From Surfaces to Tools: Traceology and Experimental Analysis of Digging Techniques of Mediterranean Rock-Cut Tombs
Résumé
Rock-cut tombs are present, at the end of Prehistory, in Sardinia and in the south of France. A large literature is dedicated to these monuments, but the study of the digging process remains poorly discussed. This topic has been the subject of PhD research and a research programme developed and funded by the Galilée programme from the Université franco-italienne. This programme focuses mainly on the study of the surfaces in rock-cut tombs. The question of the walls’ surfaces from Sardinian and French hypogea is essential for the understanding of the realisation of these monuments
and the action taken during the digging process. This research goes through the study of the walls, more precisely the digging traces, and the study of the macro-lithic tools used for the excavation. The study of tool marks on the walls is complex because of the state of preservation of the monuments but also of the treatments applied on the walls. Indeed, many hypogea are characterised by the presence
of a specific treatment on the walls comprising a smoothing and/or the realisation of sculpture and engraving. Many Sardinian hypogea also have painted representations. Similarly, these artificial cavities have many problems of conservation. The walls suffer from moisture and vegetation as well as vandalism. In these circumstances, it is necessary to develop a non-invasive study technique to obtain quality data. In this prospect, we chose to set up a photography and photogrammetry method
complemented by an experimental protocol. We focused on the differences of treatments that can be observed on the walls of hypogea as well as on the techniques and tools used in the excavation
of these underground architectures. In this paper, we will describe the methodology adopted and the results obtained within the Galilée programme.