Les pigments des grottes d'Arcy-sur-Cure (Yonne)

In order to study the 23 kg of pigments recovered from the three caves of Arcy-sur-Cure (the Bison, Lagoped and Reindeer Caves) we analysed their intrinsic and external characteristics. The former involve the objects' own morphology : dimensions, form, weight, colour and especially traces of use-wear and physico-chemical composition. These use-wear traces, especially a polishing and rubbing, have proved very explicit concerning the role played by these blocks in the working of hides as well as in the preparation of powders. As for the analytical results, they reveal the principal raw material that makes up the pigments. The external features include the spatial distribution of these pieces on the cave-floor, and their association with the other elements in the layer, particularly the hearths. The study was completed by a search of the surrounding terrain for raw materials, a search facilitated by the proximity of the Saint-Moré caves which used to be full of yellow ochre.