U er w U Thib AichigcI. Datly-.$ ;' Pd§8-4- VVn46 -A'i[l 002- TKii Michig-dn ID611y r r Digging up the French un derground A THE BEAUTIFUL Southern French countryside conceals an archaeologist's dream. Daily Photo by JASON ADKINS Digging up Southern France (Continued from Page 4) just finished two full months of work. A few weeks later six French geologists joined us bringing the crew back to a comfortable size. We lived at Sireuil, a picturesque, lit- tle, hilltop village some three kilometers west of Les Eyzies, which overlooked the entire valley. The fresh evening air of Sireuil was always filled with the sounds of cow bells as the far- mers lef their herds home. The com- binations of rural sounds and beautiful panorama created an atmosphere of incredible tranquility. We lived in 17th century stone houses provided by the university. Our meals were prepared locally, and we chatted with the villagers as we had.our food and wine. After a hard day at work it was a pleasure to return to the provincial cooking and the solitude of the peaceful hilltop. WE ALWAYS put in a long day at the Vignaud site, getting up at 7:00 a.m. When we arrived at work at 8:06 a.m. it was very cold; things didn't warm up much until the sun rose over the cliff over-hang where we worker. At noon, however, the heat was so intense that we returned to Sireuil for a luncheon feast. After two hours or so of relaxation we trekked back to work and stayed until 6:00 p.m., when we trudged, home, exhausted and filthy, for the day's final feast. After dinner, though, I fought off my exhaustion to explore nearby natural caves, castles, and other places where I hoped to find flint toolls on my own. It was during these after-hours tours, and during weekends off, that I really got to know the area. One of the volunteers at the dig, Francois, taught me where to look for flint tolls in the wilds. And amazingly enough, there were tools to be found all over the place. I often found tools of museum quality while strolling through plowed fields or while wan- dering through the woods. Our job at Vignaud consisted on un- covering geological layers with thousands of years of human history packed inside. Using tooth- brushes, dental picks, and paint bruishes. I received an intensive training in the complex digging and record keeping methods used at an ar- chaeological expedition. THE MOST important aspect is proper identification of flint toolls and bone fragments. The technique for the removal of artifacts is a meticulous and laborous process. Every artifact is carefully uncovered from its geological layer, then the place where it was found is marked on a detailed map using coordinates related to sea level. Each object is then numbered according to its geological layer and the square meter in which it was found. After being wrapped and stored, the artifact is labeled with ink and sent to a lab for further analysis. With such an accurate recording, it is possible to reconstruct an entire archaeological site inside a scientist's lab. Only a portion of the site could be ex- cavated. using such time-consuming methods. Fortunately, Vignaud had one geological layer especially rich with flint tools dating back 35,000 years. These tools were from a neolithic, tool- making culture which was supposed to have developed in thearea 25,000 years ago - some 10,000 years later than the tools. Thus our discoveries were See SOUTHERN, Page 18 ARCHAEOLOGISTS and interested workers WITH THIS COUPON By Jason Adkins Last year I topped off my term abroad at the Sorbonne University of Paris by planning an exciting summer excursion - with a prehistoric twist. I had heard about the well-known prehistoric cave in southern France called Lascaux, famous for its cave paintings of bison, deer, and woolly mammoths. After eight weeks of working and studying at school, I decided to take a break and spend some time on an archaeological dig in the area known as La Doredogne. DURING EASTER holiday I set out hitchhiking. My destination was the lit- tle town (I had no idea just how little) of Les Eyzies, where the finest prehistoric -museum in the region was located. I hoped to speak to the curator about get- ting involved in a dig for the summer. My journey was a picturesque one; occasionally I would pass a castle ruin perched atop a large cliff. This was evidence enough that man had inhabited the region for quite a long time, and yet I was impatient to arrive at Les Ayzies and to see the really an- cient sites. When I finally reached my destination I was greeted by a large sign reading, "Welcome to Les Eyzies: the Prehistoric'Capital of the World." I found myself in a charming little village surrounded by large walls of rust-colored sandstone. The cliffs showed signs of extensive erosion and were covered with vegetation. AS I walked up the town's main street, I soon saw the museum housed in a renovated medieval castle. The museum, like the houses and restaurants of the village, was built into MICHIGAN TRAILWAYS " Deluxe Charter Transportation " Professional Tour Service Go DAILY SCHEDULED SERVICE From U of M STUDENT UNION the cliff wall. The cliffs provided a back wall; sometimes garages and storage sheds were carved directly out of the sandstone. The town seemed like a throwback to the Middle Ages, except for the large statue of a Neanderthal man which graced the museum's en- trance. My ,luck was such that within ten minutes I stumbled upon a rescue dig-or "fouille de sauvetage" - that was being conducted on the edge of the town by the University of Bordeaux. A restaurant was scheduled to be built on the site, but construction had been halted by the French courts so the University could remove important ar- tifacts. The head archaeologist, Jean- Michael, offered me a job on the spot at a site called' Vignaud. Since the dig desperately needed help, the only prerequisites for work were intense en- thusiasm and, some knowledge of prehistory. It sounded ideal - the pay amounted to room and board, and they were finding 35,000 year-old flint tools by the hundreds. I accepted the job for the month of June. TO PREPARE for my trip I had writ- ten the Ministry of Culture for per- mission to visit the caves of Lascaux - the most important prehistoric caves in Europe. The caves were closed to the general public, but I hoped to receive permission to visit them as a building archaeologist. The day before I returned to Les Eyzies I received a permit to tour Lascaux - which com- pleted my plans for an incredible ex- perience.I At Les Eyzies there were only two people at the dig - the last team had , , , . .% ' r \ ., . . . / y^.. . P! 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