwellings, quarries, underground refuges or mushroom beds. The author studied also the ancient graffiti found in the underground quarries.

Illustrated by new photographs, the main chapters are about geology, underground quarries, cave dwellings, underground refuges, mushroom beds, art in quarries, and also flora and fauna.

For the first time, this book reveals the importance of the underground world dug by man in the south-west of France.

Published by Alan Sutton publishing house, Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, 2005, plans, schemas and coloured photos, 96 p.