This study, based on a combined analysis of pottery and lithic artefacts dated between 4900/4800 and 4350/4250 cal. BCE, offers new insights into the early Middle Neolithic in western Provence. This chronological framework is divided into two main stages. The results highlight a shared cultural base with strong regional consistency in practices. Productions evolved throughout this period, with the emergence of new forms and techniques alongside traditions inherited from the local substrate. Some of these new techniques were influenced by trade and exchange networks, mainly from eastern Provence and Liguria. The data thus confirm that the Middle Neolithic 1 is not merely a transitional phase, but rather a dynamic period marked by new practices. These findings are key to understanding the formation of Chasséen societies in the south of France, around the Mediterranean basin.
This study, based on a combined analysis of pottery and lithic artefacts dated between 4900/4800 and 4350/4250 cal. BCE, offers new insights into the early Middle Neolithic in western Provence. This chronological framework is divided into two main stages. The results highlight a shared cultural base with strong regional consistency in practices. Productions evolved throughout this period, with the emergence of new forms and techniques alongside traditions inherited from the local substrate. Some of these new techniques were influenced by trade and exchange networks, mainly from eastern Provence and Liguria. The data thus confirm that the Middle Neolithic 1 is not merely a transitional phase, but rather a dynamic period marked by new practices. These findings are key to understanding the formation of Chasséen societies in the south of France, around the Mediterranean basin.
Evidence of prehistoric settlement in the Centre-Val de Loire region is scarce. In this context, the preventive excavation of the Enclos open-air archaeological site (Mainvilliers) has revealed one or more Middle Palaeolithic occupations. The geological study of the site showed that the lithic artefacts were preserved in the upstream part of a palaeo-valley infill, within colluvial sediments strongly affected by cryoturbation. The layer with lithic remains is not very dense and lies at the top of a sequence of palaeosols that formed between isotopic stages 10 and 3. The 460 flint artefacts in the lithic assemblage bear witness to a complex taphonomic history after their abandonment and burial, including post-depositional reworking. This is evident from frequent surface, raw material, and edge alterations. Additionally, the small lithic fraction is underrepresented, suggesting that no specific local flint production or retouching areas were preserved. For the lithic industry, various flake production methods coexist—Levallois, volumetric laminar, and potentially Discoid—which is consistent with the variability observed in regional Middle Palaeolithic techno-complexes. The flake tools are not highly standardised and include a few side scrapers, as well as complete or broken bifaces. Due to weathering of the surface and cutting edges of most of the tools, only two bifaces, one core, and one flake showed identifiable use-wear. One biface may have served as a lighter to produce fire, and the other three pieces showed signs of use as hammer stones. A techno-economic comparison of the Enclos assemblage with an experimental reference collection and two recently discovered lithic series—from Coulvreux (Eure-et-Loir) and Radray (Loiret)—suggests that the reworked lithic remains derive from a site with mixed functions, used for both the production and consumption of tools made from local flint flakes. Mobile bifacial tools made from an undetermined flint type were also brought to the site. The dimensional composition of the assemblage, the near absence of refits, the low density of the layer, and significant spatial dispersion tend to rule out the probability of a single, synchronous human occupation. Two thermoluminescence dates place the Neanderthal occupations or visits to the Enclos site within a broad chronological bracket, ranging between 57,940 and 42,820 years ago, corresponding to the early part of isotopic stage 3. No further details are available as regards the type, status and characteristics of the Enclos site in Mainvilliers. However, the site is of great importance as it provides clear and hitherto unknown evidence of Neanderthal presence on the plateau west of Chartres during a late phase of the Middle Palaeolithic. Excavations have also clarified the geomorphological context and chronostratigraphic framework of this area, which spans nearly 350,000 years.
