The Roche des Poignards Site

The excavation up against the rock face upon which a series of engravings were made (starting in the Neolithic) aimed to assess the nature of any human activity on this site. Walls of a sheep enclosure constitute the evidence for the most recent phase of activity. Quantities of medieval pottery and associated bone characterise another important phase of activity. Charcoal from lower layers, and evidence from an adjacent round structure (see image lower down in blog) may well provide evidence of prehistoric actvity on this site.

Location Map: Roche des Poignards is located towards the top right of this image

The work at this site is part of a much larger landscape archaeology project concerned with the study of human activity in the high altitude zones of the Southern French Alps in the Ubaye Valley and the Parc National des Ecrins.