Jules Kemper

Research Interests

I am a geomorphologist specialising in karst environments, and I focus in particular on the topic of prehistoric underground landscapes: what did the cave look like when Palaeolithic groups may have frequented it? What were the access points? When did the entrance collapse? Etc. During my PhD in Geomorphology (a video of the defence is available here for those who are curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N--Y4cVuNbQ) I have worked at La Garma Cave (Cantabria, Spain) and Saint-Marcel-d’Ardèche Cave (Ardèche, France) on man-made changes to the landscape and the development of a methodology to detect and identify them. Finding ancient underground man-made structures involves first identifying a series of geomorphological inconsistencies (blocks disconnected from their fall zone after displacement, groups of broken stalagmites, arrangements contrary to gravitational forces, etc.). I am joining the PACEA laboratory for a year to work on the topic of broken stalagmites and speleofacts in the caves of Cussac (Dordogne, France) and Bruniquel (Tarn-et-Garonne, France).

Curriculum Vitae

Current Position

June 2026 - Research Engineer in Palaeospeleology

Cussac cave – Bruniquel cave

PACEA – GPR Human Past

Dir. Jacques JAUBERT, Nathalie FOURMENT, Sophie VERHEYDEN

Education

2020-2024 PhD in Geomorphology

University of Savoie-Mont-Blanc (Savoie, France)

2017-2019 Master’s degree in Geography

University of Savoie-Mont-Blanc (Savoie, France)

Professional Work Experience

Field Laboratory

2025 Research Engineer

EPOC laboratory (UB)

2024-2025 A.T.E.R.

EDYTEM laboratory (USMB)

2023-2024 Contractual teacher

EDYTEM laboratory (USMB)

2019-2020 Assistant Engineer

EDYTEM laboratory (USMB)

Archaeological Fieldwork Experience

La Garma cave (Cantabrie, Espagne) (April 2020-2021-2022)

Directors : P. Arias, R. Ontañon-Peredo

Saint-Marcel-d’Ardèche cave (Ardèche, France) (September 2020-2021-2022-2023)

Directors : D. Dupuy

Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave (Ardèche, France) (March, 2019-2025-2026)

Director : C. Fritz

Hautecourt cave (Ain, France) (February 2017-2018)

Director : R. Letscher

Perpétairi hypogeums (Drôme, France) (November 2023-2025)

Directors : M-E. Porqueddu, L. Viel

Hin Boun Geopark (Khammouane, Laos) (December 2024-2025)

Directors : R. Torquebiau

Cussac cave (Dordogne, France) (January 2026)

Directors : J. Jaubert, N. Fourment

Mandrin cave (Savoie, France) (August 2025)

Directors : J. Kemper, H. Burnet, J. Jacquet

El Pindal cave (Asturies, Espagne) (June 2025)

Directors : O. Rivero

Villars cave (Dordogne, France) (September 2025)

Director : D. Genty

Technical Skills

Geomorphological mapping and sketching

3D survey and modeling

Sampling for U/Th or 14C datations

Publications

Articles dans des revues à comité de lecture

Kemper J., Burnet H., Delannoy J-J., Jaillet S. « Spéléothèmes et spéléofacts souterrains : sémiologie et cartographie haute résolution », Dynamiques Environnementales, vol. 54/55, 2025, p. 28, https://doi.org/10.4000/15egk
Delannoy J-J., Kemper J., Burnet H., Jaillet S. « Lire les gestes humains dans les paysages souterrains : apports de la lecture géomorphologique à haute résolution », Dynamiques Environnementales, vol. 54/55, 2025, p. 21, https://doi/org/10.4000/15731
Burnet H., Delannoy J-J., Kemper J., Jaillet S., Pons-Branchu E., Dupuy D. “Les concretions brisées du Massacre des Colonnes dans la grotte de Saint-Marcel (Ardèche) : analyse géomorphologique et premières datations U/Th’, Karstologia, n°84, 2024, p. 21-36
Genuite K., Kemper J., Fabre E., Fourment N., Jaubert J. “Structures et structurations dans la grotte de Cussac : approche qualitative et spatiale”, Rapport de Triennale 2021-2023, PCR Cussac, Chap. 20, 2024, p. 341-375
Jaillet S., Kemper J., Genuite K., Delannoy J-J. “Une analyse 4D (3D + temps) de l’entrée de la grotte Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc (Ardèche, France)”, ArchéoSciences, vol. 48, n°1, 2024, p. 51-62, https://doi/org/10.4000/12w37
Delannoy J-J., Kemper J., Jaillet S., Pons-Branchu E., Vandevelde S., Dapoigny A., Dupuy D. “Investigating human activities in caves through the study of broken stalagmites structures : the case of the Saint-Marcel cave (France) during the early Holocene”, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 2024, p. 27. https://doi/org/10.1007/s10816-024-09649-6
Jaillet S., Kemper J., Delannoy J-J., Monney J. “Approche géomorphologique 3D des paleo-accès potentiels au secteur orné de la grotte de la Tête-du-Lion (Ardèche, France)”, Ardèche Archéologie, vol. 41, 2024, p. 18-28
Kemper J., Delannoy J-J., Jaillet S., Ontañon-Peredo R., Arias P. “Apports de la carte géomorphologique et des matrices de Harris dans l’analyse d’aménagements anthropiques : application à la grotte de La Garma”, Géomorphologie, Relief, Processus, Environnement, vol. 29, n°3, 2024, p. 209-226, https://doi/org/10.4000/geomorphologie.18109
Kemper J., Delannoy J-J., Jaillet S., Ontañon-Peredo R., Arias P. “La grotte de La garma (Cantabrie, Espagne) : identification, structuration et spatialization des aménagements anciens depuis le Paléolithique”, ArchéoSciences, vol. 47, 2023, p. 109-124, https://doi/org/10.4000/archeosciences.11847
Kemper J. “Working out what people built at La Garma (Spain) deep in the past – and how and when they dit it – through archaeomorphological mapping”, (in) David B., Delannoy J-J., Birkett-Rees (Eds.) “Mobile Landscapes and Their Enduring Places, Cambridge Elements : current archaeological tools and techniques, link n°9, 2022, p. 7 https://doi/org/10.1017/9781009181594
Kemper J., Jaillet S., Delannoy J-J., Audin L., Bardisa M., Genuite K. “A high-resolution 3D model of the Chauvet cave entrance area (Ardèche, France) : scree, escarp and related caves”, Karstologia Mémoires, n°26, vol. 6, 2022, p. 83-86
Kemper J., Jaillet S., Hobléa F., Pons-Branchu E., Letscher R. “La grotte de Hautecourt, un jalon géomorphologique clé de la vallée du Suran”, Karstologia, vol. 76, n°1, 2021, p. 31-46, https://doi/org/10.3406/karst.2020.3234