Magdalenian dog remains from Le Morin rock-shelter (Gironde, France). Socio-economic implications of a zootechnical innovation

We present in this paper new remains and direct radiocarbon dates of small canids from Le Morin rock shelter (Gironde, France) which constitute a major discovery with respect to the question of wolf domestication during the European Palaeolithic.In this study a multi-proxy approach has been employed, including species identification and a consideration of the archaeological and chronological context. The canids’ remains have all been studied regarding their morphology, biometry and surface attributes. All dental and postcranial remains of canids were attributed to a species by using a thorough biometric database built from fossil and modern data from Europe. The morphometry of seven remains is outside the size range variability of wolves and therefore can be securely attributed to dog (Canis familiaris). Nineteen are attributed to wolf (Canis lupus) and six could not not be securely attributed to one sub-species or the other (Canis sp.). More than 50 % of these Canisremains bear anthropogenic marks that demonstrate the utilization of both wolves and dogs by late glacial human groups. Two of the dog remains from Le Morin rock shelter were directly dated and indicate that Magdalenian groups lived with dogs. A discussion is therefore developed in this article regarding the development of this domestication through time and space

Des restes de chiens magdaléniens à l’abri du Morin (Gironde, France). Implications socio-économiques d’une innovation zootechnique

De nouveaux restes d’un petit canidé, directement datés, provenant de l’abri du Morin (Gironde, France) sont ici présentés. Ils constituent des éléments essentiels pour discuter de la question de la domestication au cours du Paléolithique en Europe.Dans cette étude, une approche pluridisciplinaire est mise en œuvre en confrontant l’analyse des restes fauniques, des armatures lithiques de chasse et du cadre chronologique. Les restes de canidés ont été analysés d’un point de vue morphologique, métrique et archéozoologique. Les restes dentaires et post-crâniens ont été spécifiquement identifiés en utilisant un référentiel biométrique regroupant des données concernant des populations de loups et de chiens actuels et fossiles européens. Sept des restes analysés, par leurs dimensions, sortent nettement de la variabilité des loups et peuvent de fait être clairement rapportés au chien (Canis familiaris). Dix-neuf restes sont attribués au loup (Canis lupus) et six restes ne peuvent pas être rapportés à l’une ou à l’autre des espèces (Canis sp.). Plus de 50 % des restes de canidés portent des traces d’origine anthropique attestant de l’exploitation tant du loup que du chien par les groupes humains du Tardiglaciaire. Les deux restes de chien datés indiquent que les groupes de chasseurs-cueilleurs magdaléniens vivaient avec des chiens. Une discussion est de fait initiée autour de la question de la diffusion du processus de domestication dans l’espace et dans le temps.We present in this paper new remains and direct radiocarbon dates of small canids from Le Morin rock shelter (Gironde, France) which constitute a major discovery with respect to the question of wolf domestication during the European Palaeolithic.In this study a multi-proxy approach has been employed, including species identification and a consideration of the archaeological and chronological context. The canids’ remains have all been studied regarding their morphology, biometry and surface attributes. All dental and postcranial remains of canids were attributed to a species by using a thorough biometric database built from fossil and modern data from Europe. The morphometry of seven remains is outside the size range variability of wolves and therefore can be securely attributed to dog (Canis familiaris). Nineteen are attributed to wolf (Canis lupus) and six could not not be securely attributed to one sub-species or the other (Canis sp.). More than 50 % of these Canisremains bear anthropogenic marks that demonstrate the utilization of both wolves and dogs by late glacial human groups. Two of the dog remains from Le Morin rock shelter were directly dated and indicate that Magdalenian groups lived with dogs. A discussion is therefore developed in this article regarding the development of this domestication through time and space

Magdalenian dog remains from Le Morin rock-shelter (Gironde, France). Socio-economic implications of a zootechnical innovation

We present in this paper new remains and direct radiocarbon dates of small canids from Le Morin rock shelter (Gironde, France) which constitute a major discovery with respect to the question of wolf domestication during the European Palaeolithic.In this study a multi-proxy approach has been employed, including species identification and a consideration of the archaeological and chronological context. The canids’ remains have all been studied regarding their morphology, biometry and surface attributes. All dental and postcranial remains of canids were attributed to a species by using a thorough biometric database built from fossil and modern data from Europe. The morphometry of seven remains is outside the size range variability of wolves and therefore can be securely attributed to dog (Canis familiaris). Nineteen are attributed to wolf (Canis lupus) and six could not not be securely attributed to one sub-species or the other (Canis sp.). More than 50 % of these Canisremains bear anthropogenic marks that demonstrate the utilization of both wolves and dogs by late glacial human groups. Two of the dog remains from Le Morin rock shelter were directly dated and indicate that Magdalenian groups lived with dogs. A discussion is therefore developed in this article regarding the development of this domestication through time and space

