La transition du Mésolithique ancien au Mésolithique moyen/récent dans le nord-ouest de la Belgique: quelques réflexions concernant l’occupation du territoire
In the present paper the preliminary results of a regional and diachronic study of Final Palaeolithic and Mesolithic land-use systems in Sandy Flanders (NW Belgium) are discussed. The available data so far reveals two important changes at the transition from the Early to the Middle/Late Mesolithic (ca. 7500/7200 cal. BC): 1°) a drastic decrease in the number of settlement sites; 2°) major changes in the settlement locations. It is tentatively suggested that these might be linked to changes in the mobility pattern of hunter-gatherers, induced by environmental changes (transition from open coniferous forest to dense deciduous forest) and/or social changes (decreasing territoriality and social competition)
