What are these barbs for? Preliminary reflections on the function of the Upper Magdalenian barbed weapon tips / Des barbelures pour quoi faire ? Réflexions préliminaires sur la fonction des pointes barbelées du Magdalénien supérieur

Article disponible en versions anglaise et française (traduction de l'auteur revue par M. O'Farrell)International audienceLeaning on previous works by M. Julien (1982) and G.C. Weniger (1995), this paper presents some preliminary reflections on the possible functions of the osseous barbed points from the Upper Magdalenian (ca. 13,500-12,000 calBC). Starting from the statement that their appearance and development coincide with an increased interest in small animal hunting (fish, birds, lagomorphs), we attempted to correlate the relative abundance of barbed points with the representation of small game, but the data from our test area (the northern Pyrénées) did not provide conclusive results. A parallel survey of the barbed points of American northern hunter-gatherers known by ethnography shows a clear functional trend: « simple » barbed points are mostly used for fowling, for hunting big and small land game, and for war; while « true » harpoons are mostly used for fishing, for hunting sea mammals and aquatic mammals. However, once a rigorous operational definition of harpoons has been elaborated, it appears that the morphology of the Magdalenian barbed points does not allow their positive classification as harpoon heads. Thus, their function remains largely undetermined. Finally, several possible directions for future research on this topic are considered.S'appuyant sur les travaux de M. Julien (1982) et G.C. Weniger (1995), ce texte présente une réflexion préliminaire sur la fonction des pointes osseuses barbelées du Magdalénien supérieur (13 500 - 12 000 calBC environ). Constatant que leur apparition et leur développement coïncident avec un intérêt accru pour la chasse aux petits animaux (poissons, oiseaux, lagomorphes), nous avons tenté de vérifier l'idée d'une corrélation entre l'abondance relative des pointes barbelées et la représentation du petit gibier ; les données issues de la région considérée (versant nord des Pyrénées) ne sont cependant pas concluantes. En parallèle, une enquête portant sur les pointes barbelées des chasseurs-cueilleurs du nord de l'Amérique a montré que les « simples » pointes barbelées renvoient surtout à la chasse aux oiseaux, au gibier terrestre petit et grand, et à la guerre ; les « vrais » harpons étant surtout employés pour la pêche, la chasse aux mammifères marins et aquatiques. Or, si l'on adopte une définition rigoureuse du harpon – en le caractérisant d'après son mode de fonctionnement – on constate que la morphologie des pointes barbelées magdaléniennes ne permet pas de les identifier avec certitude comme des têtes de harpon, laissant de fait leur fonction largement indéterminée. Nous suggérons plusieurs pistes pour prolonger la recherche sur ce sujet

First evidence of a whale bone industry in the western European Upper Paleolithic: Magdalenian artifacts from Isturitz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France)

International audienceRecent reexamination of osseous material from the Magdalenian layers of the Isturitz cave (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France) by the author and F. Poplin has shown that several artifacts once considered to be made of antler have now been identified deriving from cetacean bone, most probably whale bone. These artifacts demonstrate the existence of technical exploitation of whale bone, proving that the now submerged seashore was also a place where Paleolithic people gathered specific materials for producing weapons and tools

Relative importance of management and natural flooding on spider, carabid and plant assemblages in extensively used grasslands along the Loire

International audienceIn Europe, agri-environment schemes (AES) have been implemented to counteract the effects of agricultural intensification. Studies investigating the role of management improvement induced by AES are quite numerous, but rarely take into account the effect of natural perturbations such as flooding, although severe disturbances are well known to shape community structure. Here we investigated the relative importance of management improvement and flooding to explain community parameters of two dominant arthropod groups and vegetation in alluvial meadows. Sampling took place in 2013, using suction samplers for arthropods and phytosociological relevés for vegetation, in 83 meadows distributed along 200 km of the Loire Valley (France). Pair-matched approach (by R-ANOVA) was used to assess overall effects of AES whereas a gradient analysis (GLM) was carried out to assess the impact of AES prescriptions (fertilisation and cutting-date) together with indirect (long-term) and direct (short-term) effects of flooding. No significant effect of AES was found on arthropod and plant assemblages, abundance/productivity or diversity (both α and β), but the number of rare plant species was higher in sites under AES. Prescriptions had little impact on most response variables considered; the only significant impact being the positive effect of high-amounts of fertilisers on spider α- and β-diversities. Conversely, systematic long-term effects of flooding were found on all response variables of spiders, carabids and plants, underlining the key role of this factor in alluvial meadows. Our study demonstrates that maintaining or enhancing hydrological functioning of ecosystems is even more important than regulating both the cutting-dates and the low input of fertilisers for conservation purposes in flooded, already naturally nutrient rich, meadow