Evidence of prehistoric settlement in the Centre-Val de Loire region is scarce. In this context, the preventive excavation of the Enclos open-air archaeological site (Mainvilliers) has revealed one or more Middle Palaeolithic occupations. The geological study of the site showed that the lithic artefacts were preserved in the upstream part of a palaeo-valley infill, within colluvial sediments strongly affected by cryoturbation. The layer with lithic remains is not very dense and lies at the top of a sequence of palaeosols that formed between isotopic stages 10 and 3. The 460 flint artefacts in the lithic assemblage bear witness to a complex taphonomic history after their abandonment and burial, including post-depositional reworking. This is evident from frequent surface, raw material, and edge alterations. Additionally, the small lithic fraction is underrepresented, suggesting that no specific local flint production or retouching areas were preserved. For the lithic industry, various flake production methods coexist—Levallois, volumetric laminar, and potentially Discoid—which is consistent with the variability observed in regional Middle Palaeolithic techno-complexes. The flake tools are not highly standardised and include a few side scrapers, as well as complete or broken bifaces. Due to weathering of the surface and cutting edges of most of the tools, only two bifaces, one core, and one flake showed identifiable use-wear. One biface may have served as a lighter to produce fire, and the other three pieces showed signs of use as hammer stones. A techno-economic comparison of the Enclos assemblage with an experimental reference collection and two recently discovered lithic series—from Coulvreux (Eure-et-Loir) and Radray (Loiret)—suggests that the reworked lithic remains derive from a site with mixed functions, used for both the production and consumption of tools made from local flint flakes. Mobile bifacial tools made from an undetermined flint type were also brought to the site. The dimensional composition of the assemblage, the near absence of refits, the low density of the layer, and significant spatial dispersion tend to rule out the probability of a single, synchronous human occupation. Two thermoluminescence dates place the Neanderthal occupations or visits to the Enclos site within a broad chronological bracket, ranging between 57,940 and 42,820 years ago, corresponding to the early part of isotopic stage 3. No further details are available as regards the type, status and characteristics of the Enclos site in Mainvilliers. However, the site is of great importance as it provides clear and hitherto unknown evidence of Neanderthal presence on the plateau west of Chartres during a late phase of the Middle Palaeolithic. Excavations have also clarified the geomorphological context and chronostratigraphic framework of this area, which spans nearly 350,000 years.
The early Neolithic site of Saint-Pierre-d’Autils “Le Plaquis,” located on the banks of the Seine near Vernon (Eure), was excavated in 2010 by an Inrap team, and is now a reference site for understanding the colonisation of Normandy by Linear Pottery Culture tradition farmers and herders. A small group from the Paris Basin settled on land that was still unoccupied at that time. Three medium-sized houses were built on the banks of the river, forming a small village or hamlet. It was not possible to estimate the occupation duration of this settlement. Nevertheless, archaeological work uncovered abundant well-preserved stone, pottery and bone artefacts in side pits. A detailed study of these remains shows that Saint-Pierre-d’Autils is chronologically positioned between two major early Neolithic sites in Normandy; the Late Linear Pottery Culture site of Colombelles, known as “Le Lazzaro,” in the Caen plain, and the ancient Blicquy/Villeneuve-Saint-Germain site of Poses, known as “Sur la Mare,” situated a short distance downstream from Saint-Pierre-d’Autils in the Seine valley. Radiocarbon dating, combined with dating based on the study of artefacts, places this small settlement around 5050-5000 BCE. The geographical position of Colombelles “Le Lazzaro” and its chronological age in relation to Saint-Pierre-d’Autils are key elements in understanding the colonisation of the Normandy region, which is thought to have taken place in several successive waves of migration rather than in a single progressive wave. Saint-Pierre-d’Autils is located near the important village of Poses “Sur la Mare,” and both sites display similar pottery decorations. This suggests that the former site also played a key role in the establishment and expansion of the central village. The sourcing study of siliceous raw materials shows that Saint-Pierre-d’Autils was probably the first known village to have been part of the trade network for large tertiary flint blades produced in the mines of the Paris Basin, such as Jablines. The abundant data from Saint-Pierre-d’Autils make a major contribution to our understanding of the Neolithisation of north-western France along the Seine, a river that played an essential role in this migration.
