L'Age du Bronze dans la grotte Vaufrey (Cénac-et-Saint-Julien, Dordogne)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The excavation of the upper unstratified levels of the Vaufrey cave brought to light pottery sherds, and few flaked flints, polished stones, bone tools, bronze tweezers and scrap metal. The deposits show signs of considerable disturbance with, for example, sherds and iron objects from recent (mediaeval?) times, Nevertheless, most of the finds seem to belong to Late Middle Bronze Age. Decorated cups and jugs with a ribbon-handle, some of them X-shaped, incised ornaments, polypods, cordoned jar, resemble the Middle Bronze Age pottery of Quercy (groupe du Noyer), although with some local characters. The bronze tweezers are more closely related to the early type, Late Tumulus/First Urnfields tradition (Bz D/Ha A1). Two human bones (from a child) have been recovered. This does not necessarily mean that the cave was mainly used for burials; such stray finds are not uncommon during the Bronze Age in Perigord, in both permanent and occasional settlements.