Un site moustérien dans le Jura suisse : la grotte de Cotencher (Rochefort, Neuchâtel) revisitée

Bernard-Guelle, Sébastien

doi:10.3406/bspf.2004.13066

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…North of the alpine chain, in Austria an Switzerland, few archaeological sites are known (Fig. 1, numbers from 1 to 5 refers to most important and studied ones) (Bächler, 1940;Ehrenberg, 1958;Bernard-Guelle, 2004;Bednarik, 2008;Brandl et al, 2011;Cartonnet & Combier, 2018;Deák et al, 2019). A very different situation can be observed in France, in particular in the Rhône valley and the Mediterranean area on the bordering Italy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First evidence of a Palaeolithic frequentation of the Po plain in Piedmont: the case of Trino (north-western Italy).

Daffara,

Giraudi,

Berruti

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The Trino hill is an isolated relief located in north-western Italy, close to Trino municipality. The hill was subject of multidisciplinary studies during the 1970s, when, because of quarrying and agricultural activities, five concentrations of lithic artefacts were recognized and referred to a Palaeolithic occupation of the area. During the 1980s and the 1990s, surface collections continued, but the lithic finds have never been subject of specific studies. Even if most of the lithic assemblages count a few lithic implements, four collection areas (3, 13 E, 13 W and 14) have significative lithic assemblages, representing the most important evidence of a Palaeolithic frequentation of the Po plain in north-western Italy. The present work, in the limits imposed by a surface and not systematic collection, propose a technological study of the lithic artefacts from the Trino hill, with the aim to define the main features of the technological behaviour of the human groups that occupied the area. The results obtained allow to clearly identify a Middle Palaeolithic occupation of the Trino hill, characterized by the exploitation of vein quartz and other local raw materials; allochthonous varieties of chert were used in the next frequentation phases to produce blades and bladelets. Even if part of the laminar production can be referred to Neolithic, most of that remains of indeterminate chronology and could be the result of both an Upper Palaeolithic and Neolithic human presence. The systematic and inclusive approach to the study of the Paleolithic of the Piedmont region proposed here has made it possible to obtain a first and realistic overview of the Paleolithic of the region. The methods used for the technological study are similar to those used for other sites in the region and have made it possible to link Trino's surface collections with data from sites systematically investigated in recent years.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First evidence of a Palaeolithic frequentation of the Po plain in Piedmont: the case of Trino (north-western Italy).

Daffara,

Giraudi,

Berruti

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…North to the alpine chain, a reduced number of archaeological contexts are known concerning Austria and Switzerland (Fig. 1, numbers from 1 to 5 refers to most important and studied ones) (Bächler, 1940;Ehrenberg, 1958;Bernard-Guelle, 2004;Bednarik, 2008;Brandl et al, 2011;Cartonnet & Combier, 2018;Deák et al, 2019). A very different situation can be observed in France, in particular in the Rhône valley and in the Mediterranean area on the border with Italy: dozens of Middle Palaeolithic sites (caves and rock-shelters) are known in these areas (in Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technological analysis of lithic assemblages from surface collections. First evidence of a Palaeolithic frequentation of the Po plain in Piedmont: the case of Trino (north-western Italy)

Daffara

Giraudi²,

Berruti

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Trino hill is an isolated relief located in north-western Italy, close to Trino municipality. The hill was subject of multidisciplinary studies during the 70s, when, because of quarry activities and agricultural arrangements, five concentrations of lithic artefacts were recognized and referred to a Palaeolithic frequentation of the area. During the 80s and the 90s, surface collections continued, but the lithic finds have never been subject of specific studies. Even if most of the lithic assemblages count a few lithic implements, four collection areas (3, 13 E, 13 W and 14) have significative lithic assemblages, representing the most important evidence of a Palaeolithic frequentation of the Po plain in north-western Italy. The present work, in the limits imposed by a surface and not systematic collection, propose a technological study of the lithic artefacts from the Trino hill, with the aim to define the main features of the technological behaviour of the human groups that inhabited the area. The results obtained allow to clearly identify a Middle Palaeolithic frequentation of the Trino hill, characterized by the exploitation of vein quartz and other local raw materials; allochthonous varieties of chert were used in the next frequentation phases to produce blades and bladelets. Even if part of the laminar production can be referred to Neolithic, most of that remains of indeterminate chronology and could be the result of both an Upper Palaeolithic and Neolithic human presence.

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“…Based on clay mineralogy, the oldest archaeological layer is interpreted as last interglacial soil redeposited during the early Late Pleistocene (Adatte et al, 1991). According to the most favoured hypothesis the lithic artefacts represent Mousterian Charentian of oriental Quina type originating from a single archaeological level situated originally at the entrance of the cave and redeposited during the two time intervals mentioned above (Bernard-Guelle, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New data from the Middle Palaeolithic Cotencher cave (Swiss Jura): site formation, environment, and chronology

Deák¹,

Preusser

Cattin³

et al. 2019

E&G Quaternary Sci. J.

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Abstract. Cotencher cave is one of the oldest Palaeolithic sites of Switzerland and is known for its rich faunal and Mousterian artefacts, the latter suggesting one or several passages of Neanderthal hunter–gatherer tribes. This interdisciplinary study summarises novel data concerning site formation processes and anthropic attendance of the site. While the lithic artefacts indicate tool production at the site, the faunal remains do not yield any evidence of a link to human occupation. The sedimentary sequence permits us to unravel several important environmental changes that occurred during the Late Pleistocene. The presence of a local glacier around 70 ka (Marine Isotope Stage, MIS 4) is revealed followed by ice-free conditions characterised by alternating soil formation processes and landscape destabilisation during MIS 3. Solifluction processes suggesting recurrent frozen ground were responsible for the displacements of part of the artefacts and faunal remains. Evidence of local glacier development around 36 ka is related to the particular geomorphological conditions of the studied region and shed new light on the complexity of glacier dynamics. The recognition and dating of recurrent hostile glacier landscapes might contribute to understanding the reasons for the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic attendance hiatuses known in the studied region.

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Un site moustérien dans le Jura suisse : la grotte de Cotencher (Rochefort, Neuchâtel) revisitée

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

First evidence of a Palaeolithic frequentation of the Po plain in Piedmont: the case of Trino (north-western Italy).

First evidence of a Palaeolithic frequentation of the Po plain in Piedmont: the case of Trino (north-western Italy).

Technological analysis of lithic assemblages from surface collections. First evidence of a Palaeolithic frequentation of the Po plain in Piedmont: the case of Trino (north-western Italy)

New data from the Middle Palaeolithic Cotencher cave (Swiss Jura): site formation, environment, and chronology

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