Contrasted responses of dominant ground-dwelling arthropods to landscape salt-marsh fragmentation

International audienceIn spite of their highly patchy distribution, the effects of landscape configuration on specialist biodiversity has been little studied in salt marshes. We investigated the impact of patch size on the abundance of specialist arthropods in two contrasted salt-marsh environments. Dominant ground-active species were sampled by pitfall traps in increasing areas of natural vegetation (dominated by Atriplex portulacoides)along two transects surrounded by either grazed (dominated by Puccinellia maritima)or invasive (dominated by Elymus athericus)vegetation. Spatially- and temporally-replicated sampling took place in the Mont Saint-Michel Bay (Western France)during 2012. Three dominant species, the wolf spider Pardosa purbeckensis (Araneae, Lycosidae), the ground beetle Pogonus chalceus (Coleoptera, Carabidae)and the beach-hopper Orchestia gammarellus (Amphipoda, Talitridrae), constituted 96% of all arthropods caught (N = 66,299). Patch size only had an effect on the carabid and on the amphipod, with large patches more populous than small ones, reinforcing the idea that the effects of fragmentation are stronger for species with limited mobility. Environment had a significant effect on the population density of all species, with systematically more individuals in patches surrounded by invaded than by grazed salt marshes, which confirms the particularly negative impact of over-grazing on salt-marsh biodiversity. This study finally suggests that both invasive species and grazing impact salt-marsh biodiversity also at a landscape scale

: Projectile impact traces on game: comparative results of the bow and spearthrower experiments held at the CEDARC (Treignes, Belgium) in 2003 and 2004

International audienceIn 2003 and 2004, two series of projectile experiments were organized by P. Cattelain and ourselves at the CEDARC / Musée du Malgré-Tout (Treignes, Belgium). The experiments involved the use of two male ox calves and two female fallow deers as targets for bow and spearthrower shooting. Our main focus was a functional analysis of the antler projectile tips from the Upper Magdalenian layer of the Isturitz cave site (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France). The study of the impact traces on the bones of the target animals was also included in the project; its results are presented here. The observation of these 127 traces led us to reconsider the nomenclature suggested by P. Morel, and to distinguish between 3 major traces: notches, punctures and perforations. Correlations appear between the nature of the trace and the shape of the bone (e.g., scapulae strongly associated to perforations), and the bone's mineral content: compared to adult long bones, immature long bones are much more easily perforated by projectile points, which usually remain firmly caught in them. However, our results do not show a clear distinction between the impact traces left by the bow and by the spearthower.Deux séances de tir expérimental à l'arc et au propulseur co-organisées avec P. Cattelain eurent lieu au CEDARC / Musée du Malgré-Tout (Treignes, Belgique) en 2003 et 2004. Leur principal objectif était de reconstituer le fonctionnement des armatures de projectile en bois de cervidé du Magdalénien supérieur d'Isturitz. Le projet incluait également l'étude des stigmates d'impact sur les ossements des quatre animaux-cibles utilisés, étude qui fait l'objet de cet article. L'observation des 127 traces nous a incité à réviser en partie la nomenclature de P. Morel. Par ailleurs, nous avons relevé certaines corrélations entre la nature de la trace d'impact, la morphologie et le degré de minéralisation de l'os. En revanche, nos observations ne nous ont pas permis de distinguer l'utilisation de l'arc de celle du propulseur

