Pierre-Eudoxe Dubalen | |
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Born | 26 March 1851 Montgaillard, Landes |
Died | 27 April 1936 Montsoué |
Nationality | French |
Occupation(s) | Archeology, agriculturist, geologist, and pharmacist |
Pierre-Eudoxe Dubalen, born on March 26, 1851, in Montgaillard and died on April 27, 1936, in Montsoué, was a French archaeologist, prehistorian, and protohistorian. He was also an agronomist, naturalist, ichthyologist, ornithologist, geologist, botanist, paleontologist, and museum curator.
Born in a small village in Tursan in the Landes department, he successfully transitioned to agronomy after a brief career as a pharmacist. Alongside his professional activities, he conducted archaeological excavations in Tursan and Chalosse. Initially an amateur, he made errors in analysis and dating but eventually developed a scientific approach. His first major discovery came in 1881 at Brassempouy, where he unearthed the Pape Cave in a quarry. The following year, during an excursion to the site, he discovered the Venus of Brassempouy. In 1911, he conducted excavations in the Rivière Cave, uncovering a human face carved on a bone plaque. Although he initially declared it authentic, it turned out to be a forgery. From 1912 onward, he focused on studying what he termed "tumuliform mounds" in the southern Landes region.
He is considered to be one of the main contributors to the development of archaeology in southwestern France, particularly in the Landes department. His collections, largely derived from his archaeological excavations, are the foundation of the Dubalen Museum in Mont-de-Marsan.