Remains of a settlement dating to the Late Bronze Age were discovered during the excavation of a trench at a place called Les Viviers (Glovelier, Jura). The site is situated on the southern border of a bowl shaped depression called Les Montoyes, on the western edge of the valley of Delémont (Chap. 4.1).

The investigation was centred on the remains of the bank of a once marshy area. A meander of a near-by brook passed along this bank during the period of occupation. The archaeological layer, from which most of the artefacts were recovered, was only patchily preserved over a small area. No features or structural remains could be observed (Chap. 4.2).

The archaeological remains consist essentially of pottery shards and a small number of stone tools; no bronze objects were recovered.

The pottery from the site of Les Viviers can be dated typologically to the Halstatt A2 period. The absence of absolute dates or stratigraphic subdivision of this material precludes a more detailed classification. Stylistically, the presence of some elements with affinities to the Middle Bronze Age, and the general absence of traits resembling those typical of the succeeding phase (Ha B1), suggest that the site was occupied during the earlier part of the Ha A2 period (Chap. 4.3.2.8).

The most common recipients are open types such as bowls and related forms, jars and pots being less well represented. Goblets, shallow bowls and carinated cups are rare (Chap. 4.3).

The lithic artefacts recovered include hammers tones and burnishers made of quartzitic sandstone or quartzite, fragments of granite querns and some flint flakes (Chap. 4.4).

The quantity and distribution of the artefacts suggest that the settlement consisted of between four and six houses or huts occupied for a relatively short period of time. Activities documented by the artefacts include agriculture, textile production and the casting of bronze tools (Chap. 4.5).

Another Late Bronze Age occupation was discovered on the terrace of Montoyes during the excavation of test-trenches along the planned route of the A16- "Transjurane" motorway, some 200m distant from the site of Les Viviers (Chap. 5.1). Roman remains, including a farm and some outbuildings were found in the same vicinity (Paccolat et al. 1991).

The strongest signs of a Late Bronze Age occupation were discovered in a semi-circular shallow depression, measuring roughly 40 x 50m, situated on the terrace (Chap. 5.2). A number of pits and post holes, as well as several hundred fragments of pottery are the remaining testimony of the original settlement.

The pits are usually circular or oval in form, though some have an irregular shape, and are almost always filled with sediments similar to those covering the surrounding area. The pits were originally used as hearths, garbage dumps or for storage - probably of food. Post holes of varying diameter were also observed. Some of these form three quadrangular alignments, two probably representing the foundations of grain stores, the third that of a barn of enclosure. These alignments are however difficult to date, as pits containing gallo-roman material are found in the same area; the structures could thus date either from the Bronze Age or the Roman Period, and cannot be assigned to the one or the other with total assurance (Chap. 5.3).

The recovered artefacts, consisting primarily of badly fragmented pottery, could be assigned to the transitional phase between Ha A1 et A2. While some elements possessed traits recalling the Middle Bronze Age others appeared typical of Ha A2 (Chap. 5.4.3).

While the pottery from Montoyes appears to be slightly older than that recovered from Les Viviers, it was not possible to establish with certainly the chronological relationship between the two settlements. Several hypothetical models are discussed (Chap. 6).

The study of the local geology has allowed comprehension of the role that the two sites played in the sedimentary processes of the region. A palynological study of samples taken from the swampy depression near Les Viviers has given some indication of human activity in the area during the Bronze Age (deforestation and agriculture).

The two sites discussed in this publication belong to a group of roughly ten Bronze Age sites known at present in the valley of Delémont.

Translation: Robert Fellner