In:
Collection EDYTEM. Cahiers de géographie, PERSEE Program, Vol. 20, No. 1 ( 2018), p. 161-176
Abstract:
The Abri Faravel (Faravel rock shelter), discovered in 2010, at an altitude of 2 133 m in the Écrins National Park (Freissinières, Hautes-Alpes, France), is a high-altitude site that has been the subject of several excavation seasons between 2011 and 2015. This rock-shelter saw several occupation phases over an extended period ; from the Mesolithic to the modern times. The archaeological material collected during these excavations consists of a lithic series that is significant for this alpine context (over 3,000 recorded objects including a large set of diagnostic items attributable to the Early Mesolithic) but also, in smaller quantities, Iron Age handthrown ceramics, a Roman fibulae and medieval ironwork elements. In addition, the unique feature of this site comprises the cave paintings, specifically, the highest representations of quadrupeds known in Europe to date. The format or theme (a wounded deer facing another animal) comprises schematic paintings in ochre on the shelter ceiling and the back wall. This scene is considered to be Neolithic in date. The study of this site’s material is part of the multidisciplinary research carried out for several years under the direction of F. Mocci and K. Walsh, in the high massifs of Argentiérois sector the heart of the Écrins National Park. In particular, this research has highlighted the presence of people in the alpine zone, above 2 000 m, during prehistoric times, and at least since the Mesolithic. In this paper, we present the state of knowledge relating to this site, situating it within the broader context of archaeological and environmental data from this area of the Southern French Alps.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1762-4304
DOI:
10.3406/edyte.2018.1416
Language:
French
Publisher:
PERSEE Program
Publication Date:
2018
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