Books by Bastien Jakob
Jakob B. & Falquet Ch. (dir.) - 2015 - Onnens-Praz Berthoud (canton de Vaud, Suisse). Contexte, e... more Jakob B. & Falquet Ch. (dir.) - 2015 - Onnens-Praz Berthoud (canton de Vaud, Suisse). Contexte, environnement et occupations du Mésolithique au début du Néolithique (Fouilles de l’autoroute A5•2). Lausanne : Cahiers d’archéologie romande (CAR 152).
Cet ouvrage présente les premiers résultats des fouilles de sauvetage menées sur le site d’Onnens-Praz Berthoud (canton de Vaud, Suisse) de 1997 à 2004 dans le cadre du chantier de l’autoroute A5. Organisé en trois parties, ce volume regroupe la présentation générale du site, les études environnementales (sédimentologique, micromorphologique et malacologique) et l’analyse des vestiges archéologiques (faune, céramique, industrie lithique taillée et structures) datés du Mésolithique ancien au début du Néolithique moyen.
Papers by Bastien Jakob
Annuaire d’Archéologie Suisse , 2024
Laure Bassin, Philippe Della Casa, Alexandre Deseine, Bastien Jakob, Léonard Kramer, Fabio Wegmül... more Laure Bassin, Philippe Della Casa, Alexandre Deseine, Bastien Jakob, Léonard Kramer, Fabio Wegmüller, Samuel van Willigen - 2024 - "The Meso-Neolithic transition between the Alps and the Jura Mountains: a state of the question in Switzerland and the Upper Rhine Graben" - AAS - p. 137-163.
This paper presents a review of the transition between the Mesolithic and Neolithic in Switzerland, covering the period from the Late Mesolithic (around 6000 calBC) to the onset of the full Neolithic (around 4500 calBC). By bringing together various regional
perspectives, the study explores Switzerland's archaeological landscape, examining key areas like the Jura Arc, the western and eastern parts of the Swiss Plateau, the Upper Rhine Graben, the Rhine and Rhône Valleys and the central and southern Alps. This overview on the state of research highlights the importance of the Mesolithic to the understanding of transitional processes. It confirms the establishment of the major currents of European Neolithisation in the neighbouring regions and the development of specific situations resulting from multiple influences. By revisiting fundamental aspects, the article aims to reopen the debate on the processes at play in the transition between the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.
Revue historique neuchâteloise, 2023
Society and Subsistence in the Prehistory of Northeastern Africa: Papers in honor of Romuald Schild. Studies in African Archaeology 17, 2023
Honegger, M. et Jakob, B. – 2022 – Les premiers chasseurs-cueilleurs producteurs de céramique dan... more Honegger, M. et Jakob, B. – 2022 – Les premiers chasseurs-cueilleurs producteurs de céramique dans le nord-est de l’Afrique : l’exemple de Boucharia I en Haute Nubie, in : Arbogast R.-M., Denaire A., Grando-Válečková Š., Lefranc, P., Mauvilly M., van Willigen S. (dir.), D’Oberlarg à Wesaluri, itinéraire d’un préhistorien. Mélanges offerts à Christian Jeunesse, AVAGE, Strasbourg, 43-60 (MAGE 8).
The Sahara is one of the centres of invention of pottery which appeared among groups of hunter-gatherers between the 10th and 9th millennia BC. This article presents the discoveries of Boucharia I, one of the oldest sites in the Nile Valley that testifies to this innovation. In addition to sherds decorated with impressed decorations, it delivers a lithic industry, grinding material and some remains of eroded fauna, accompanied by shells and ostrich eggshells. Thanks to technological and typological comparisons the whole can be placed in its chronological context, but it is difficult to define cultural affinities with other contemporary sites due to lack of sufficient data.
Archéologie Suisse, 2021
Bastien Jakob, Valentin Chevassu, Vincent Bichet, Valentin Metral, Murielle Montandon et Carine W... more Bastien Jakob, Valentin Chevassu, Vincent Bichet, Valentin Metral, Murielle Montandon et Carine Wagner
De part et d'autre de la frontière franco-suisse, de récents travaux de prospection et de fouille archéologiques menés dans la haute-chaîne du Jura mettent en lumière tout un pan de vestiges oubliés des livres d'histoire.
