Mousterian (Neanderthal) Sites Mousterian (Neanderthal) Sites
Vestiges humains de Regourdou 1 en place en 1957. La mandibule apparaît par sa face droite avec en dessous une vertèbre cervicale et plus à gauche l'humérus droit cassé puis l'extrémité distale de l'ulna droit.
The remains of Regourdou 1 in place in 1957. The right mandible or jaw of the face appears just above a cervical (neck) vertebra and on the left a broken right humerus (upper arm bone) and the distal (far) end of the right ulna (one of the two lower arm bones).
Photo: Don Hitchcock 2008
Source: Display at Le Regourdou
Autres vestiges humains de Regourdou 1 en place. On note la présence de l'ulna droit complet à gauche.
Regourdou 1. Note the presence of a complete right ulna on the left of the photo.
Photo: Don Hitchcock 2008
Source: Display at Le Regourdou
Les os retrouvés sont en très bon état, en particulier la mandibule, le sternum et les petits os des extrémités des membres, rarement conservés. Le crâne, les fémurs et les tibias manquent.
The bones found were in very good condition, especially the mandible, sternum and small bones of the extremities, which rarely survive. The skull, femurs and tibias are missing.
A card was placed near the mandible which read:
L'HOMME DU REGOURDOU
MACHOIRE
ETUDIEE PAR M. LE PROFESSEUR PIVETEAU
MEMBRE DE L'INSTITUT
The Man from Le Regourdou
Jaw
Studied by Professor Piveteau
Member of the Institute
Eugène Bonifay à gauche et Georges Laplace à droite en Septembre 1957 travaillant sur les vestiges humains.
Eugène Bonifay on the left and Georges Laplace on the right in September 1957 working on the excavation of the human remains.
Photo: Don Hitchcock 2008
Source: Display at Le Regourdou
Various sections and a plan at the Le Regourdou site.
Photo: Don Hitchcock 2008
Source: Display at Le Regourdou
Stratigraphie de la grotte de Regourdou, coupe longitudinale - Stratigraphy of the cave Regourdou in a longitudinal section.
L'entrée de la cavité pendant la préhistoire se faissait par la cheminée (ch) en haut à gauche. Les numéros des couches stratigraphiques sont entourés Le pierrier livrant les vestiges humains est au niveau du rond jaune pâle.
(D'apres Bonifay e. 1965)
The entrance to the cave during prehistory was through the chimney (ch) in the upper left of the drawing. The numbers of the stratigraphic layers are given. The region where the human remains were found is denoted by the pale yellow circle. (After Bonifay E. 1965)
Stratigraphie de la grotte de Regourdou, coupe transversale - Stratigraphy of the cave Regourdou in a transverse section.
Les numéros des couches stratigraphiques sont entourés. Le pierrier livrant les vestiges humains est au niveau du rond jaune pâle.
(D'apres Bonifay e. 1965)
The numbers of the stratigraphic layers are given. The region where the human remains were found is denoted by the pale yellow oval. (After Bonifay E. 1965)
Les fouilles - Excavations
Eugène Bonifay a fouillé avec Bernard Vandermeersch, de 1961 à 1964, une stratigraphique complexe de 8 couches qui ont livré une industrie lithique pauvre. La couche 2, correspondant à un climat rigoureux, contenait plus de matériel que les autres: des actions dues au gel et des restes d'animaux adaptés au froid y ont été observés.
Les couches 3, 5, 6, 7 et 8 ont livré une faune caractéristique d'un environnement plus clément.
La couche 4, dans laquelle a été découverte la sépulture, semble être la seule à avoir connu une fréquentation humaine.
Eugene Bonifay searched with Bernard Vandermeersch, from 1961 to 1964, a complex of 8 stratigraphic layers that have delivered a poor lithic industry. Layer 2, corresponding to a harsh climate, contained more tools than the others: actions due to freezing and the presence of the remains of animals adapted to cold have been reported. Layers 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 have fauna characteristic of a more moderate climate. Layer 4, in which the burial was discovered, appears to be the only one to have left evidence of humans.
Rites ou phénomènes géologiques? - Rites or geological phenomena?
Les travaux d'Eugène Bonifay ont aussi révélé des structures (fosses, tas de pierres) contenant des restes d'animaux, en particulier des ossements d'ours (ours bruns uniquement), qui font de cet animal l'acteur privilégié de ce qui, à l'époque de la fouille, a pu faire penser à des rites.
Aujourd'hui, de telles observations pourraient être expliqués par des causes naturelles.
The work of Eugene Bonifay also revealed structures (pits, piles of stones) containing animal remains, especially bones of bears (brown bears only), which makes this animal a privileged actor of the times. At the time of the search, the brown bear bones were thought to be part of a Neanderthal ritual.
Today, such observations would be explained by natural causes. The bones of the brown bears may simply have been present, not brought in deliberately by the Neanderthals.
This is the old excavation site at Le Regourdou. It is still possible to see the rusty steel crane and bucket used in the removal of spoil from the deep hole and gallery which was excavated here.
Photo: Don Hitchcock 2008
R. Constant découvre en 1957 un squelette néandertalien au fond d'une longue galerie. Des fouilles qui s'ensuivent révèlent un ensemble funéraire élaboré comprenant des structures complexes (murettes, tumulus, coffrages) d'interprétation difficile, associées selon E. Bonifay à des dépôts intentionnels d'ossements d'ours et de cerf.
Bien qu'incomplet (crâne et fémurs manquent) ce squelette parfaitement conservé signe la plus ancienne sépulture découverte en Occident.
R. Constant discovered in 1957 this Neanderthal skeleton at the end of a long gallery. Excavations revealed that there was evidence of a funeral which included the development of complex structures (walls, mounds, formwork) which are difficult to interpret, as well as, according to E.Bonifay, the associated intentional deposition of the bones of bears and deer.
Although still incomplete (it is missing the skull and femurs) this otherwise perfectly preserved skeleton is the oldest discovered in western Europe.
Photo: Don Hitchcock 2008
Source: Display at Musée National de Préhistoire, Les Eyzies
Le Regourdou Skeleton.
I have flipped this photo from a French site horizontally since it appears to have been printed back to front. It is interesting to compare missing, moved and extra bones in the two images, this one and my composite above.
Photo: http://www.pole-prehistoire.com/
Pierres naturellement perforées à proximité du squelette de Régourdou.
fouille E. Bonifay
(Collection du Musée national de Préhistoire des Eyzies)
Naturally perforated stones found near the Regourdou skeleton.
Photo: Don Hitchcock 2008
Source: Original at Musée National de Préhistoire, Les Eyzies
The site of Le Regourdou uses live brown bears, and the opportunity to feed them, as a tourist attraction. Archaeology has never been a sufficient drawcard for most visitors, unless there are extra attractions such as the paintings of Lascaux. The connection here is the presence of brown bear remains in the archaeological site.
Photo: Don Hitchcock 2008
The Le Regourdou site has always been a private archaeological site, and this photo shows an earlier version of the Le Regourdou Kiosk.
Photo: Don Hitchcock 2008