Lower and Middle Pleistocene human settlements recorded in fluvial deposits of the middle Loire River Basin, Centre Region, France

This paper records the findings from c. 80 prehistoric sites that have been discovered in the alluvial deposits of the rivers Creuse, Cher, and Loir, tributaries of the middle Loire River, over the period since 1981. These deposits comprise river terrace aggradations formed during successive glacial-interglacial cycles which have recorded climate and environment during Quaternary time. The systematic dating of these river deposits by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) applied to optically bleached sedimentary quartz has resulted in the establishment of a chronological framework for the evolution of these rivers during Lower and Middle Pleistocene (between 1.7 Ma and 130 ka). Evidence for Early Palaeolithic (Mode 1) industries with an in situ context (workshops, soils) in the highest aggradations indicates that Hominins were present in the study area, near the geographical centre of France (47°N), around 1.1 Ma. Examination of the sites indicates that Human occupations were located along valley bottom sites during temperate episodes. Subsequently, after a gap of several hundred thousand years industries with handaxes appear in the Middle Loire Basin in the interval between 700 and 600 ka, and then continuously from 400 ka. These two phases of settlement produced industrial assemblages with clear differences in their responses to the supplies of raw materials and in the modes of making flake

Lower and middle Pleistocene human settlements in the Middle Loire River Basin, Centre Region, France

none16Evidence of earliest human settlements observed in the alluvial formations of the Middle Loire Basin during systematic surveys organised since 1981. Many stepped fluvial terraces deposited during the successive interglacial–glacial Quaternary cycles have been identified in three tributary valleys of the Loire River: the Creuse, Cher and Loir Valleys. These alluvial remnants were systematically dated by the Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) method applied on optically bleached quartz, in order to construct a chronostratigraphical framework for the fluvial systems and the associated archaeological localities. Four localities containing Early Palaeolithic industries with Mode 1 technology, occupied during the Lower Pleistocene, and ten sites characterized by assemblages with handaxes, discovered in the Middle Pleistocene alluvial formations, are described in this paper. These two sets of localities are characterized by lithic industries with many differences in supply of raw materials and in technical behaviours. The results indicate that this area was reached by two separate phases of human settlement (one in relation to Mode 1, the other to Mode 2) with an interval around 400 ka, at the end of the Lower Pleistocene, during a period characterized by major climatic degradations.mixedDESPRIEE J.; VOINCHET P.; TISSOUX H.; MONCEL M-H.; ARZARELLO M.; ROBIN S.; SALA R.; BAHAIN J-J.; FALGUERES C.; COURCIMAULT G.; DEPONT J.; GAGEOONET R.; MARQUER L.; MESSAGER E.; ABDESSADOK S.; PUAUD S.Despriee, J.; Voinchet, P.; Tissoux, H.; Moncel, M. H.; Arzarello, Marta; Robin, S.; Sala, R.; Bahain, J. J.; Falgueres, C.; Courcimault, G.; Depont, J.; Gageoonet, R.; Marquer, L.; Messager, E.; Abdessadok, S.; Puaud, S