Papers by Jocelyne Desideri
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2024
The aim of this study is to add new data to the knowledge of the first alpine agro-pastoral socie... more The aim of this study is to add new data to the knowledge of the first alpine agro-pastoral societies by studying their dietary practices and mobility. Using the principles of isotopic biogeochemistry, the stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13 C), nitrogen (δ15 N) and sulphur (δ34 S) on bone collagen and strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) on dental enamel were measured to discuss the diet and residence history of 49 individuals from the Middle Neolithic necropolises of Collombey-Muraz Barmaz I and II (Valais, Switzerland). Individuals from both burial assemblages have collagen isotope values indicating a diet based on terrestrial resources with a very high consumption of animal proteins. However, the individuals from Barmaz II have consumed a nitrogen-15 enriched resource.
The strontium results show that only a few individuals buried in Barmaz I show non-local values, whereas all individuals buried in Barmaz II have values similar to the environment in which they were buried. Whether in
terms of diet, access to resources or mobility, no differences were observed between male and female individuals, neither in their isotopic values nor in the variability of these values. Taken all together, the results suggest the existence of a possible reserved area in the burial zone, even if coming from ’elsewhere’ did not seem to have any influence on access to food resources. However, if being male or female did not seem to play an important social role in this population, it seems that it is the location of their burial that gives more information about their status. Finally, these new data, combined with previous knowledge, raise the question of whether the individuals buried at Barmaz II belonged to a group that was socially distinct from the rest of the Barmaz population.
La grotte de l'Abbaye I est connue depuis le debut du 20eme siecle. De 1993 a 2003 des campag... more La grotte de l'Abbaye I est connue depuis le debut du 20eme siecle. De 1993 a 2003 des campagnes de fouilles ont ete menees par J.F. Buard avec deux campagnes de sondages preliminaires (1993 et 1994, Buard et al. 1994 et 1995), puis de fouilles programmees de 1995 a 2003. La sequence stratigraphique du site couvre la fin du paleolithique superieur, le neolithique, l'âge du Bronze et le debut de l'âge du fer et la periode romaine.
Bell Beaker pottery spread across western and central Europe beginning around 2750 BCE before dis... more Bell Beaker pottery spread across western and central Europe beginning around 2750 BCE before disappearing between 2200–1800 BCE. The mechanism of its expansion is a topic of long-standing debate, with support for both cultural diffusion and human migration. We present new genome-wide ancient DNA data from 170 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 100 Beaker-associated individuals. In contrast to the Corded Ware Complex, which has previously been identified as arriving in central Europe following migration from the east, we observe limited genetic affinity between Iberian and central European Beaker Complex-associated individuals, and thus exclude migration as a significant mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, human migration did have an important role in the further dissemination of the Beaker Complex, which we document most clearly in Britain using data from 80 newly reported individuals dating to 3900–1200 BCE. British Neolithic farmers were...
Praehistorische Zeitschrift, 2021
This paper’s primary focus is the investigation of Late Iron Age funeral practices. This is carri... more This paper’s primary focus is the investigation of Late Iron Age funeral practices. This is carried out by means of a multidisciplinary study of two necropolises, Randogne – Bluche and Sion – Parking des Remparts, which are located in southwestern Switzerland. The overall purpose of this paper is to enhance the socio-cultural understanding of this period through an integrated approach that combines the fields of bioanthropology, archaeology and ancient cultural history. Consequently, sex, age, pathologies and biological proximity first were assessed for the individuals found in the two studied necropolises. Next, data from these necropolises was contrasted with the archaeological and cultural environment from the surrounding regions. Finally, a combined perspective was developed in order to consider and combine the data collected through these different approaches. The obtained results appear to point to a regional particularism present in southwestern Switzerland’s funerary practic...
PLOS ONE, 2021
The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strat... more The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strategies due to innovative farming techniques and new crop cultivation. Increasing cultural exchanges affected the economic system. The inhabitants of Switzerland played a pivotal role in this European context through relationships with the Mediterranean, the High and Middle Danube regions and the Alps thanks to the area’s central position. This research aims to reconstruct, for the first time in Switzerland, human socio-economic systems through the study of human diet, herding and farming practices and their changes throughout the Bronze Age (2200–800 BCE) by means of biochemical markers. The study includes 41 human, 22 terrestrial and aquatic animal specimens and 30 charred seeds and chaff samples from sites in western Switzerland. Stable isotope analyses were performed on cereal and legume seeds (δ13C, δ15N), animal bone collagen (δ13Ccoll, δ15N, δ34S), human bone and tooth dentine colla...
