The site of Fontéchevade, excavated during the middle part of this century, is well known for its two hominid cranial fragments and their associated stone tool industry. Both the fossils and the lithics have played important roles in the history of paleoanthropological research: the former providing strong evidence for the "presapiens" model of Pleistocene hominid evolution, and the latter becoming the type collection for the Tayacian, an industry represented in many Paleolithic sites throughout the Old World. New excavations, which took place from 1994 until 1998, were designed to shed more light on the archaeological context of the hominid remains and the nature of the Tayacian itself.

We are currently working on the final publication of our excavations.  It is expected that it will be complete early in 2005.