Bassin Laure, Cornelissen Marcel, Jakob Bastien & Mauvilly Michel - 2019 - Trapèzes, fléchettes e... more Bassin Laure, Cornelissen Marcel, Jakob Bastien & Mauvilly Michel - 2019 - Trapèzes, fléchettes et autres pointes : évolution des armatures du second Mésolithique au Néolithique ancien entre Jura et Préalpes suisses. In : Arbogast R.-M. et al. (dir.), Le second Mésolithique des Alpes à l’Atlantique (7e - 5e millénaire). Table ronde internationale, Strasbourg, les 3 et 4 novembre 2015, (Mémoires d’Archéologie du Grand-Est 3), pp. 11-37.
The rich lithic assemblages from the sites Arconciel/La Souche and Onnens/Praz Berthoud provide new insights into the end of the Mesolithic in western Switzerland. The continuous stratigraphic sequence at the rock-shelter of Arconciel/La Souche (canton of Fribourg) was excavated between 2003-2012. It evidences the repeated occupation of the site between 7100-4800 BC. The numerous projectile points found here show the typological development of this artefact category throughout its occupation. This development is characterised by the appearance of Late Mesolithic blade and trapeze industries just before the middle of the 7th Millennium BC and a continuing tradition of production into the 5th Millennium BC. Macro- and microscopic use wear analysis of a sample of artefacts allows the discussion of the function of artefacts which are habitually called projectile points. These analyses indicate multiple uses of the artefacts throughout the site’s occupation and show how those artefacts used as projectile points were probably hafted.
Excavated between 1997-2004, open-air site Onnens/Praz-Berthoud (canton of Vaud) is another rare example of a recently excavated site dating to the end of the Mesolithic on the Plateau Suisse. In addition to a comparable corpus of Late Mesolithic projectile points, an assemblage of Early Neolithic, 5th Millennium lithic artefacts extends the chronological range offered by Arconciel/La Souche.
Although there are small differences between the projectile point assemblages from the two studied sites, there are many parallels as well. This is especially true for the symmetric and rectangularly shaped trapezes and some of the so-called “evolved” points. A diversification of shapes can be observed towards the end of the Mesolithic. This diversification is accompanied by an increase asymmetric trapezes and the appearance of small, asymmetric points with concave bases, called “evolved” points or “fléchettes”. With time these small points show ever increasing inverse and invasive retouch, slowly developing the characteristics of Early Neolithic points.
The comparative study of two assemblages of projectile points provides new insights into the typological characteristics and their developments throughout the End of Mesolithic and the beginning of the Neolithic north of the Alps. This study increases our knowledges of the Late Mesolithic of the Swiss Plateau, while the archaeology of the following period, esp. that between 4800 and 4500 BC remains difficult to grasp here. Little comparative material is momentarily available for the rare material from this period from Onnens/Praz Berthoud.
Jakob Bastien - 2019 - Holocene Lithic Industries in Nubia. In : Raue Dietrich (Ed.), Handbook of... more Jakob Bastien - 2019 - Holocene Lithic Industries in Nubia. In : Raue Dietrich (Ed.), Handbook of Ancient Nubia, De Gruyter, p. 239-258.
Jakob B. & Honegger M. - 2017 - "From the Mesolithic to the beginning of the Neolithic in Upper N... more Jakob B. & Honegger M. - 2017 - "From the Mesolithic to the beginning of the Neolithic in Upper Nubia: the sequence of Wadi El-Arab (8300-5400 BC cal)". Kerma, Documents de la mission archéologique suisse au Soudan (7), pp. 42-48
Jakob B. - 2015 - "The knapped lithic indstry from Wadi El-Arab and the perspective of a synthesi... more Jakob B. - 2015 - "The knapped lithic indstry from Wadi El-Arab and the perspective of a synthesis regarding the Nubian Mesolithic". Kerma, Documents de la mission archéologique suisse au Soudan (6), pp. 12-15.
Honegger M., Jakob B. & Kramer L. - 2015 - "Survey in Wadi Farjar". Kerma, Documents de la missio... more Honegger M., Jakob B. & Kramer L. - 2015 - "Survey in Wadi Farjar". Kerma, Documents de la mission archéologique suisse au Soudan (6), pp. 5-11.
Honegger M. & Jakob B. - 2009 - "The Early Holocene sequence of Wadi El-Arab". Kerma, Documents d... more Honegger M. & Jakob B. - 2009 - "The Early Holocene sequence of Wadi El-Arab". Kerma, Documents de la mission archéologique suisse au Soudan (1), pp. 3-6.