Swiss-Liechtenstein Foundation for Archaeological Research Abroad (SLSA) (Ed.). SLSA Annual Rapport annuel 2019, 2020
La reserve archeologique de Sboryanovo, situee au nord-est de la Bulgarie (Razgrad), couvre un te... more La reserve archeologique de Sboryanovo, situee au nord-est de la Bulgarie (Razgrad), couvre un territoire de pres de 800 hectares d’une richesse exceptionnelle qui temoigne de l’existence, durant l’âge du Fer, d’un tres important centre politique, economique et religieux associe au royaume des Getes. Si la majorite des decouvertes se rapporte a cet horizon (centre urbain, sanctuaires, necropoles tumulaires royales), des vestiges d’occupations de la fin du Paleolithique au Moyen Âge attestent de l’attractivite des lieux durant des millenaires. Les fouilles realisees en 2016 ont permis de mettre au jour une sepulture du Bronze ancien, dont la presente etude vise, a travers l’analyse des ratios isotopiques du strontium, a restituer l’histoire de residence de l’individu inhume. Il s’agit d’une premiere etude de ce type sur des ossements humains de Sboryanovo qui s’inscrit dans un programme plus large en cours portant sur l’ensemble des individus du territoire de la reserve.
International Journal of Paleopathology, 2021
Objective
We report a probable case of multiple skeletal dysplasia observed in a Late Iron Age yo... more Objective
We report a probable case of multiple skeletal dysplasia observed in a Late Iron Age young adult male.
Materials : The individual studied belongs to a Late Iron Age necropolis from Switzerland. The skeletal elements are well preserved.
Methods : Macroscopic and radiographic assessment.
Results : The individual shows evidence of both craniofacial and mandibular deformation. Developmental defects are also visible with effects on the general shape and articular surfaces of both humeri, as well as the left femur and tibia.
Conclusion : We propose that the lesions observed are manifestations of skeletal dysplasia, such as pseudo-achondroplasia or multiple epiphyseal dysplasia.
Significance :
This is the first recorded case of multiple skeletal dysplasia in an Iron Age necropolis in Switzerland, questioning the integration of physically compromised individuals in La Tène society.
Limitations : Examination of other skeletal dysplasias from archaeological contexts provides support for this diagnosis.
Suggestions for future research : The integration of individuals with disabilities in La Tène societies is still poorly understood and further research is needed to better characterize these communities.
Annuaire d'archéologie suisse , 2019
La présente étude évalue les indices relatifs au développement squelettique afin de discuter des ... more La présente étude évalue les indices relatifs au développement squelettique afin de discuter des conditions socio-économiques d’individus laténiens de Suisse occidentale. Elle met en relation les indices archéologiques comprenant l'organisation des nécropoles, l'architecture des tombes, la position des défunts et le mobilier funéraire avec les indices anthropologiques de maturation squelettique, de stature et un marqueur de stress. Le corpus représente 140 individus issus de 8 nécropoles de la fin de La Tène ancienne au début de l’époque romaine. Les résultats montrent que les hommes accompagnés d'armes et les femmes dotées de monnaies ont une stature en moyenne plus grande et ne présentent que peu ou pas d’épisodes d’arrêt de croissance. En revanche, certaines femmes et quelques enfants montrent des statures inférieures et de nombreux épisodes de stress. Ces éléments permettent de proposer que ceux-ci appartiendraient à une frange sociale plus défavorisée.
The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strat... more The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strategies due to innovative farming techniques and new crop cultivation. Increasing cultural exchanges affected the economic system. The inhabitants of Switzerland played a pivotal role in this European context through relationships with the Mediterranean, the High and Middle Danube regions and the Alps thanks to the area's central position. This research aims to reconstruct, for the first time in Switzerland, human socioeconomic systems through the study of human diet, herding and farming practices and their changes throughout the Bronze Age (2200-800 BCE) by means of biochemical markers. The study includes 41 human, 22 terrestrial and aquatic animal specimens and 30 charred seeds and chaff samples from sites in western Switzerland. Stable isotope analyses were performed on cereal and legume seeds (δ 13 C, δ 15 N), animal bone collagen (δ 13 C coll , δ 15 N, δ 34 S), human bone and tooth dentine collagen (δ 13 C coll , δ 15 N,) and human tooth enamel (δ 13 C enamel). The isotopic data suggest a) an intensification of soil fertilization and no hydric stress throughout the Bronze Age, b) a human diet mainly composed of terrestrial resources despite the proximity of Lake Geneva and the Rhone river, c) a diet based on C 3 plants during the Early and Middle Bronze Age as opposed to the significant consumption of 13 C-enriched resources (probably millet) by individuals from the Final Bronze Age, d) no important changes in dietary patterns throughout an individual's lifespan but a more varied diet in childhood compared to adulthood, e) no differences in diet according to biological criteria (age, sex) or funerary behavior (burial architecture, grave goods). PLOS ONE PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.
