MEMORIST takes you on a journey of discovery through prehistory
We have another digital cave survey to add to the MEMORIST portfolio! In October 2025, our team travelled six kilometres from the town of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac to a location deep in the forest in the commune of Meyrals.
The cave in question, Bernifal, is privately owned but can be visited by appointment. MEMORIST’s experts were commissioned to carry out a complete 3D scanning of the cave, which contains the earliest known depiction of a human face and a mammoth.
It was an unforgettable experience for our teams, as always.
A versatile team committed to preserving all forms of heritage
Each 3D site survey project is unique. This is due not only to the environment (urban or rural) but also to the specific characteristics of the location. For example, we have surveyed cathedrals and the Pont du Gard at great heights, as well as caves several tens of metres underground.
As experts in extreme conditions, our specialists can tackle any challenge. Whether they are trained as surveyors or archaeologists, our staff are qualified to work at height or in confined spaces.
In the case of the Bernifal cave, for example, our teams surveyed an area 130 metres long, divided into three chambers, in great detail. Vault heights in this area ranged from one to eight metres in certain underground passages (natural vents). This presented both human and technical challenges, which our teams overcame brilliantly.
The MEMORIST teams at the centre of the Earth
Our four specialists – Théa, Aurélien, Thomas and Benoît – spent five days deep inside the cave. They carried out
a preliminary survey with Oscar Fuentes, a Palaeolithic art specialist and research engineer at the national centre
for prehistory (CNP).
The following services were provided as part of the project:
- Laser scanning and comprehensive photogrammetry of the cave to produce a complete, textured model of the cave
- Sub-millimetre photogrammetry of 37 decorated panels for scientific purposes
- Georeferencing to the coordinate systems in use in France (altimetry and planimetry).
To successfully carry out the project, our teams used several technologies and brought the necessary equipment
to work independently for a full working day.
Data provided to facilitate research
The institution can now analyse this data as part of its research. Following the digital survey of the site,
our teams provided a comprehensive project report detailing the stitching of the laser-scanned data
and photogrammetric images, in addition to the digital data.
Image stitching and mesh and texture generation were necessary to produce the 3D models after the
digital survey.
Key figures for the project:
Unique expertise in digital surveys and support involving caves
With the Bernifal cave, MEMORIST has now digitised ten caves in France, including the Chauvet cave, as well as caves abroad such as the Laas Geel rock shelter in Somaliland. Our teams apply highly specialised expertise requiring specific technical and technological skills and know-how.
In addition to digitally surveying caves, MEMORIST can support cave site operators in setting up digital support systems. Our latest project involves none other than the Chauvet cave.
To find out more about our expertise and projects, click here.
To discuss a project with us, click here.