Master thesis by Bastien Jakob
Jakob B. - 2010 - L'industrie lithique taillée de Wadi El-Arab (Soudan). Entre Mésolithique et Né... more Jakob B. - 2010 - L'industrie lithique taillée de Wadi El-Arab (Soudan). Entre Mésolithique et Néolithique en Nubie. - 100 p.
Notices by Bastien Jakob
Annuaire d'archéologie suisse, 2024
Annuaire d'archéologie suisse, 2023
Annuaire d'archéologie suisse, 2023
Annuaire d'archéologie suisse, 2020
Annuaire Suisse d'Archéologie, 2010
Chronique archéologique concernant le sondage effectué dans cet abri renfermant des vestiges du M... more Chronique archéologique concernant le sondage effectué dans cet abri renfermant des vestiges du Mésolithique
Talks by Bastien Jakob
25th EAA Annual Meeting, Bern, 4-7 september, session 85
The Early Holocene Nubian lithic indu... more 25th EAA Annual Meeting, Bern, 4-7 september, session 85
The Early Holocene Nubian lithic industries are generally characterized by the debitage of small flint, chert, agate or quartz pebbles found in the alluvial terraces of the Nile or in wadi deposits. The products are essentially flakes, but bladelets are appreciated for the manufacture of numerous geometric microliths (lunates, triangles, trapezes) and backed pieces used to arm arrows. Scrapers, perforators and notched pieces complete the common toolset. The first proper lithic studies undertaken in Nubia were conducted by the Combined Prehistoric Expedition directed by F. Wendorf during the UNESCO salvage campaigns in the 1960s. These studies constitute the basis for defining the Nubian cultural sequence stretching from the Late Pleistocene to the Middle Holocene. Since then, the work of D. Usai has permitted readjustments and a better understanding of the evolution of the lithic industries between Early to Middle Holocene. However lithic studies are scarce in Nubia, especially in Upper Nubia. The discovery in the 2000s by M. Honegger of two Early Neolithic sites dated to the first half of the 6th millennium BC in the Kerma region offer new data to apprehend the neolithisation of Nubia. The analysis of the lithic industries - in progress in my PhD thesis - does not show a real rupture, but some new typological and technical components originating from the North seem to appear in conjunction with the first livestock.
Papers African archaeology by Bastien Jakob
Uploads
Books by Bastien Jakob
Cet ouvrage présente les premiers résultats des fouilles de sauvetage menées sur le site d’Onnens-Praz Berthoud (canton de Vaud, Suisse) de 1997 à 2004 dans le cadre du chantier de l’autoroute A5. Organisé en trois parties, ce volume regroupe la présentation générale du site, les études environnementales (sédimentologique, micromorphologique et malacologique) et l’analyse des vestiges archéologiques (faune, céramique, industrie lithique taillée et structures) datés du Mésolithique ancien au début du Néolithique moyen.
Papers by Bastien Jakob
This paper presents a review of the transition between the Mesolithic and Neolithic in Switzerland, covering the period from the Late Mesolithic (around 6000 calBC) to the onset of the full Neolithic (around 4500 calBC). By bringing together various regional
perspectives, the study explores Switzerland's archaeological landscape, examining key areas like the Jura Arc, the western and eastern parts of the Swiss Plateau, the Upper Rhine Graben, the Rhine and Rhône Valleys and the central and southern Alps. This overview on the state of research highlights the importance of the Mesolithic to the understanding of transitional processes. It confirms the establishment of the major currents of European Neolithisation in the neighbouring regions and the development of specific situations resulting from multiple influences. By revisiting fundamental aspects, the article aims to reopen the debate on the processes at play in the transition between the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.
The Sahara is one of the centres of invention of pottery which appeared among groups of hunter-gatherers between the 10th and 9th millennia BC. This article presents the discoveries of Boucharia I, one of the oldest sites in the Nile Valley that testifies to this innovation. In addition to sherds decorated with impressed decorations, it delivers a lithic industry, grinding material and some remains of eroded fauna, accompanied by shells and ostrich eggshells. Thanks to technological and typological comparisons the whole can be placed in its chronological context, but it is difficult to define cultural affinities with other contemporary sites due to lack of sufficient data.
De part et d'autre de la frontière franco-suisse, de récents travaux de prospection et de fouille archéologiques menés dans la haute-chaîne du Jura mettent en lumière tout un pan de vestiges oubliés des livres d'histoire.
