Dominique Baffier

Dominique Baffier is a French archaeologist and prehistorian who specialises in Paleolithic cave paintings, or parietal art. She is known for her work at the Arcy-sur-Cure cave complex and for her subsequent role as curator of the Chauvet Cave from 2000 to 2014.

Biography

She trained at the École du Louvre and the Sorbonne, where she studied under André Leroi-Gourhan. Next she joined the scientific team led by Jean Clottes, which studied the Chauvet Cave, sometimes known as the Pont d'Arc cave. Her remit was to manage the cave interior while liaising with the CNRS laboratory at Moulis and with the national laboratory for research on historic monuments (LRMH), to ensure the safe preservation of the paintings by maintaining stable conditions within the cave, to authorise access for visitors, to maintain relationships with institutional partners and to communicate with the wider public. She was succeeded in January 2014 by Marie Bardisa.

She is an officer of the French Order of Merit and was awarded a gold medal by the Minister for Youth and Sports.

Works Her publications include: Les cavernes d'Arcy-sur-Cure, (with Michel Girard) Paris, La Maison des roches, 1998, 120 p., ill. Les derniers Néandertaliens : le châtelperronien, Paris, La Maison des roches, 1999. Préhistoire : les grottes peintes, Toulouse, Le Pérégrinateur.