Underground quarries
Underground quarries, dedicated to the extraction of minerals such as limestone, gypsum and chalk, are spaces dug beneath the earth’s surface.
Mining operations
Mining is the process of extracting minerals, precious metals or other geological substances from the earth. It often involves the creation of mines to extract these resources, which can have significant environmental and social impacts.
Well and access
Shafts and underground accesses play a crucial role in mining operations, enabling the entry and exit of personnel and the transport of extracted materials.
Caves and cave dwellings
Troglodyte sites encompass a variety of spaces, such as dwellings, cellars, warehouses and churches, carved out of the rock. These underground structures offer stable thermal conditions and have been used throughout history for a variety of functions, from human habitation to storage or worship spaces.
Crypts and ossuaries
Crypts and ossuaries serve as places of burial and remembrance, housing the mortal remains of the deceased. They are usually artistically decorated and organized, with arrangements of bones, inscriptions and sometimes religious relics, reflecting funerary rituals and cultural beliefs.
Bunkers
Passive or active defense shelters, designed for civilians or businesses, are facilities specially fitted out to provide protection against threats such as air attacks, natural disasters or emergencies.
Groundwater management
Water management is necessary for water supply, agricultural irrigation and the mining industry.
The creutes
The creutes, underground cavities found in France, were mainly used during the First World War as shelters and storage areas. These structures, usually carved out of limestone, bear witness to crucial historical periods.
The underground quarries of Paris
The quarries of Paris, originally dug for the extraction of limestone as early as the 12th century, gradually evolved into the ossuary we know today as the Catacombs.
