Elaine Sellwood

As part of the larger ERC funded Quina World project, and funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, I will be attempting to conduct high-resolution OSL dating of quartz and apply novel Bayesian statistical models to investigate the archaeological site of Chez-Pinaud, Jonzac (SW France). This site is recognised as a potential Neanderthal butchery site, but currently the chronological framework is insufficient to offer us the full story. How long was this site being used? How often was it visited? What was the climate at this time period?  Over the next two years I will be attempting to answer these questions, utilising the RANDal laboratory at Géosciences Rennes to sample and date a large stratigraphic section of bone and stone-tool hosting sediments.