Ghost of a flea

In 1969, Paluzzano, a farmer of Italian descent, bought the site in the town of Saint-Cirq, which owes its name - "the sorcerer's cave" - to a drawing of a human figure detailing the face, back and limbs. The cave, discovered in 1952 by a dentist and amateur archaeologist, is home to drawings dating back to the Magdalenian period, or between 22 000 and 15 000 years BC, according to French experts.

Paluzzano told AFP he had received a barrage of telephone calls from interested buyers since he posted a "for sale" sign near the entrance to his cave a few days ago.