Field Projects - Jonzac (Charente-Maritime), France

In the summer of 2004 the MPI, in collaboration with the Institut de Prehistoire et de Geologie du Quaternaire (IPGQ) at the University of Bordeaux I, began excavations at the Middle and possibly early Upper Paleolithic site of Jonzac (Charente-Maritime), France.

Jonzac (which also goes by the name Chez Pinaud) is today an open-air site situated against a low, limestone cliff in the Seugne River valley. It was first identified in the 1990s by a geologist who observed fauna and stone tools in a section cut through the site by a century old quarry road. Subsequently, excavations were conducted on the exposed sections by Jean Airvaux working under the auspices of the Service de l’archéologie de Poitou-Charente. Airvaux, who excavated for several seasons, sampled the layers exposed in the existing sections and established the depth and extraordinary richness of the deposits.

Airvaux’s excavations, which were published in 2004, show a sequence that begins with a very rich Quina Mousterian industry associated with a fauna dominated by reindeer. These deposits include an over one meter thick layer of densely accumulated fauna followed by several more layers of alternating sterile and archaeological horizons. What follows is more complicated.  In one portion of the site a Denticulate Levallois industry is followed by a Mousterian of Acheulian Tradition with numerous bifaces.  In another portion of the site, Airvaux identified a Chatelperronian industry.  Capping the entire sequence is a dispersed, low density Aurignacian.

With this sequence, given the importance of clarifying the relationship of the late Mousterian, Chatelperronian, and Aurignacian industries to one another and given the significance of this period of time for the transition from Neandertals to anatomically modern humans in western Europe, the MPI and IPGQ team decided to continue work on this site. The goals of this work are as follows:

• Better establish the geological context of the industries. In particular, collect information on site formation processes using evidence from geological, faunal, and lithic observations.
• Obtain dates. Airvaux attempted to date the levels but was unsuccessful. The MPI/IPGQ team will apply AMS, TL, ESR and OSL dating techniques in order to date this sequence.
• Collect new data on the stone tool industries. The Chatelperronian, in particular, is at present poorly known from the site. The new excavations will attempt to clarify the nature of this and the other industries at Jonzac.
• Collect new data from the Quina Mousterian levels. The Quina Mouserian is still a relatively poorly understood phenomenon. At Jonzac, where it is associated with a rich and well preserved fauna, we hope to be able to say something new about this particular Neandertal adaptation.

In the summer of 2007, the MPI/IPGQ team finished four years of excavation at Jonzac
aimed at resolving the issues outlined above.  We are currently in the process of
analyzing the excavated material and preparing for publication.  In 2008 the field season
will consist only of those analyzing the materials and thus no excavators will be needed.
 If you are interested in excavating with us, please consider our other excavations at
Les Cottés, Willendorf and Roc de Marsal.

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