Le site préhistorique de la Roche-Cotard IV (Indre-et-Loire, France) : une séquence du Pléistocène moyen et supérieur, référence pour le Val de Loire tourangeau

International audienceThe prehistoric site of La Roche-Cotard (LRC) is located on the right bank slope of the Loire Valley, a little upstream of Langeais in Indre-et-Loire. The site was made accessible by extensive material collection in 1846. The main cave, LRC I, was exca-vated in 1912: it contained a middle Paleolithic industry and digital traces were discovered in 1975 and validated in 2008.The resumption of excavations on the site since 2008 has highlighted a powerful 11 meter section with 22 distinct layers, the lower part of which fills a shelter : locus LRC IV, very close to LRC I. The stratigraphy combines from the bottom to the top, karstic inputs, fluvial and eolian sands from the Loire valley and slope deposits. Indices of anthropic occupation (lithic industry, burned bones) attest to the occupation of this space. Numerous radiocarbon and OSL ages make it possible to chronologically constrains this filling between the limit of the isotopic stages 7 and 6 (layer 22 - 169 ka) and the end of stage 3 (layer 2 - 25 ka).The locus has given rise to a multidisciplinary study as complete as possible (sedimentology and micromorphology, small and large vertebrate faunas, lithic industry...). These data provide new information on the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the region, which is poorly known in this time range. The geometry and the age of the deposits lead to the hypothesis that the main cave LRC I was impenetrable by Homo sapiens at least starting from the beginning of the isotopic stage 3 (60 ka) and thus that the parietal productions with symbolic character of the cave are most likely to be attributed to Neanderthal man.Le site préhistorique de La Roche-Cotard (LRC) se trouve sur le versant de rive droite de la vallée de la Loire, un peu en amont de Langeais, en Indre-et-Loire. Le site a été rendu accessible grâce à un important prélèvement de matériaux en 1846. La grotte principale (LRC I) a été fouillée en 1912 : elle contenait une industrie du Paléolithique moyen et des tracés digitaux y ont été découverts en 1975 et validés en 2008.La reprise des fouilles sur le site à partir de 2008 (locus LRC IV très proche de LRC I) a permis de mettre en évidence une coupe puissante de 11 mètres comprenant 22 couches distinctes dont la partie inférieure comble un abri. La stratigraphie combine, de bas en haut, des apports karstiques de milieu souterrain, des sables fluviatiles et éoliens issus de la vallée de la Loire et gravitaires du versant. Des indices d’occupation anthropique (industrie lithique, os brûlés) attestent une occupation de cet espace. Les nombreuses datations des couches par radiocarbone et par OSL permettent de situer chronologiquement ce remplissage entre la limite des stades isotopiques marins 7 et 6 (couche 22 - 169 ka) et la limite des stades 3 et 2 (couche 2 - 25 ka).Le locus a donné lieu à une étude pluridisciplinaire aussi complète que possible (sédimentologie et micromorphologie, faunes de petits et grands vertébrés, industrie lithique). Ces données apportent des précisions nouvelles sur l’évolution paléoenvironnementale de la région, mal connue dans cette fourchette de temps. La géométrie et l’âge des dépôts conduisent à l’hypothèse selon laquelle la grotte (LRC I) a été impénétrable par Homo sapiens au moins à partir du début du stade isotopique marin 3 (60 ka) et donc que les productions pariétales à caractère symbolique de la grotte sont très probablement à attribuer à l’homme de Néandertal

The earliest unambiguous Neanderthal engravings on cave walls: La Roche-Cotard, Loire Valley, France

Here we report on Neanderthal engravings on a cave wall at La Roche-Cotard (LRC) in central France, made more than 57±3 thousand years ago. Following human occupation, the cave was completely sealed by cold-period sediments, which prevented access until its discovery in the 19th century and first excavation in the early 20th century. The timing of the closure of the cave is based on 50 optically stimulated luminescence ages derived from sediment collected inside and from around the cave. The anthropogenic origin of the spatially-structured, non-figurative marks found within the cave is confirmed using taphonomic, traceological and experimental evidence. Cave closure occurred significantly before the regional arrival of H. sapiens, and all artefacts from within the cave are typical Mousterian lithics; in Western Europe these are uniquely attributed to H. neanderthalensis. We conclude that the LRC engravings are unambiguous examples of Neanderthal abstract design

The earliest unambiguous Neanderthal engravings on cave walls: La Roche-Cotard, Loire Valley, France

Here we report on Neanderthal engravings on a cave wall at La Roche-Cotard (LRC) in central France, made more than 57±3 thousand years ago. Following human occupation, the cave was completely sealed by cold-period sediments, which prevented access until its discovery in the 19 th century and first excavation in the early 20 th century. The timing of the closure of the cave is based on 50 optically stimulated luminescence ages derived from sediment collected inside and from around the cave. The anthropogenic origin of the spatially-structured, non-figurative marks found within the cave is confirmed using taphonomic, traceological and experimental evidence. Cave closure occurred significantly before the regional arrival of H . sapiens , and all artefacts from within the cave are typical Mousterian lithics; in Western Europe these are uniquely attributed to H . neanderthalensis . We conclude that the LRC engravings are unambiguous examples of Neanderthal abstract design

S10 Fig -

Panel b. (panel of the fossil). From top to bottom, photograph and survey of ancient anthropic traces in black, animal traces in blue, surface of the fossil section in green, numbering of the traces. The clear traces are in continuous line, when the trace is deep the line is thicker. Traces that are more difficult to read are dashed. (TIF)</p

La Roche-Cotard site.

A. Map of La Roche-Cotard with its four loci: LRC I, LRC II, LRC III and LRC IV. In blue: location of anthropogenic marks. B. Profiles of slope sections (red lines in A) with location of sediments extracted in 1846.</p