An international team of archaeologists led by experts from the University of York has uncovered evidence of human activity in the high slopes of the French Alps dating back more than 8,000 years.
The 14-year study in the Parc National des Ecrins in the southern Alps is one of the most detailed archaeological investigations carried out at high altitudes. It reveals a story of human occupation and activity in one of the world’s most challenging environments from the mesolithic to the post-medieval period. The work included the excavation of a series of stone animal enclosures and human dwellings considered some of most complex high-altitude Bronze Age structures found anywhere in the Alps.
The research, published in Quaternary International, was led by Dr Kevin Walsh, landscape archaeologist at the University of York, in partnership with Florence Mocci of the Centre Camille Julian, CNRS, Aix-en-Provence.
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