Denis Peyrony | |
|---|---|
 Denis Peyrony at the Glozel museum (1927) | |
| Born | April 21, 1869 Cussac, Le Buisson-de-Cadouin |
| Died | November 25, 1954 (aged 85) |
| Occupation | Curator of the French National Museum of Prehistory |
| Known for | Archaeological studies of the Paleolithic |
| Children | Élie Peyrony |
| Academic background | |
| Influences | Émile Cartailhac, Louis Capitan, Henri Breuil |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Archaeologist |
| Sub-discipline | Prehistorian |
| Institutions | French National Museum of Prehistory |
Denis Peyrony was a French prehistorian born April 21, 1869 in Cussac in Dordogne and died November 25, 1954 in Sarlat-la-Canéda.
Biography
editThe son of farmers, Peyrony became a teacher and was appointed to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac in 1891, in a region extremely rich in prehistoric sites. From 1894, he followed the courses of Émile Cartailhac and participated in prospecting with Louis Capitan. With Henri Breuil, he discovered in 1901 the decorated caves of Les Combarelles and Font-de-Gaume. Peyrony then undertook archaeological excavations in the La Ferrassie site (1905-1920) where he found several Neanderthal burials. He methodically explored numerous reference deposits in the region, most of which are eponymous deposits of prehistoric cultures: caves of Pech-de-l'Azé (1909), Le Moustier, La Micoque, Abri de la Madeleine, Laugerie-Haute (1921-1932), etc. His work and detailed stratigraphic observations made it possible to establish or confirm the chronology of most Middle and Upper Paleolithic industries. In 1912 he sold his personal collection (around ten thousand objects), largely abroad and for a very good price - at the same time as he participated in the biased campaign against the German Otto Hauser over the "Affair of the Abri du Poisson". In 1933, he coined the term Périgordian to designate the abruptly retouched industries of the Upper Paleolithic which would have developed in parallel with the Aurignacian. This designation is generally abandoned but we still sometimes speak of "early Périgordian" to designate the Châtelperronian, and of “recent Périgordian” or “upper Périgordian” for the Gravettian. Peyrony was also the first curator of the French National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies, which he founded in 1918. He left more than a hundred publications concerning the prehistory of his region. The museum was inaugurated on September 30, 1923. A pioneer of tourism which he saw develop, he was also the founder of the Eyzies tourist office in 1920. He published a few articles with his son Élie Peyrony as co-author.