The rich lithic assemblages from the sites Arconciel/La Souche and Onnens/Praz Berthoud provide new insights into the end of the Mesolithic in western Switzerland. The continuous stratigraphic sequence at the rock-shelter of Arconciel/La Souche (canton of Fribourg) was excavated between 2003-2012. It evidences the repeated occupation of the site between 7100-4800 BC. The numerous projectile points found here show the typological development of this artefact category throughout its occupation. This development is characterised by the appearance of Late Mesolithic blade and trapeze industries just before the middle of the 7th Millennium BC and a continuing tradition of production into the 5th Millennium BC. Macro- and microscopic use wear analysis of a sample of artefacts allows the discussion of the function of artefacts which are habitually called projectile points. These analyses indicate multiple uses of the artefacts throughout the site’s occupation and show how those artefacts used as projectile points were probably hafted.
Excavated between 1997-2004, open-air site Onnens/Praz-Berthoud (canton of Vaud) is another rare example of a recently excavated site dating to the end of the Mesolithic on the Plateau Suisse. In addition to a comparable corpus of Late Mesolithic projectile points, an assemblage of Early Neolithic, 5th Millennium lithic artefacts extends the chronological range offered by Arconciel/La Souche.
Although there are small differences between the projectile point assemblages from the two studied sites, there are many parallels as well. This is especially true for the symmetric and rectangularly shaped trapezes and some of the so-called “evolved” points. A diversification of shapes can be observed towards the end of the Mesolithic. This diversification is accompanied by an increase asymmetric trapezes and the appearance of small, asymmetric points with concave bases, called “evolved” points or “fléchettes”. With time these small points show ever increasing inverse and invasive retouch, slowly developing the characteristics of Early Neolithic points.
The comparative study of two assemblages of projectile points provides new insights into the typological characteristics and their developments throughout the End of Mesolithic and the beginning of the Neolithic north of the Alps. This study increases our knowledges of the Late Mesolithic of the Swiss Plateau, while the archaeology of the following period, esp. that between 4800 and 4500 BC remains difficult to grasp here. Little comparative material is momentarily available for the rare material from this period from Onnens/Praz Berthoud.
Master thesis by Bastien Jakob
Notices by Bastien Jakob
Talks by Bastien Jakob
The Early Holocene Nubian lithic industries are generally characterized by the debitage of small flint, chert, agate or quartz pebbles found in the alluvial terraces of the Nile or in wadi deposits. The products are essentially flakes, but bladelets are appreciated for the manufacture of numerous geometric microliths (lunates, triangles, trapezes) and backed pieces used to arm arrows. Scrapers, perforators and notched pieces complete the common toolset. The first proper lithic studies undertaken in Nubia were conducted by the Combined Prehistoric Expedition directed by F. Wendorf during the UNESCO salvage campaigns in the 1960s. These studies constitute the basis for defining the Nubian cultural sequence stretching from the Late Pleistocene to the Middle Holocene. Since then, the work of D. Usai has permitted readjustments and a better understanding of the evolution of the lithic industries between Early to Middle Holocene. However lithic studies are scarce in Nubia, especially in Upper Nubia. The discovery in the 2000s by M. Honegger of two Early Neolithic sites dated to the first half of the 6th millennium BC in the Kerma region offer new data to apprehend the neolithisation of Nubia. The analysis of the lithic industries - in progress in my PhD thesis - does not show a real rupture, but some new typological and technical components originating from the North seem to appear in conjunction with the first livestock.
Papers African archaeology by Bastien Jakob
Cet ouvrage présente les premiers résultats des fouilles de sauvetage menées sur le site d’Onnens-Praz Berthoud (canton de Vaud, Suisse) de 1997 à 2004 dans le cadre du chantier de l’autoroute A5. Organisé en trois parties, ce volume regroupe la présentation générale du site, les études environnementales (sédimentologique, micromorphologique et malacologique) et l’analyse des vestiges archéologiques (faune, céramique, industrie lithique taillée et structures) datés du Mésolithique ancien au début du Néolithique moyen.
This paper presents a review of the transition between the Mesolithic and Neolithic in Switzerland, covering the period from the Late Mesolithic (around 6000 calBC) to the onset of the full Neolithic (around 4500 calBC). By bringing together various regional
perspectives, the study explores Switzerland's archaeological landscape, examining key areas like the Jura Arc, the western and eastern parts of the Swiss Plateau, the Upper Rhine Graben, the Rhine and Rhône Valleys and the central and southern Alps. This overview on the state of research highlights the importance of the Mesolithic to the understanding of transitional processes. It confirms the establishment of the major currents of European Neolithisation in the neighbouring regions and the development of specific situations resulting from multiple influences. By revisiting fundamental aspects, the article aims to reopen the debate on the processes at play in the transition between the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.