Consuming the milk of other species is a unique adaptation of Homo sapiens, with implications for... more Consuming the milk of other species is a unique adaptation of Homo sapiens, with implications for health, birth spacing and evolution. Key questions nonetheless remain regarding the origins of dairying and its relationship to the genetically-determined ability to drink milk into adulthood through lactase persistence (LP). As a major centre of LP diversity, Africa is of significant interest to the evolution of dairying. Here we report proteomic evidence for milk consumption in ancient Africa. Using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) we identify dairy proteins in human dental calculus from northeastern Africa, directly demonstrating milk consumption at least six millennia ago. Our findings indicate that pastoralist groups were drinking milk as soon as herding spread into eastern Africa, at a time when the genetic adaptation for milk digestion was absent or rare. Our study links LP status in specific ancient individuals with direct evidence for their consumption of dairy products.
by Marcus Brittain, Ian Armit, Philipp Wolfgang Stockhammer, Harry Fokkens, Alissa Mittnik, Zuzana Faltyskova, Megan Michel, Lindsey Büster, Ken Massy, philippe Lefranc, Olivier LEMERCIER, Arnaud Lefebvre, Kathleen McSweeney, Gabriella Kulcsar, Tamás Hajdu, Tamás Szeniczey, Olivia Cheronet, Raul Flores-Fernandez, Clive Waddington, Elisa Guerra Doce, Benjamin Neil, Jocelyne Desideri, Mirosław Furmanek, Agata Haluszko, Maksym Mackiewicz, Artur Rapiński, Eni Soriano, T. Douglas Price, Pilar Prieto M, and Luc Vergnaud Nature, 2018
From around 2750 to 2500 bc, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Eur... more From around 2750 to 2500 bc, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Europe, before it disappeared between 2200 and 1800 bc. The forces that propelled its expansion are a matter of long-standing debate, and there is support for both cultural diffusion and migration having a role in this process. Here we present genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 226 individuals associated with Beaker-complex artefacts. We detected limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and thus exclude migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, migration had a key role in the further dissemination of the Beaker complex. We document this phenomenon most clearly in Britain, where the spread of the Beaker complex introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry and was associated with the replacement of approximately 90% of Britain’s gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the east-to-west expansion that had brought steppe-related ancestry into central and northern Europe over the previous centuries.
Археологически открития и разкопки през 2016 г., 2017
J. Anastassov, D. Gergova, J. Desideri, P. Méniel, G. Kottas, M. Besse, « Nouvelles découvertes laténiennes à Sboryanovo (Bulgarie) », Bulletin de l'Association Française pour l'Etude de l'Âge du Fer, 35, 2017, 61-65
Abegg, C., Desideri, J., A probable case of multiple myeloma in a female individual from the Simo... more Abegg, C., Desideri, J., A probable case of multiple myeloma in a female individual from the Simon Identified Skeletal Collection (late 19th–early 20th century, Vaud, Switzerland). Int. J. Paleopathol. (2017), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2017.02.001
We present the case of an individual from the Simon Identified Skeletal Collection (Vaud, Switzerland) who appears to have been affected by a form of neoplastic disease. A detailed description and differential diagnosis of the lesions was conducted and is presented here. Considering the biological profile of the individual, the distribution of the lesions, and their appearance, a case is made for multiple myeloma as the most likely diagnosis. This case study demonstrates the importance of adopting a detailed approach for recording the metric and non-metric traits of lesions, using multiple methods of analysis, and providing graphic and photographic documentation in order to provide valuable comparison material through publication. The good preservation of the remains and the background information available for the individual also make this case ideal for inclusion in future comparative studies.
The investigations in Sboryanovo in 2015 were carried out in accordance with the program of the B... more The investigations in Sboryanovo in 2015 were carried out in accordance with the program of the Bulgarian-Swiss project “Sboryanovo: Necropolises and Territory”. Twelve specialists and 16 students participated in the investigations that included the study of the ditch of the tumulus 30, geological and lithological investigations and observations on the profiles, archaeozoological and bioanthropological studies, 3D and photogrammetric documentation.