Des restes de chiens magdaléniens à l’abri du Morin (Gironde, France). Implications socio-économiques d’une innovation zootechnique

De nouveaux restes d’un petit canidé, directement datés, provenant de l’abri du Morin (Gironde, France) sont ici présentés. Ils constituent des éléments essentiels pour discuter de la question de la domestication au cours du Paléolithique en Europe.Dans cette étude, une approche pluridisciplinaire est mise en œuvre en confrontant l’analyse des restes fauniques, des armatures lithiques de chasse et du cadre chronologique. Les restes de canidés ont été analysés d’un point de vue morphologique, métrique et archéozoologique. Les restes dentaires et post-crâniens ont été spécifiquement identifiés en utilisant un référentiel biométrique regroupant des données concernant des populations de loups et de chiens actuels et fossiles européens. Sept des restes analysés, par leurs dimensions, sortent nettement de la variabilité des loups et peuvent de fait être clairement rapportés au chien (Canis familiaris). Dix-neuf restes sont attribués au loup (Canis lupus) et six restes ne peuvent pas être rapportés à l’une ou à l’autre des espèces (Canis sp.). Plus de 50 % des restes de canidés portent des traces d’origine anthropique attestant de l’exploitation tant du loup que du chien par les groupes humains du Tardiglaciaire. Les deux restes de chien datés indiquent que les groupes de chasseurs-cueilleurs magdaléniens vivaient avec des chiens. Une discussion est de fait initiée autour de la question de la diffusion du processus de domestication dans l’espace et dans le temps.We present in this paper new remains and direct radiocarbon dates of small canids from Le Morin rock shelter (Gironde, France) which constitute a major discovery with respect to the question of wolf domestication during the European Palaeolithic.In this study a multi-proxy approach has been employed, including species identification and a consideration of the archaeological and chronological context. The canids’ remains have all been studied regarding their morphology, biometry and surface attributes. All dental and postcranial remains of canids were attributed to a species by using a thorough biometric database built from fossil and modern data from Europe. The morphometry of seven remains is outside the size range variability of wolves and therefore can be securely attributed to dog (Canis familiaris). Nineteen are attributed to wolf (Canis lupus) and six could not not be securely attributed to one sub-species or the other (Canis sp.). More than 50 % of these Canisremains bear anthropogenic marks that demonstrate the utilization of both wolves and dogs by late glacial human groups. Two of the dog remains from Le Morin rock shelter were directly dated and indicate that Magdalenian groups lived with dogs. A discussion is therefore developed in this article regarding the development of this domestication through time and space

Radiocarbon (AMS) dating the classic Aurignacian, Proto-Aurignacian and Vasconian Mousterian at Gatzarria cave (Pyrénées-atlantiques, France)

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First AMS 14C dates on the Protoaurignacian in Mediterranean France: The site of Esquicho-Grapaou (Russan-Ste-Anastasie, Gard)

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First AMS 14C dates on the Protoaurignacian in Mediterranean France: the site of Esquicho-Grapaou (Russan-Ste-Anastasie, Gard)

International audienceThis paper presents the first AMS radiocarbon dates done on the Protoaurignacian layer (SLC1 a+b) of Esquicho-Grapaou, a stratified site in Southeastern France. Previous conventional method radiocarbon dates at this site (mostly on charcoal) done in the 1970s produced too large standard deviations, making them difficult to place precisely in time, but already pointing to the antiquity of this layer. For AMS radiocarbon dating we selected taxon-identified faunal samples of the 1970s Bazile excavation collection. Of six samples attempted, two produced dates. These are the first AMS 14 C Protoaurignacian dates in Mediterranean France. In this paper they are placed within a larger context of recently-dated Protoaurignacian sites in western Mediterranean Europe. The Esquicho-Grapaou dates fall squarely in the middle of these, in the 38.7-41.9 ka cal BP range (95.4%), fully in-line with what is currently known about the timing of Protoaurignacian presence in western Mediterranean Europe

La sépulture préhistorique des Hoteaux (Rossillon, Ain) : nouvelles données anthropologiques, chronologiques et discussion sur le contexte archéologique

