Books by Philippe Lavachery
Archaeologia Mediaevalis, 2019
This book presents the first preview of discoveries made in the longest archaeological trench eve... more This book presents the first preview of discoveries made in the longest archaeological trench ever dug in Africa. From the forests of coastal south Cameroon towards the dry savannas in southern Chad, the construction of the underground pipeline of the Chad Export Project enabled an international research team to investigate a transect of 1070 kilometers (!) length. The Komé-Kribi project demonstrates the exemplary application of rescue or preventive archaeology and of cultural heritage management with regard to a variety of involved political and commercial institutions. In areas previously almost unknown archaeologically an impressive number of 472 new sites from the Middle Stone Age to the Iron Age, many considered to be important, were located. Their description, including quantities of cultural materials, a chronological outline based on about sixty radiocarbon dates, and the integration of the new and known evidence in a synoptic consideration of the cultural development of Central Africa, provides a substantial base for further studies and, for those archaeologists less familiar with the region, also offers an introduction into the local prehistory. Finally, the authors have given us a vision on the abundance of information about Africa’s past that is still preserved in the ground and scarcely touched, so far.
Papers by Philippe Lavachery
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe
Nyame akuma, 1995
... Titre du document / Document title. Continuing research at Shum Laka rock shelter, Cameroon (... more ... Titre du document / Document title. Continuing research at Shum Laka rock shelter, Cameroon (1993-1994 field season). Auteur(s) / Author(s). ... Néolithique. ; Fer. ; Site. ; Abri sous roche. ; Industrie lithique. ; Céramique. ; Sépulture. ; Microlithe. ; Shum Laka. ; Localisation / Location ...
Journal of Lithic Studies
The flint mines of Spiennes (Hainaut Province, Belgium) are among the most important mining sites... more The flint mines of Spiennes (Hainaut Province, Belgium) are among the most important mining sites in Europe as evidenced by the huge extension of the site and its very long duration of occupation, probably covering a period between 4350 and 2300 BCE. What explains such a spectacular achievement? The paper first explores the geological constraints but also the social and material conditions that made possible such a continuity of mining activities. The site of Spiennes offers both extremely rich flint resources and a specific geographical configuration that made the discovery and the exploitation of the deposit relatively easy in the Neolithic. The paper next focuses on deducing the mining strategies implemented to extract good quality raw materials on basis of both stratigraphical evidence and the flint productions in direct relation with the mines. The mining strategies variability from a synchronic and a diachronic point of view as well as the knapping techniques implemented will ...
Afrika Focus
The Settlement of the Grassfields: Archeological Research in the West of Cameroon Until recently ... more The Settlement of the Grassfields: Archeological Research in the West of Cameroon Until recently the Grassfields (Western Cameroon), cradle of the Bantu languages, were an unknown zone from an archaeological point of view. The excavations of Shum Laka rock shelter offer the first chrono-cultural sequence for the area. After 20 millenniums of microlithic (Late Stone Age) traditions of hunter-gatherers, a new culture with macrolithic tools, pottery and arboriculture (Stone to Metal Age) slowly developed from 6000 BC onwards. Correlation with palaeo-climatic and historical linguistic data suggests that proto-Benue-Congo and, later, proto-Bantu speakers could have been involved in these industries.
Journal of Field Archaeology, 2000
... excavation map this level has a lower density of artifacts in the arc-shaped structure than i... more ... excavation map this level has a lower density of artifacts in the arc-shaped structure than in ... processes fragments of the same core or tool may be intentionally moved around the site, and arti-... A total of 1220 sherds was found throughout the gray ash, a third of which were refitted. ...
Anthropologie et …, 1996
... Lithic industry. ; Upper Palaeolithic. ; Late Stone Age. ; Ceramics. ; Iron. ; Africa. ; Came... more ... Lithic industry. ; Upper Palaeolithic. ; Late Stone Age. ; Ceramics. ; Iron. ; Africa. ; Cameroon. ; Mots-clés français / French Keywords. Industrie lithique. ; Paléolithique supérieur. ; Late StoneAge. ; Céramique. ; Fer. ; Afrique. ; Cameroun. ; Shum Laka. ; Localisation / Location. ...
