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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Les versants du Petit Saint-Bernard de la Préhistoire à l'Antiquité : nouvelles données sur les premières occupations de la montagne autour d'un passage transalpin

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description

The Petit Saint-Bernard mountain pass is one of the main transalpine passages at the south of Mont Blanc. Within the context of an Interreg programme, archaeological research is being done on the two sides of the pass. This work aims to develop knowledge of the first populating of the mountain and of its interaction with transalpine circulations. The method is based on a vast series of manual excavations carried out in areas prone to sedimentary trappings. The study area, which is quite large, covers the entire height of the sides and makes it possible to study the relations between the different biogeographical steps. The collected data are presented in chronological order, from Prehistory to the end of Antiquity. The great variety of the documented sites makes it possible to detail characteristic examples of the mountain environment. A first assessment of this operation has yielded several elements of synthesis. The evolution of human settlement is addressed by examining the vertical distribution of the sites and by estimating the intensity of human presence on excavated sites. The function of this mountain pass is perceived through the circulation of objects and raw materials, as well as through the analysis of the phases of occupation of the elevated sites in a position to control the itinerary.