In the Clermont-Ferrand area of the Auvergne region at the heart of France, archaeologists unearthed a Neolithic site dating between 4750 and 4500 BCE. The excavation revealed a cemetery containing 63 graves, a finding documented by the National Institute of Archaeological Research and Preservation (INRAP).
The graves varied widely in construction and arrangement. Some were oval holes dug into the ground where the deceased were laid with knees drawn to the chest, while others formed multi-person burials using stone without mortar. A long, slab-built sarcophagus-like feature also appeared among the interments, indicating complex mortuary practices.
In a separate portion of the necropolis, researchers identified areas where cremated remains were deposited, pointing to diverse funerary customs within a single site.
Scholars concluded that the Clermont-Ferrand complex was in use for thousands of years. The evidence indicated that people practiced burial rituals as well as animal sacrifices, with several pits containing livestock remains accompanying human burials.
More than just bones, the site yielded hundreds of artifacts that illuminate its ceremonial character. Among them were spherical urns intended for funerary use, ceramic vessels, jewelry fashioned from polished deer antler, flint arrowheads, a bracelet carved from wild boar tusk, and a finely fashioned stone axe, all contributing to a vivid picture of material culture in this region during the Neolithic.
The most striking object was a 3,300-year-old axe crafted from a single piece of serpentine. Its surface bore the marks of careful workmanship, and the tool had been deliberately broken into three parts before the interment, a detail that hints at ritual or symbolic significance in the burial rite.
Overall, archaeologists highlight that the finds from Clermont-Ferrand reflect a broad spectrum of Stone Age ritual practices, underscoring the richness and longevity of ceremonial activities in this landscape. The discoveries contribute to a wider understanding of prehistoric Europe, where community life often intertwined with rites, offerings, and crafted objects that carried meaning beyond practical use.
Remarkably, earlier researchers have noted claims about piercing jewelry in Türkiye as among the oldest known, a point that situates regional craftsmanship within a broader paleolithic and neolithic tradition across Eurasia.