Identification of "debitage by fracturation" on reindeer antler: case study of the Badegoulian levels at the Cuzoul de Vers (Lot, France)

International audience"Debitage by fracturation" is defined as the fracturing of a block by knapping in order to produce flakes. Until recently, it was considered that this method played a minor role in the production of osseous tools during the European Upper Paleolithic, and that it was rarely applied to reindeer antler, especially after the introduction of "debitage by extraction" in the Gravettian. However, recent studies show that debitage by fracturation may hold a predominant place in antler working during certain chrono-cultural phases. This could be the case of the Badegoulian, a culture contemporary with the Last Glacial Maximum and dated ca. 23,000-20,500 cal BP in Western Europe. This issue is addressed here through the study of the Badegoulian antler assemblage from the Cuzoul de Vers rockshelter (Lot, France). Our analysis shows that the two components of the antler assemblage (110 finished objects and 648 waste products and blanks) are technologically compatible and complementary, and attest to the production of blanks through debitage by fracturation for the manufacture of wedges and projectile points

Des chasseurs Cerny ?

International audienceIn the Cerny culture, the crucial place held by hunting is archeologically perceptible through the types of artifacts found in the graves : the osseous tools and the personal ornaments are made from bones of wild animals, and the artifacts most frequently associated with the dead are arrowheads. The presence of these latter objects lead us to consider the hunting equipment originally deposited in the graves : several arrows, a bow and possibly a quiver. The "Balloy type" graves are characterized by the presence of a body in stretched position inside a mobile container in a "vault". About 100 of these graves are known today, 20 of which yielded flint arrowheads. Several modes of deposit could be identified for these arrowheads : unhafted arrowheads included in a container put in the grave ; several arrows placed next to each other beside the body ; or a quiver full of arrows placed on the dead. These varied situations might have had different meanings. Arrowheads are directly linked to hunting, and imply the use of bow and arrows. But other artifacts might also be undirectly related to hunting equipment. This is the case of the enigmatic "tours Eiffel", bone objects that might have been used as tips for thrusting- or throwing-spears. It is not possible to ascertain that the equipment deposited in the grave was the personal belonging of the dead. Indeed, in several cases – graves of very young children, individual handicapped by an elbow malformation – the individual could not have made use of a bow. The arrows themselves are often too few to constitute a real hunting kit, and sometimes too "precious" to be used as mundane ammunition. The association between arrows and certain individuals is above all a matter of display : one must not jump to the conclusion that hunting was the main activity of all individuals whose grave yielded arrowheads. The status (or function) of hunter first and foremost a status (or function) that these individuals hold in death.La chasse tient durant le Cerny une place exceptionnelle. Cette place se matérialise archéologiquement par le mobilier mis au jour avec les morts : de l'industrie osseuse et de la parure élaborées sur des ossements d'animaux sauvages, et surtout des armatures de flèches qui sont les objets les plus fréquemment associés aux morts de cette culture. Ces armatures nous permettent d'envisager l'équipement de chasse initialement présent dans les tombes : les flèches, les éventuels carquois et l'arc. Les sépultures de type Balloy, qui associent un défunt en position étendue dans un contenant mobile et un "caveau", nous ont permis de retrouver différentes modalités de dépôt, depuis les armatures déhampées insérées dans un sac ou une boîte posée dans la tombe jusqu'au carquois posé sur le mort. Cette variété des situations peut traduire des sens différents. Si les armatures renvoient explicitement à la chasse, et impliquent des flèches et un arc, en revanche d'autres pièces peuvent également s'y rapporter, quoique de manière moins directe : c'est le cas des énigmatiques "tours Eiffel", dont l'une des fonctions possibles était l'utilisation comme arme d'hast. Rien ne permet d'affirmer que l'équipement déposé est l'équipement personnel du mort : le sujet lui-même n'a quelquefois pas pu faire usage d'arc et de flèches ; quant aux flèches déposées, elles paraissent quelquefois bien "précieuses" pour l'usage qui pouvaient en être fait, et souvent trop peu nombreuses pour constituer un véritable équipement. L'association des flèches avec ces sujets est avant tout un affichage : il faut se garder de conclure hâtivement que l'activité de chasse prévalait chez ces individus vivants. Le statut ou la fonction de chasseur est avant tout le statut ou la fonction que tiennent ces sujets dans la mort

