New data on the exploitation of flint outcrops during the Middle Palaeolithic: the Mousterian workshop of Chêne Vert at Dirac (Charente, France)

The ways in which Neanderthals exploited the landscape and raw material sources constitute a major aspect of the study of Middle Palaeolithic settlement systems. The Aquitaine Basin in the south-west of France, and more specifically the Charente, has been the object of numerous studies exploring open-air sites within the mineral environment (e.g. Park & Féblot-Augustins 2010). The recently discovered Mousterian workshop of Chêne Vert at Dirac, located on a flint outcrop and excavated in a rescue context, presents a rare opportunity for studying Neanderthal procurement strategies directly associated with a readily available raw material. The main excavation results presented in this article, through geoarchaeology, taphonomy, petroarchaeology and lithic techno-economy, shed light on site formation processes affecting the archaeological level, the assemblage’s degree of integrity and technical behaviour and adaptations to the specific features of flint from Dirac, prior to the transition between MIS 4 and 3

Les paléolittoraux plio-pléistocènes de Casablanca, cadre chronostratigraphique et paléogéographique de la Préhistoire ancienne du Maroc atlantique

La succession de paléolittoraux de Casablanca représente une séquence d’une richesse exceptionnelle qui couvre les six derniers millions d’années. La lecture séquentielle des enregistrements, la caractérisation des environnements de dépôts et des données bio et géochronologiques permettent de proposer un cadre chronostratigraphique cohérent qui repose sur l’identification de séquences sédimentaires majeures enregistrant les hauts stationnements marins corrélatifs des grands cycles glacio-eustatiques. La richesse des enregistrements fait de la chronostratigraphie de Casablanca le système de référence du Quaternaire littoral du domaine atlantique marocain et offre un cadre nouveau pour la Préhistoire ancienne régionale

Le site stratifié du Bois Clair à Montguyon (Charente-Maritime, France) : récurrences paléolithiques, brièveté des occupations et aires de débitage spécialisées

Le site du Bois Clair constitue un nouveau jalon pour la compréhension des occupations paléolithiques proches de la façade atlantique. Fouillé dans le cadre du projet de construction de la ligne à grande vitesse Sud Europe Atlantique, il a livré plusieurs niveaux d’occupations qui s’intercalent dans des dépôts colluviaux et éoliens au sein desquels subsistent deux horizons de sol lessivé de rang interglaciaire, l’un actuel et l’autre fossile. L’ensemble de la séquence est cadré par six datations par luminescence. Si le contexte topographique et sédimentaire a favorisé le panachage d’industries séparées dans le temps, en particulier sur le point haut du site, le degré de conservation du site reste malgré tout étonnamment bon, particulièrement dans la partie supérieure de la séquence où l’organisation spatiale est localement bien préservée, autorisant ainsi d’intéressantes interprétations comportementales des différents groupes culturels ayant fréquenté le site. Il se singularise par une récurrence de petites occupations paléolithiques s’étalant de façon non linéaire du Moustérien jusqu’au Tardiglaciaire. Elles sont toutes matérialisées par des aires de débitage très circonscrites dans l’espace et tournées vers des productions spécialisées. Cette étude présente les principales données acquises et se focalise sur les deux niveaux les mieux conservés du site : le niveau moustérien supérieur et le niveau magdalénien. Le premier est rattaché à un technocomplexe moustérien récent (OIS3) à débitage discoïde spécifiquement tourné vers une production de pointes pseudo-Levallois via des modalités de débitage originales, particulièrement bien documentées par les remontages. Le second niveau présenté correspond à une brève occupation de la phase finale du Magdalénien orientée vers une production de grandes lames réalisée à partir de cinq blocs de silex d’origine locale.The Bois Clair site is a new benchmark for the study of the Atlantic coast area Palaeolithic settlements. Excavated during the high speed Sud Europe Atlantique train line construction project, it revealed several occupation levels, inserted in colluvial and eolian deposits displaying two argillic horizons. The sequence is chronologically established by six luminescence datings. Despite a topographic and sedimentary context leading to the mixing of chronologically distinct industries, especially at the highest point of the site, it’s state of preservation remains surprisingly good, particularly in the upper part of the sequence where the spatial organization is locally preserved, thus allowing interesting behavioral interpretations. The site stands out through recurrent and small palaeolithic settlements, dating from the Mousterian to the Late Upper Palaeolithic. These settlements all display small debitage areas, dedicated to specialized productions. This paper presents the acquired data and focuses on the two best preserved occupation levels : the Late Mousterian and Magdalenian levels. The first belongs to the late mousterian technological complex (OIS3), displaying a discoïde debitage specifically dedicated to pseudo-levallois points production, achieved through original debitage methods well documented by many refittings. The second level represents a brief Late Upper Magdalenian settlement, displaying the shaping and debitage of five local flint cores, dedicated to long blade production

Palaeogenomics of Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic European hunter-gatherers

Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants

Palaeogenomics of Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic European hunter-gatherers

Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants.Open access funding provided by Max Planck Society. This project has received funding by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements no. 803147-RESOLUTION (to S.T.), no. 771234-PALEoRIDER (to W.H.), no. 864358 (to K.M.), no. 724703 and no. 101019659 (to K.H.). K.H. is also supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG FOR 2237). E.A. has received funding from the Van de Kamp fonds. PACEA co-authors of this research benefited from the scientific framework of the University of Bordeaux’s IdEx Investments for the Future programme/GPR Human Past. A.G.-O. is supported by a Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC-2017-22558). L. Sineo, M.L. and D.C. have received funding from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) PRIN 2017 grants 20177PJ9XF and 20174BTC4R_002. H. Rougier received support from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences of CSUN and the CSUN Competition for RSCA Awards. C.L.S. and T. Saupe received support from the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (project no. 2014-2020.4.01.16-0030) and C.L.S. received support from the Estonian Research Council grant PUT (PRG243). S. Shnaider received support from the Russian Science Foundation (no. 19-78-10053).Peer reviewe

