River in France
The Couze (French pronunciation: [kuz]) is a 30.1-kilometre-long (18.7 mi) tributary of the Dordogne in France,[1] with its source between Fongalop and Bouillac, and its mouth in Port-de-Couze. The lower half of the stream runs between limestone cliffs. The main villages along the river and its small tributaries are Beaumont-du-Périgord, Montferrand-du-Périgord, Couze-et-Saint-Front and Saint-Avit-Sénieur.
Alongside the river many Paleolithic sites have been found, including the important sites of La Gravette which gave its name to the Gravettian, a major European prehistoric culture which lasted from more than 10,000 years between circa 33,000 BP and 21,000 BP; and Combe-Capelle. Remains from the Neolithic and later periods are more sparse, until habitation again increased in the Middle Ages.[2]
Paleolithic sites
The first archaeological excavations started in the late 19th century, and intensified between 1900 and 1914. The main archaeologist working here was Denis Peyrony from Les Eyzies.[2]
- La Gravette, eponymous site for the Gravettian culture, discovered in 1880
- Combe-Capelle, where in 1909 a skull was found which was thought to be 30,000 years old. Later research revised the date to 7,000 years old.
- La Cavaille, cave with a few engravings from the Périgordian period, discovered in 1934
- Les Jean-Blancs, where an engraving of a female figure dating to the Upper Magdalenian was found
- Termo-Pialat, discovered in 1911, where some engraved blocks were found
Medieval sites
Notes