Antiquity, 2005
Over the last five years, a cultural heritage management programme has been carried out in areas ... more Over the last five years, a cultural heritage management programme has been carried out in areas of Chad and Cameroon impacted by construction work associated with the Chad Export Project. This project has involved construction of oilfield facilities around Doba in ...
Afrika Focus
Until recently the Grassfields (Western Cameroon), cradle of the Bantu languages, were an unknown... more Until recently the Grassfields (Western Cameroon), cradle of the Bantu languages, were an unknown zone from an archaeological point of view. The excavations of Shum Laka rock shelter offer the first chrono-cultural sequence for the area. After 20 millenniums of microlithic (Late Stone Age) traditions of hunter-gatherers, a new culture with macrolithic tools, pottery and arboriculture (Stone to Metal Age) slowly developed from 6000 BC onwards. Correlation with palaeo-climatic and historical linguistic data suggests that proto-Benue-Congo and, later, proto-Bantu speakers could have been involved in these industries. KEYWORDS: archeology, Cameroon, grassfields, proto-Bantu
Peuplements anciens et actuels des forêts tropicales, 2000
African Archaeological Review, 2001
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Books by Philippe Lavachery
Papers by Philippe Lavachery
En 2011, une campagne de fouille de 7 mois a permis la mise au jour à l’emplacement du futur centre d’interprétation d’une soixantaine de structures d’extraction, d’ateliers de taille apparemment en place ainsi que d’un foyer. L’investigation minutieuse de ces ateliers sur une surface de 50 m² constitue une première pour le site. Après une courte intervention sur les mêmes parcelles en 2012, l’aménagement des abords du SILEX’S a nécessité, en 2013 et 2014, la poursuite et la clôture des fouilles de deux minières à silex, les structures 6 et 20. Toujours en 2013 et 2014, les travaux de construction ont requis le suivi de l’ensemble des aménagements. A cette occasion, un transect de 250 m de long réalisé en bordure de la zone minière de Petit-Spiennes a permis de documenter l'extension de la nappe alluviale de Mesvin ainsi que les zones d'atelier et d'extraction du Néolithique. Ces informations ont été prises en compte lors de la requalification et de l’extension de classement du site de Spiennes aux vestiges paléolithiques en 2014.
Ces recherches ont permis la découverte d’un important matériel archéologique du Paléolithique (Pléistocène moyen) et du Néolithique (Holocène) qui montre le potentiel remarquable du site. L’abondant mobilier lithique recueilli lors de l’investigation des ateliers de taille et des puits d’extraction du Néolithique permet de documenter les chaînes opératoires complètes de productions bifaciales de Spiennes (lames de haches et pics) depuis l’extraction de la matière et sa sélection jusqu’aux produits finis. Outre les quelques fragments de céramique et nombreux os brûlés en relation directe avec un foyer, les puits d’extraction nouvellement investigués ont livré de nombreux restes fauniques dont un capriné en connexion anatomique partielle. Dix-sept ans après la mise au jour de deux squelettes humains dans le puits ST 11 de Petit-Spiennes, la découverte – en 2014 - d’une soixantaine de fragments osseux humains dans le puits ST6 entre 5 et 7 m de profondeur est à épingler.
Enfin, à l’occasion de la fouille du puits ST6, la nappe alluviale de Mesvin a été explorée sur plus de 5m². Une centaine d’artefacts in situ y furent mis au jour ou, pour les plus petits d’entre eux, récupérés au tamisage. L’industrie lithique, représentant probablement les vestiges de plusieurs occupations, est riche en débitage Levallois et au moins un des assemblages présente une composante bifaciale.