I just came back from here. It's quite different to the other prehistory sites I've been to. For anyone interested in the transition from hunter gatherer to farmer - this is worth it.
There's a museum nearby - google map at bottom.
The site itself - also google map at bottom. You can drive right to the site in a town car. If you're an Ozzie, you've been on much worse.
''Roquemissou stands out as an exceptional site for understanding the transition from hunter-gatherer to farming societies in inland southern France, with a rich archaeological record spanning multiple prehistoric periods''
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Roquemissou is a prehistoric site located in Montrozier, Aveyron, Occitanie, France, on the right bank of the Aveyron River at the foot of a limestone cliff separating the Causse Comtal plateau from the Lévézou massif123. The site was originally a rock shelter, but its overhang has largely collapsed over time. Despite this, its stratigraphy is exceptionally well preserved, providing a detailed record of nearly ten millennia of human occupation and environmental change12. Chronology and Occupations
Azilian and Laborian (Late Upper Paleolithic to Epipaleolithic):
The earliest human activity at
dates to the Azilian period, around 13,500 years before present (AP), with hunter-gatherers using the site as a temporary camp during the final stages of the last Ice Age. The environment was open, with Scots pine forests and herds of wild horses, and the climate was colder and drier than today12.
Around 11,500 years AP, Laborian groups visited the site, as evidenced by discreet fireplaces and lithic remains12.
Mesolithic:
The site was reoccupied during the Mesolithic (from about the 10th millennium BCE), with more frequent visits by semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. The environment evolved as the climate warmed: deciduous forests with oak, maple, and hazel replaced the earlier pine forests2.
The abundance of hazelnut shells in later layers indicates continued gathering of wild foods2.
Neolithic:
From the 6th millennium BCE, the first Neolithic farmers settled at Roquemissou. The site shows evidence of agriculture (barley, wheat) and pastoralism, alongside continued gathering. The landscape became more open, with hedgerows and Mediterranean-type vegetation2.
The settlement became more permanent, with stone-based houses and a village-like structure. This period is marked by the introduction of pottery and new tool types26.
Funerary practices indicate a strong community presence: a burial cave (Locus III) in the cliff above the village was used over nearly a millennium, with remains of at least 30–50 individuals and associated grave goods (tools, ornaments, pottery)256.
Environmental and Social Changes
Landscape and Climate: The site documents the transition from cold, open steppe to temperate deciduous forest and eventually to a more open, anthropized landscape shaped by farming and grazing2.
Mobility and Subsistence: Early occupants were highly mobile hunter-gatherers, while later Neolithic residents were more sedentary farmers and herders25.
Funerary Practices: The burial cave reflects a long-term use as a communal ossuary, suggesting strong territorial attachment and social memory among the Neolithic communities26.
Later Events and Abandonment
Around 2300 BCE, a collapse of large boulders from the cliff destroyed part of the village, leading to the abandonment of the site at the foot of the cliff. However, the surrounding area continued to be inhabited in later periods, including during the Gallo-Roman era and the Middle Ages26. Summary Table: Roquemissou Prehistory Timeline
Period
Approximate Dates
Main Activities/Features
1
Azilian
~13,500 years AP
Hunter-gatherer camps, wild horses
2
Laborian
~11,500 years AP
Hunter-gatherer visits, fireplaces
3
Mesolithic
10,000–7,000 BCE
Semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, forests
4
Neolithic
6,000–2,200 BCE
Farming, herding, village, burial cave
5
Chalcolithic
~3,300–2,000 BCE
Burial cave in use, village destroyed
Roquemissou stands out as an exceptional site for understanding the transition from hunter-gatherer to farming societies in inland southern France, with a rich archaeological record spanning multiple prehistoric periods123.