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Papers by Jocelyne Desideri
The strontium results show that only a few individuals buried in Barmaz I show non-local values, whereas all individuals buried in Barmaz II have values similar to the environment in which they were buried. Whether in
terms of diet, access to resources or mobility, no differences were observed between male and female individuals, neither in their isotopic values nor in the variability of these values. Taken all together, the results suggest the existence of a possible reserved area in the burial zone, even if coming from ’elsewhere’ did not seem to have any influence on access to food resources. However, if being male or female did not seem to play an important social role in this population, it seems that it is the location of their burial that gives more information about their status. Finally, these new data, combined with previous knowledge, raise the question of whether the individuals buried at Barmaz II belonged to a group that was socially distinct from the rest of the Barmaz population.
We report a probable case of multiple skeletal dysplasia observed in a Late Iron Age young adult male.
Materials : The individual studied belongs to a Late Iron Age necropolis from Switzerland. The skeletal elements are well preserved.
Methods : Macroscopic and radiographic assessment.
Results : The individual shows evidence of both craniofacial and mandibular deformation. Developmental defects are also visible with effects on the general shape and articular surfaces of both humeri, as well as the left femur and tibia.
Conclusion : We propose that the lesions observed are manifestations of skeletal dysplasia, such as pseudo-achondroplasia or multiple epiphyseal dysplasia.
Significance :
This is the first recorded case of multiple skeletal dysplasia in an Iron Age necropolis in Switzerland, questioning the integration of physically compromised individuals in La Tène society.
Limitations : Examination of other skeletal dysplasias from archaeological contexts provides support for this diagnosis.
Suggestions for future research : The integration of individuals with disabilities in La Tène societies is still poorly understood and further research is needed to better characterize these communities.
We present the case of an individual from the Simon Identified Skeletal Collection (Vaud, Switzerland) who appears to have been affected by a form of neoplastic disease. A detailed description and differential diagnosis of the lesions was conducted and is presented here. Considering the biological profile of the individual, the distribution of the lesions, and their appearance, a case is made for multiple myeloma as the most likely diagnosis. This case study demonstrates the importance of adopting a detailed approach for recording the metric and non-metric traits of lesions, using multiple methods of analysis, and providing graphic and photographic documentation in order to provide valuable comparison material through publication. The good preservation of the remains and the background information available for the individual also make this case ideal for inclusion in future comparative studies.
The strontium results show that only a few individuals buried in Barmaz I show non-local values, whereas all individuals buried in Barmaz II have values similar to the environment in which they were buried. Whether in
terms of diet, access to resources or mobility, no differences were observed between male and female individuals, neither in their isotopic values nor in the variability of these values. Taken all together, the results suggest the existence of a possible reserved area in the burial zone, even if coming from ’elsewhere’ did not seem to have any influence on access to food resources. However, if being male or female did not seem to play an important social role in this population, it seems that it is the location of their burial that gives more information about their status. Finally, these new data, combined with previous knowledge, raise the question of whether the individuals buried at Barmaz II belonged to a group that was socially distinct from the rest of the Barmaz population.
We report a probable case of multiple skeletal dysplasia observed in a Late Iron Age young adult male.
Materials : The individual studied belongs to a Late Iron Age necropolis from Switzerland. The skeletal elements are well preserved.
Methods : Macroscopic and radiographic assessment.
Results : The individual shows evidence of both craniofacial and mandibular deformation. Developmental defects are also visible with effects on the general shape and articular surfaces of both humeri, as well as the left femur and tibia.
Conclusion : We propose that the lesions observed are manifestations of skeletal dysplasia, such as pseudo-achondroplasia or multiple epiphyseal dysplasia.
Significance :
This is the first recorded case of multiple skeletal dysplasia in an Iron Age necropolis in Switzerland, questioning the integration of physically compromised individuals in La Tène society.
Limitations : Examination of other skeletal dysplasias from archaeological contexts provides support for this diagnosis.
Suggestions for future research : The integration of individuals with disabilities in La Tène societies is still poorly understood and further research is needed to better characterize these communities.
