200 million years ago, at the beginning of the secondary era,
on the site of the future Vercors, opens an ocean similar to the reefs of the Bahamas. It is the accumulation of debris from marine organisms that will constitute the rocks that form the Vercors massif..
The Rimets Fossil Valley , located in Rencurel in the Coulmes massif, is a remarkable natural site in the Vercors. Its exceptional geological interest, with its fossils and landscapes shaped by millions of years of history, is complemented by rich flora and fauna. The site also preserves traces of the rural life that flourished there until the mid-20th century.
Manuel Izquierdo
Philippe StrefWhat characterizes the fossil valley of the rimets?
It is the only geologically sensitive natural space in the department of Isère. Recognized among geologists, this valley at an altitude of 1100m is characterized by an exceptional wealth of varied fossils. This landscape of meadows, lapiaz and beech woods is made up of dry lawns that are home to many butterflies and orchids.
This site also attests to what peasant life was like on the spot until the 2010th century with the ruins of a farm burned down during the Second World War. Only the oven, restored in 1944, remains today from the destruction of the hamlet in July XNUMX.
On site, follow the “Rock Memory” geological trail which will lead you to the fossil valley. Educational sheets and panels will help you understand and interpret what you have in front of you.
The geological history of the Rimets Fossil Valley
The rock of the Rimets site tells the whole story of the formation of the Vercors.
We found here the presence of a warm and shallow sea with many living organisms whose residues were deposited and then cemented after the drop in sea level into a sedimentary rock also called "Urgonian limestone" 120 million years ago. . Carved by erosion, it is this same phenomenon that gave birth to the valley.
Philippe Stref
Laurie Fernandes
Laurie Fernandes
Laurie Fernandes