Palaeogenomics of Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic European hunter-gatherers

Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants.Peer reviewe

Palaeogenomics of Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic European hunter-gatherers

: Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants

15. Les matières premières lithiques

Les ressources en matières premières lithiques sont particulièrement diversifiées en Bourgogne en raison de l’étendue de la région concernée – près de 6 % du territoire français métropolitain – et d’un contexte géomorphologique favorable lié en partie à la structuration des formations sédimentaires mésozoïques autour de l’axe cristallin du Morvan. Ces ressources se répartissent très inégalement dans les trois bassins versants considérés. Celui de l’Yonne intègre, dans sa partie avale, les épa..

Approche géoarchéologique de la formation des sites préhistoriques : retour d’expérience et réflexions méthodologiques

Based on a selection of works carried out over the last ten years in various geomorphological and stratigraphic contexts, this thesis illustrates the contributions and limitations of the taphonomy of prehistoric sites that are mainly formed by one or more levels of objects, in order to contribute to the assessment of their state of preservation (i.e. spatial and material integrity, homogeneity). The geoarchaeological approach consists in determining, over several steps, if artifact assemblages were degraded by natural processes. This study also suggests some reasons for the global underutilisation of the main tools for carrying out this approach (such as studies of the spatial or particle size distribution of the lithic artifacts, of their surface state, or fabrics analysis). The time required to master and apply these tools, the collective effort to synthesize the results and the complexity of the archaeological record appear as the main factors limiting the taphonomy of material remains. Finally, in vivo experiments such as the one currently being conducted in Villard-de-Lans (Isère) allow us to better document and quantify the impact of the different natural processes involved in the formation of sites.A partir d’une sélection de travaux réalisés depuis une dizaine d’années dans des contextes géomorphologiques et stratigraphiques variés, cette thèse illustre les apports et limites de la taphonomie des sites préhistoriques principalement formés d’une ou plusieurs nappes de mobilier, dans le but de contribuer à l’évaluation de leur état de conservation (i.e. intégrité spatiale et matérielle, homogénéité). La démarche géoarchéologique employée consiste à tester en plusieurs étapes l’hypothèse d’une dégradation des ensembles de mobilier par les processus naturels. Ce travail apporte également des explications au fait que les principaux outils pour mener à bien cette démarche sont globalement sous-employés (comme les études de la distribution spatiale ou granulométrique des objets, de leurs états de surface ou l’analyse des fabriques). Le temps nécessaire à la maîtrise et à la mise en application de ces outils, l’effort collectif pour en synthétiser les résultats et la complexité de l’enregistrement archéologique auquel nous faisons face apparaissent comme les principaux facteurs limitant la taphonomie des restes matériels. Enfin, les expérimentations in vivo permettent de mieux documenter et quantifier l’impact des différents processus naturels impliqués dans la formation des sites, comme celle menée actuellement à Villard-de-Lans (Isère)

Geoarchaeological approach to the formation of prehistoric sites : feedback and methodological reflections

A partir d’une sélection de travaux réalisés depuis une dizaine d’années dans des contextes géomorphologiques et stratigraphiques variés, cette thèse illustre les apports et limites de la taphonomie des sites préhistoriques principalement formés d’une ou plusieurs nappes de mobilier, dans le but de contribuer à l’évaluation de leur état de conservation (i.e. intégrité spatiale et matérielle, homogénéité). La démarche géoarchéologique employée consiste à tester en plusieurs étapes l’hypothèse d’une dégradation des ensembles de mobilier par les processus naturels. Ce travail apporte également des explications au fait que les principaux outils pour mener à bien cette démarche sont globalement sous-employés (comme les études de la distribution spatiale ou granulométrique des objets, de leurs états de surface ou l’analyse des fabriques). Le temps nécessaire à la maîtrise et à la mise en application de ces outils, l’effort collectif pour en synthétiser les résultats et la complexité de l’enregistrement archéologique auquel nous faisons face apparaissent comme les principaux facteurs limitant la taphonomie des restes matériels. Enfin, les expérimentations in vivo permettent de mieux documenter et quantifier l’impact des différents processus naturels impliqués dans la formation des sites, comme celle menée actuellement à Villard-de-Lans (Isère).Based on a selection of works carried out over the last ten years in various geomorphological and stratigraphic contexts, this thesis illustrates the contributions and limitations of the taphonomy of prehistoric sites that are mainly formed by one or more levels of objects, in order to contribute to the assessment of their state of preservation (i.e. spatial and material integrity, homogeneity). The geoarchaeological approach consists in determining, over several steps, if artifact assemblages were degraded by natural processes. This study also suggests some reasons for the global underutilisation of the main tools for carrying out this approach (such as studies of the spatial or particle size distribution of the lithic artifacts, of their surface state, or fabrics analysis). The time required to master and apply these tools, the collective effort to synthesize the results and the complexity of the archaeological record appear as the main factors limiting the taphonomy of material remains. Finally, in vivo experiments such as the one currently being conducted in Villard-de-Lans (Isère) allow us to better document and quantify the impact of the different natural processes involved in the formation of sites