Effects of Bears on Rockshelter Sediments at Tanay Sur-les-Creux, Southwestern Switzerland
- Braillard, Luc Université de Fribourg
- Guélat, Michel Université de Bâle
- Rentzel, Philippe Université de Bâle
-
2004
Published in:
- Geoarchaeology. - 2004, vol. 19, no. 4, p. 343-367
English
Sur-les-Creux rockshelter is located in the Prealps of southwestern Switzerland. The sequence of deposits in the rockshelter is 80 cm thick and consists of weathered gravels in a phosphate-rich matrix. A few Middle Palaeolithic artifacts and the bones of cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) were recorded in the fill. We present the results of sedimentological, geochemical, and micromorphological analyses of the rockshelter sediment. All analyses suggest an endokarstic origin of the sediments. The alteration cortices of the gravels imply in situ weathering over a long period. The phosphates are essentially biogenic and have an apatitelike nature. Phosphatization and intense mixing of the sediment are attributed to cave bear (digging of lairs, input of excrements, and carcasses). Only rare carnivore coprolites (lynx) were preserved in the cave deposits.
- Faculty
- Faculté des sciences et de médecine
- Department
- Département de Géosciences
- Language
-
- English
- Classification
- Geology
- License
- License undefined
- Identifiers
-
- RERO DOC 11581
- DOI 10.1002/gea.10123
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/301044
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