The Sahara is one of the centres of invention of pottery which appeared among groups of hunter-gatherers between the 10th and 9th millennia BC. This article presents the discoveries of Boucharia I, one of the oldest sites in the Nile Valley that testifies to this innovation. In addition to sherds decorated with impressed decorations, it delivers a lithic industry, grinding material and some remains of eroded fauna, accompanied by shells and ostrich eggshells. Thanks to technological and typological comparisons the whole can be placed in its chronological context, but it is difficult to define cultural affinities with other contemporary sites due to lack of sufficient data.
De part et d'autre de la frontière franco-suisse, de récents travaux de prospection et de fouille archéologiques menés dans la haute-chaîne du Jura mettent en lumière tout un pan de vestiges oubliés des livres d'histoire.
The rich lithic assemblages from the sites Arconciel/La Souche and Onnens/Praz Berthoud provide new insights into the end of the Mesolithic in western Switzerland. The continuous stratigraphic sequence at the rock-shelter of Arconciel/La Souche (canton of Fribourg) was excavated between 2003-2012. It evidences the repeated occupation of the site between 7100-4800 BC. The numerous projectile points found here show the typological development of this artefact category throughout its occupation. This development is characterised by the appearance of Late Mesolithic blade and trapeze industries just before the middle of the 7th Millennium BC and a continuing tradition of production into the 5th Millennium BC. Macro- and microscopic use wear analysis of a sample of artefacts allows the discussion of the function of artefacts which are habitually called projectile points. These analyses indicate multiple uses of the artefacts throughout the site’s occupation and show how those artefacts used as projectile points were probably hafted.
Excavated between 1997-2004, open-air site Onnens/Praz-Berthoud (canton of Vaud) is another rare example of a recently excavated site dating to the end of the Mesolithic on the Plateau Suisse. In addition to a comparable corpus of Late Mesolithic projectile points, an assemblage of Early Neolithic, 5th Millennium lithic artefacts extends the chronological range offered by Arconciel/La Souche.
Although there are small differences between the projectile point assemblages from the two studied sites, there are many parallels as well. This is especially true for the symmetric and rectangularly shaped trapezes and some of the so-called “evolved” points. A diversification of shapes can be observed towards the end of the Mesolithic. This diversification is accompanied by an increase asymmetric trapezes and the appearance of small, asymmetric points with concave bases, called “evolved” points or “fléchettes”. With time these small points show ever increasing inverse and invasive retouch, slowly developing the characteristics of Early Neolithic points.
The comparative study of two assemblages of projectile points provides new insights into the typological characteristics and their developments throughout the End of Mesolithic and the beginning of the Neolithic north of the Alps. This study increases our knowledges of the Late Mesolithic of the Swiss Plateau, while the archaeology of the following period, esp. that between 4800 and 4500 BC remains difficult to grasp here. Little comparative material is momentarily available for the rare material from this period from Onnens/Praz Berthoud.
The Early Holocene Nubian lithic industries are generally characterized by the debitage of small flint, chert, agate or quartz pebbles found in the alluvial terraces of the Nile or in wadi deposits. The products are essentially flakes, but bladelets are appreciated for the manufacture of numerous geometric microliths (lunates, triangles, trapezes) and backed pieces used to arm arrows. Scrapers, perforators and notched pieces complete the common toolset. The first proper lithic studies undertaken in Nubia were conducted by the Combined Prehistoric Expedition directed by F. Wendorf during the UNESCO salvage campaigns in the 1960s. These studies constitute the basis for defining the Nubian cultural sequence stretching from the Late Pleistocene to the Middle Holocene. Since then, the work of D. Usai has permitted readjustments and a better understanding of the evolution of the lithic industries between Early to Middle Holocene. However lithic studies are scarce in Nubia, especially in Upper Nubia. The discovery in the 2000s by M. Honegger of two Early Neolithic sites dated to the first half of the 6th millennium BC in the Kerma region offer new data to apprehend the neolithisation of Nubia. The analysis of the lithic industries - in progress in my PhD thesis - does not show a real rupture, but some new typological and technical components originating from the North seem to appear in conjunction with the first livestock.