We present the case of an individual from the Simon Identified Skeletal Collection (Vaud, Switzerland) who appears to have been affected by a form of neoplastic disease. A detailed description and differential diagnosis of the lesions was conducted and is presented here. Considering the biological profile of the individual, the distribution of the lesions, and their appearance, a case is made for multiple myeloma as the most likely diagnosis. This case study demonstrates the importance of adopting a detailed approach for recording the metric and non-metric traits of lesions, using multiple methods of analysis, and providing graphic and photographic documentation in order to provide valuable comparison material through publication. The good preservation of the remains and the background information available for the individual also make this case ideal for inclusion in future comparative studies.
While the studies are still in progress, we present here some of the results on stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, 87Sr/86Sr) combined with new radiocarbon analysis on the middle neolithic necropolis from Barmaz (Valais). The old radiocarbon data of the site showed a long occupation of five centuries. The new data allow us on the one hand to specify the occupation times of the different zones of the necropolis but also to highlight particular events corroborated by the isotopic data, whether indicative of diet or mobility. Thus, we present here a case study where the combination of all the isotopic parameters has made it possible to offer new hypotheses concerning the events and links that united certain individuals in the necropolis.
L'étude présentée porte sur les groupes humains des deux cimetières du site de Barmaz (Collombey-Muraz, Valais). Ce dernier, fouillé par M.-R. Sauter dans les années 50 puis par M. Honegger dans les années 90, a permis de mettre au jour deux nécropoles contemporaines de type Chamblandes du Néolithique moyen I (4500-4000 BC), distantes de 200 mètres.
L'analyse des ratios isotopiques (δ13C, δ15N) du collagène de l'os et de la dentine a pu être réalisée sur 32 individus de la nécropole de Barmaz I et sur 17 individus de la nécropole de Barmaz II. L'analyse de six échantillons de faune a permis d'établir le référentiel local.
Les premiers résultats indiquent (1) que les ressources en protéines proviennent majoritairement des animaux terrestres, malgré la proximité du Rhône et du lac Léman et (2) que les individus inhumés dans la nécropole de Barmaz II ont consommé plus de protéines animales que ceux de Barmaz I, cela sans distinction liée au sexe ou à l'âge. L'accès aux ressources d'eau douce, ainsi que la mobilité différentielle des individus, seront plus amplement discutés ultérieurement à partir des ratios isotopiques du soufre et du strontium, dont les analyses sont en cours.
Français : Cette recherche porte sur l'étude bioanthropologique et l'analyse des rituels funéraires laténiens en Valais central (Suisse), plus précisément des sites de Randogne - Bluche et Sion - Parking des Remparts. Ils sont chronologiquement compris entre 280 et 25 av. J.-C. et s'insèrent dans le territoire des Sédunes, l'une des quatre communautés celtes identifiées dans le Valais laténien (cf. J. César). L'archéologie et la bioanthropologie reconnaissent des spécificités à cette région, tel que la richesse des sépultures, une relative homogénéité de la population, qui laisse cependant transparaître des divergences entre les ensembles connus, et des rituels funéraires standardisés.
English: This research focuses on the bioanthropological study and analysis of La Tène funerary rituals in central Valais (Switzerland), more precisely the archaeological discovery sites of Randogne - Bluche and Sion - Parking des Remparts. The sites are dated between 280 and 25 BC and are part of the territory of the Sedunii, one of the four Celtic communities identified in Late Iron Age Valais (cf. J. César). Archaeology and bioanthropology recognise the existence of a specific cultural signature in this region, particularly in regard to the richness of the burials, and the relative homogeneity of the population, which nevertheless reveals divergences between the different currently known assemblages. Yet, all of them demonstrate a form of funerary rituals.
exhibits two main burial complexes: collective burials in the west
and single graves in the east. This study focuses on the implication of
stone wristguards, as well as other objects associated with archery,
included in select single inhumation burials of the Eastern complex.
Such stone wristguards are currently interpreted as a piece of protective
equipment used by archers; however, their fabrications in stone
and the overall lack of evidence for usage raises the question of practicality.
Were these wristguards used in the everyday lives of warriors
or were they symbolic? And were the individuals interred with these
wristguards archers themselves? Answering these questions could
address a bigger question concerning the presence of a social class
of archers and its implications towards the importance of warfare at
a time of transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.
In order to respond to these questions, this paper first examines
the evidence and the archaeological perspective on archery and
warfare throughout the Neolithic, culminating in the Bell Beaker period.
This is followed by an anthropological approach attempting to
identify specialized archery from the osteological remains of 27 Bell
Beaker individuals from Bohemia (Czech Republic). 10 of the individuals
were buried in the presence of archery-related objects, primarily
stone wristguards, thus classifying them as “suspected archers”.