International audienceThe sepulture of Les Hoteaux, discovered in 1894 is one of the first examples of Upper Palaeolithic burials. It has always provoked debate and polemic between researchers as to its exhumation and the chronocultural attribution to the “reindeer age”. Victim of a turbulent history, the skull and the mandible disappeared during an exhibition, this document emerges today from a lengthy hiatus. This fossil is the subject of a re-examination of the state of preservation of the skeleton, the age at death and the type of burial as well as a re-evaluation of the chronocultural attribution through the analysis of the archaeological components surrounding the skeleton and a recent 14C AMS dating on a fragment of a human rib. It is a primary grave of an adolescent. It is dating (12410 ± 50 BP/OxA-31474) excludes the classically accepted association of the skeleton with a perforated baton dated in 2000 (12830 ± 75 BP/LYON-1132). Also, a strict attribution to the upper Magdalenian is questioned because the chronological and typo-technological revision of the lithic and bone industry highlight the hypothesis of an affiliation to the early Azilian.Découvert en 1894, « l’Homme des Hoteaux » est l’une des rares sépultures du Paléolithique supérieur connues depuis la fin du XIXe siècle. Dès sa découverte, elle suscita débats et polémiques entre chercheurs et ne cessa d’agiter le spectre des ambiguïtés quant à son exhumation et son attribution à l’« âge du Renne ». Tombé dans l’oubli et victime d’une histoire mouvementée, le crâne et la mandibule ayant disparu lors d’une exposition, ce document fait l’objet d’un réexamen de l’état de conservation du squelette, de l’âge au décès et du type de sépulture ainsi que d’une réévaluation de l’attribution chronoculturelle à travers l’analyse des composantes archéologiques entourant le squelette, et d’une datation 14C en SMA obtenue récemment sur un fragment de côte humaine. Cette datation (12410 ± 50 BP/OxA-31474) exclut l’association classiquement admise du défunt avec un bâton percé en bois de renne daté en 2000 (12830 ± 75 BP/LYON-1132). Elle interroge de ce fait une stricte attribution au Magdalénien supérieur d’autant plus que la révision chronologique et typo-technologique de l’industrie lithique et osseuse soulève l’hypothèse d’une appartenance à l’Azilien ancien

The prehistoric burial of the Hoteaux (Rossillon, Ain): new anthropological and chronological data and discussion of the archaeological context (abridged version)

Résumé. Découvert en 1894, « l’Homme des Hoteaux » est l’une des rares sépultures du Paléolithique supérieur connues depuis la fin du xixe siècle. Dès sa découverte, elle suscita débats et polémiques entre chercheurs et ne cessa d’agiter le spectre des ambiguïtés quant à son exhumation et son attribution à l’« âge du Renne ». Tombé dans l’oubli et victime d’une histoire mouvementée, le crâne et la mandibule ayant disparu lors d’une exposition, ce document fait l’objet d’un réexamen de l’état de conservation du squelette, de l’âge au décès et du type de sépulture ainsi que d’une réévaluation de l’attribution chronoculturelle à travers l’analyse des composantes archéologiques entourant le squelette, et d’une datation 14Cen SMA obtenue récemment sur un fragment de côte humaine. Cette datation (12410 ± 50 BP/OxA-31474) exclut l’association classiquement admise du défunt avec un bâton percé en bois de renne daté en 2000 (12830 ± 75 BP/LYON-1132). Elle interroge de ce fait une stricte attribution au Magdalénien supérieur d’autant plus que la révision chronologique et typo-technologique de l’industrie lithique et osseuse soulève l’hypothèse d’une appartenance à l’Azilien ancien.Abstract. The sepulture of Les Hoteaux, discovered in 1894 is one of the first examples of Upper Palaeolithic burials. It has always provoked debate and polemic between researchers as to its exhumation and the chronocultural attribution to the “reindeer age”. Victim of a turbulent history, the skull and the mandible disappeared during an exhibition, this document emerges today from a lengthy hiatus. This fossil is the subject of a re-examination of the state of preservation of the skeleton, the age at death and the type of burial as well as a re-evaluation of the chronocultural attribution through the analysis of the archaeological components surrounding the skeleton and a recent 14C AMS dating on a fragment of a human rib. It is a primary grave of an adolescent. It is dating (12410 ± 50 BP/OxA-31474) excludes the classically accepted association of the skeleton with a perforated baton dated in 2000 (12830 ± 75 BP/LYON-1132). Also, a strict attribution to the upper Magdalenian is questioned because the chronological and typo-technological revision of the lithic and bone industry highlight the hypothesis of an affiliation to the early Azilian

The relationship between humans and dogs in the Azilian layer of the Moulin rock-shelter (Troubat, Hautes-Pyrénées, France)

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