Brutal death of speleologist Michel Soulier: the Bruniquel cave is an orphan

The “Soulier” cave of Bruniquel (Tarn-et-Garonne), it was sometimes said, as Michel Soulier was associated with the development of this extraordinary site, which is nothing less than the oldest trace of the prehistoric man underground (-176,000 years).

Monday afternoon, the day before his death, Michel Soulier, 74, was still exploring a cavity near Cazals, and at the end of the month, he was to hold a public meeting at the Bruniquel village hall to present the activities of the Mangrove, its caving club, and the latest excavation campaigns in the excavations of Tarn-et-Garonne.

In the entire history of the Bruniquel cave, Michel Soulier was the explorer who spent the most time there. His death on Tuesday following a heart attack leaves all his friends at Mangrove “stunned”, especially since the man seemed to them to be in good physical shape. He leaves a wife, Denise, and three children including Rémi, also a speleologist. Michel and Denise Soulier were both members of the research team and gave numerous conferences as a duo, with a concern for pedagogy which put prehistory within the reach of the public, and a desire to transmit which commanded respect.

“Simplicity and humor as a bonus,” recalls a friend, who speaks of “a loss for caving and for the village of Bruniquel itself, since Michel was working on a project to enhance the cave at the castle.”

First a Caussad story

Born on April 28, 1950 in Montbazens (Aveyron), he was a high school student in Rodez, then in Montauban, his family having moved to Caussade in 1966. He was a student in Paris, then in Toulouse. He married Denise in 1975, a “passionate person like him, capable in his youth of going to great lengths to explore the underground! “. Between 1981 and 2010, he was a technology professor at Pierre-Darasse college, hence this “handyman” side, “welder of improbable tools”, which was used in so many expeditions.

He discovered caving in 1962 in Aveyron, thanks to Roland Pélissier. In 1967, he created the Caussade archaeological caving society, which he chaired for 40 years. In 1974, he obtained his instructor diploma.

From the start of the association, activity was intense with great discoveries, notably the continuation of the White Lady cave. The radius extends from the Quercy causses to the Pyrenees. Michel Soulier participates in expeditions abroad, making discoveries considered major, notably with his great friend François Rouzaud, curator at the regional archeology service.

Neanderthal rehabilitated?

Bruniquel emerged, so to speak, in the 90s. The discovery came from the members of the Caussade club. Michel Soulier went down there among the first. The small group discovered accumulations of circular concretions more than three hundred meters from the entrance. A precise plan of the premises is drawn up. But the death of the prehistorian François Rouzaud allowed the cave to fall back into a deep sleep. It would be necessary to wait until 2013 for a new team to take up the torch, with resounding results. Not only was the cave renovated: tons of materials were moved, a lighting system was designed, but it dates back 176,000 years, i.e. from the time of Neanderthals, which until then was believed to be , without wanting to be disrespectful, like a primitive brutal Quasimodo.

Michel Soulier, who will gradually take on national responsibilities at the French Speleology Federation, will endeavor to give as much relief as possible to this discovery, leading the studies with Jacques Jaubert and Sophie Verheyden, while tirelessly continuing his explorations of traditional caving, the Go-Pro camera attached to the helmet. He had started a new club in Bruniquel in 2021, La Mangrove, of which he was president.

The funeral of Michel Soulier will take place Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Caussade church.

Saddened tributes

Gérard Hébrard, mayor of Caussade : “It is with immense sadness that we learned of the sudden death of Michel Soulier, passionate about caving and a notable figure in our territory. A tireless explorer, he devoted his life to unraveling the mysteries of the underground world, whether in Bas-Quercy, at the Bruniquel cave, or beyond our borders Michel was much more than a speleologist: professor at the Pierre Darasse college and founder of the local caving section, he shared his passion. with generations of young people and adults, inviting them to discover the scientific and cultural richness of our natural heritage. We send our heartfelt thoughts to his wife Denise and his family, in these painful moments Michel Soulier leaves behind a legacy. sustainable and valuable for Caussade and well beyond”.

David Bianzani, president of the French Speleology Federation : “It is with deep sadness that we learn of the death of Michel Soulier, our comrade, deputy treasurer then deputy president of the FFS in the early 90s, very active within the Midi-Pyrénées regional committee and president of the club The Mangrove Caving and karst heritage Our sincere condolences to his loved ones, friends and family.

We will recall here the volunteer responsibilities of Michel Soulier in this federation: president of the departmental caving committee during the 1970s, rescue manager in the same years, technical manager of the French school of caving, president of the Midi regional caving committee -Pyrénées for 8 years during the 1980s, member of the steering committee of the Federation with successive positions of deputy treasurer, treasurer and deputy president. Responsible for the regional magazine Spéléoc in the early 2000s.