Anthropological analyses involved integrating the human biomechanics
of archery with classifications of entheseal changes in order
to postulate on an individual’s likelihood of having been a specialized
archer. While these analyses revealed minimal differences between
specific points on the skeletons of the suspected and nonsuspected
archers, the suspected archers do share some common
characteristics. This study validates the use of anthropological analyses
in identifying specialized archers. These results also indicate that
the individuals interred with stone wristguards were likely archers
themselves. Identifying a specialized archer in the presence of artisanal
archery goods provides additional evidence for a class of archers
during the Bell Beaker period.
Deutsch: Das Hauptziel der vorliegenden Studie liegt in der Untersuchung von späteisenzeitlichen Bestat- tungssitten. Dies erfolgt anhand einer multidisziplinären Untersuchung zweier Nekropolen (Randogne – Bluche und Sion – Parking des Remparts) in der Südwestschweiz, in der Wallis Region. Das übergeordnete Ziel war die Verbesserung unseres Verständnisses der soziokulturellen Dynamiken dieser Periode in einem integrierten Ansatz, der die Bereiche biologische Anthropologie, Archäologie und alte Kulturgeschichte verbindet. Daher wurden zunächst Geschlecht, Alter, Pathologien und biologische Nähe für die Individuen aus den beiden in Frage kommenden Nekropolen bestimmt. Anschließend wurden diese Nekropolen in ihr regionales archäologisches und kulturelles Umfeld eingefügt. Schließlich wurden die durch diese verschiedenen Ansätze gesammelten Daten in einer kombinierten Perspektive betrachtet. Die so gewonnenen Ergebnisse scheinen auf einen regionalen Partikularismus der südwestschweizerischen Bestattungsritten in der späten Eisenzeit hinzuweisen. Dennoch lassen sich in den Bestattungsriten und materiellen Produktionen der Südwestschweiz kulturelle Einflüsse sowohl aus den nördlichen als auch aus den südlichen Nachbarregionen nachweisen, was Aufschluss über die Funktionsweise der keltischen Gemeinschaften in dieser Region gibt.
Français: Cette étude traite des pratiques funéraires de la fin de l’âge du Fer. Elle se base sur une analyse multidisciplinaire de deux nécropoles (Randogne – Bluche et Sion – Parking des Remparts) situées dans le sud-ouest de la Suisse, dans la région alpine du Valais. L’objectif premier était d’améliorer notre compréhension socioculturelle de cette période dans le cadre d’une approche intégrée, combinant les domaines de l’anthropologie biologique, de l’archéologie et de l’histoire culturelle ancienne. Par conséquent, le sexe, l’âge, les pathologies et la proximité biologique ont d’abord été évalués pour les individus des deux nécropoles en question. Par la suite, ces nécropoles ont été insérées dans leur environnement archéologique et culturel régional. Enfin, les données collectées par ces différentes approches ont été considérées dans une pers- pective combinée. Ainsi, les résultats obtenus semblent mettre en évidence un particularisme régional tangible dans les pratiques funéraires du sud-ouest de la Suisse à la fin de l’âge du Fer. Néanmoins, les influences culturelles des régions voisines du nord et du sud peuvent également être identifiées dans les rites funéraires et les productions matérielles du sud-ouest de la Suisse. En fin de compte, ces divers éléments permettent d’affiner notre compréhension du fonctionnement des communautés celtiques qui peuplèrent cette région durant l’époque La Tène.
English: This paper’s primary focus is the investigation of Late Iron Age funeral practices. This is carried out by means of a multidisciplinary study of two necropolises, Randogne – Bluche and Sion – Parking des Remparts, which are located in southwestern Switzerland. The overall purpose of this paper is to enhance the socio-cul- tural understanding of this period through an integrated approach that combines the fields of bioanthropology, archaeology and ancient cultural history. Consequently, sex, age, pathologies and biological proximity first were assessed for the individuals found in the two studied necropolises. Next, data from these necropolises was contrasted with the archaeological and cultural environment from the surrounding regions. Finally, a combined perspective was developed in order to consider and combine the data collected through these different approaches. The obtained results appear to point to a regional particularism present in southwestern Switzerland’s funerary practices during the Late Iron Age. However, cultural influences from both northern and southern neighbouring regions can be identified in southwestern Switzerland’s funerary rites and material productions, which sheds light on the innerworkings of the Celtic communities populating this region.