The Open Archival Mission of CAPRA
Archaeological documentation holds true historical value only when it can be scrutinized, verified, and expanded by subsequent generations of researchers and the public. Across the twentieth century, countless regional surveys conducted by well-meaning individuals were permanently lost because findings remained in private notebooks, stored in cardboard boxes in attics, or discarded following estate settlements.
To eliminate this tragic loss of territorial memory, CAPRA established a centralized, standardized digital and physical archive at our headquarters in Bourg-lès-Valence. Every stone tool, ceramic fragment, stratigraphical sketch, and environmental sediment sample collected during authorized association surveys is cataloged according to the international norms established by the Ministry of Culture and the CNRS.
Major Research Collections Curated in Our Archives
Our collections reflect the deep chronological continuum of prehistoric human adaptation in the Rhône basin:
- Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) Assemblages (approx. 300,000 to 40,000 BP): Substantial collections of Levallois flakes, discoidal cores, side scrapers (racloirs), and denticulates gathered from the ancient alluvial gravel terraces of the Drôme River. These assemblages document Neanderthal subsistence strategies, tool rejuvenation patterns, and raw material procurement from local river cobbles and secondary flint outcrops.
- Upper Paleolithic Blade Technologies (approx. 40,000 to 12,000 BP): Exceptional lithic series from the Aurignacian, Solutrean, and Magdalenian horizons discovered in karst rock shelters along the Vercors piedmont. Highlights include finely retouched backed bladelets, burins used for bone and antler engraving, and delicate Solutrean foliate points showcasing masterful bifacial pressure flaking.
- Mesolithic Microlithic Complexes (approx. 10,000 to 6,000 BP): Geometric microliths (triangles, trapezes, and crescents) utilized as transverse arrowheads by Post-Glacial hunter-gatherers operating within evolving dense temperate forest ecosystems.
- Neolithic Domestic Horizons & Polished Stone (approx. 6,000 to 2,200 BC): Polished alpine eclogite and serpentinite axes, early impressed ceramic sherds (Chasséen culture), flint sickle blades exhibiting characteristic cereal gloss, and grinding stones (meules) documenting the dawn of sedentary agro-pastoralism in the Rhône corridor.
Physical Conservation Standards and Microclimate Management
Preserving archaeological artifacts demands continuous attention to environmental stability. Even durable stone tools can suffer surface exfoliation or patination changes if exposed to fluctuating atmospheric pollutants, severe humidity spikes, or acidic storage chemicals.
At CAPRA, all diagnostic objects are stored in acid-free polypropylene trays, lined with closed-cell polyethylene foam (Plastazote) custom-cut to prevent mechanical friction. Each artifact is cataloged with an individual identification number inscribed on a reversible acrylic base (Paraloid B-72) topped with archival pigment ink. Our storage vault maintains a continuous relative humidity between 45% and 55% with ambient temperatures monitored via digital hygrometers.
Consulting the Archives: Public and Academic Access
Our archives are open to all interested individuals under transparent public interest guidelines. We believe that access to cultural heritage data should not be contingent upon academic affiliation or commercial licensing fees:
- Open Public Reading Room: Located at Espace L'Île Girodet, our reading room is open to members, students, teachers, and independent researchers by appointment. Visitors can consult paper logs, site maps, and scientific monographs in person.
- Digital Inquiry Service: Researchers unable to travel to Bourg-lès-Valence can request digital scans of specific survey logs or high-resolution photogrammetric models of diagnostic pieces. Our volunteer archival committee processes inquiries without charging handling fees.
- Deposition with State Heritage Archives: To ensure permanent security, master copies of all CAPRA survey reports and stratigraphic drawings are systematically filed with the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) and the Departmental Archives of the Drôme.
By maintaining these rigorous open archives, CAPRA ensures that the collective prehistory of our region remains protected, decipherable, and universally accessible for generations to come.