Le travail du bois de renne dans les couches badegouliennes

National audienceThe large assemblage of worked reindeer antler at Cuzoul de Vers shows stable technical behaviours throughout the Badegoulian occupations. The antlers used as raw material are middle- to large-sized. They were acquired by hunting but also by gathering (anticipated supply?); in some instances, the base and palm of the antler might have been "pruned away" offsite. The main beam and the shaft of the brow tine were exclusively worked by knapping, the objective being to produce elongated blanks, mostly composed of compact tissue and representing between one third and one half of the antler's original circumference. These blanks were then shaped by percussion and scraping. Many of them were likely shaped into large wedges, which are the most common artifact in the antler toolkit. Antler projectile points are all but absent in the lower layers, become more frequent from layer 15-16 on, and are almost always of small dimensions.Les couches badegouliennes du Cuzoul de Vers ont livré de nombreux vestiges de travail du bois de renne, qui témoignent de comportements techniques globalement stables dans le temps. Les bois exploités comme matière première sont de modules moyen et gros, acquis par la chasse mais aussi par la collecte (approvisionnement différé ?), et peut-être élagués dans certains cas à l'extérieur du site. La perche, et le fût de l'andouiller de glace, ont été travaillés exclusivement par enlèvement d'éclats en percussion lancée ; l'objectif de ce débitage semble être de produire des supports allongés, principalement constitués de tissu compact, représentant entre un tiers et la moitié de la circonférence d'origine du bloc. Ces supports ont été façonnés par percussion et par raclage, souvent semble-t-il pour en faire des outils intermédiaires de gros calibre, type d'objet qui représente la majorité de l'équipement en bois de renne. Les pointes de projectile en bois de renne, pratiquement absentes des couches anciennes, deviennent fréquentes à partir des couches 15-16 et demeurent presque toujours de calibre réduit

Deux spatules du type Pekárna dans la grotte Gazel (Sallèles-Cabardès, Aude, France)

International audienceThe worked bones from the Middle Magdalenian deposits in Gazel cave were recently re-examined. This led to the identification of two artifacts bearing close resemblance -in dimensions, decoration and type of bone used- to the engraved spatulas made of horse mandibles found in Pekárna cave. This is the closest parallel currently known for these exceptional objects. This discovery strengthens the idea of long-distance relations in the Magdalenian -here between western Languedoc and Moravia- and raises the question of the exact dating of the Pekárna artifacts.L'industrie osseuse du Magdalénien moyen de la grotte Gazel a récemment fait l'objet d'une révision globale. À cette occasion, deux objets présentant de fortes similitudes de dimensions, de support et de décor avec les spatules magdaléniennes, façonnées sur mandibule de cheval, de la grotte de Pekárna furent identifiés. Il s'agit du parallèle le plus étroit établi jusqu'ici pour ces pièces exceptionnelles. Cette découverte renforce l'idée de relations à longue distance au Magdalénien, en l'occurrence entre le Languedoc occidental et la Moravie, et invite à reconsidérer la question de l'âge exact des pièces de Pekárna

Nouvelle lecture du bâton percé de la grotte du Trilobite (Arcy-sur-Cure, Yonne)

International audienceLe réexamen d'un bâton percé découvert en 1886 dans les niveaux magdaléniens de la grotte du Trilobite (Arcy-sur-Cure, Yonne) a permis d'identifier un décor figuratif gravé (représentation d'un cervidé). Cet objet est désormais une pièce majeure de l'art mobilier paléolithique d'Arcy-sur-Cure et vient prendre place parmi les manifestations artistiques, réputées peu nombreuses, des populations du Paléolithique supérieur au nord de la Loire