The early Neolithic site of Saint-Pierre-d’Autils “Le Plaquis”, located on the banks of the Seine near Vernon (Eure), was excavated in 2010 by an Inrap team, and is now a reference site for understanding the colonisation of Normandy by Linear Pottery Culture tradition farmers and herders. A small group from the Paris Basin settled on land that was still unoccupied at that time. Three medium-sized houses were built on the banks of the river, forming a small village or hamlet. It was not possible to estimate the occupation duration of this settlement. Nevertheless, archaeological work uncovered abundant well-preserved stone, pottery and bone artefacts in side pits. A detailed study of these remains shows that Saint-Pierre-d’Autils is chronologically positioned between two major early Neolithic sites in Normandy; the Late Linear Pottery Culture site of Colombelles, known as “Le Lazzaro”, in the Caen plain, and the ancient Blicquy/Villeneuve-Saint-Germain site of Poses, known as “Sur la Mare”, situated a short distance downstream from Saint-Pierre-d’Autils in the Seine valley. Radiocarbon dating, combined with dating based on the study of artefacts, places this small settlement around 5050-5000 BCE. The geographical position of Colombelles “Le Lazzaro” and its chronological age in relation to Saint-Pierre-d’Autils are key elements in understanding the colonisation of the Normandy region, which is thought to have taken place in several successive waves of migration rather than in a single progressive wave. Saint-Pierre-d’Autils is located near the important village of Poses “Sur la Mare”, and both sites display similar pottery decorations. This suggests that the former site also played a key role in the establishment and expansion of the central village. The sourcing study of siliceous raw materials shows that Saint-Pierre-d’Autils was probably the first known village to have been part of the trade network for large tertiary flint blades produced in the mines of the Paris Basin, such as Jablines. The abundant data from Saint-Pierre-d’Autils make a major contribution to our understanding of the Neolithisation of north-western France along the Seine, a river that played an essential role in this migration.
Almost 40 years after excavations at Place de la Planta, the project to build an underground warehouse for the cantonal archives in front of the former cantonal arsenal in Sion (Valais, Switzerland) provided an opportunity to gather new information about the Neolithic period in the upper Rhône valley. This article focuses on the first two stratigraphic complexes of the site, both of which yield important new insights into the earliest Neolithic settlement of Valais. The older of the two corresponds to occupations from the end of the sixth millennium (complex N1). The site then appears to have been cultivated before being used for domestic activities again at the beginning of the fifth millennium (complex N2). The pottery from the site confirms cultural links with the Po Valley, as previously suggested on the basis of the series from Sion-Place de la Planta and Sion-Plateau de Tourbillon, but also indicates contacts with the Rhine basin. This complexity is also evident in other aspects of material culture (lithic industry, adornment). The study of faunal and carpological remains shows that the economy was based on caprine husbandry and cereal cultivation at the end of the sixth millennium, with hunting and gathering only playing a marginal role. These discoveries make an important contribution to our knowledge of the early Neolithic period in Valais.
The robustness and accuracy of archaeological field data condition subsequent studies of past lifeways due to the destructive nature of excavation. Few articles, however, succinctly describe and explain the excavation methods adopted. This often causes difficulties for researchers wishing to restudy collections or compare data between different sites and equally raises questions concerning the reproducibility of fieldwork. Here, we describe the excavation methods used at two Middle Palaeolithic sites, Combe-Grenal and Le Moustier (Dordogne, France), after attempting to justify and explain the nature of the data required by various specialists. These two sites, which contain very rich archaeological deposits, required rethinking how to optimise the acquisition of field data in terms of time and consumption of plastic bags. Two simple technical solutions proved particularly effective: a) the use of a single, continuous numbering system for all data and b) a system of compartmentalised trays and boxes. The interplay between needs, data, methods and justifications for the choices made is discussed throughout the text.
Almost 40 years after excavations at Place de la Planta, the project to build an underground warehouse for the cantonal archives in front of the former cantonal arsenal in Sion (Valais, Switzerland) provided an opportunity to gather new information about the Neolithic period in the upper Rhône valley. This article focuses on the first two stratigraphic complexes of the site, both of which yield important new insights into the earliest Neolithic settlement of Valais. The older of the two corresponds to occupations from the end of the sixth millennium (complex N1). The site then appears to have been cultivated before being used for domestic activities again at the beginning of the fifth millennium (complex N2). The pottery from the site confirms cultural links with the Po Valley, as previously suggested on the basis of the series from Sion-Place de la Planta and Sion-Plateau de Tourbillon, but also indicates contacts with the Rhine basin. This complexity is also evident in other aspects of material culture (lithic industry, adornment). The study of faunal and carpological remains shows that the economy was based on caprine husbandry and cereal cultivation at the end of the sixth millennium, with hunting and gathering only playing a marginal role. These discoveries make an important contribution to our knowledge of the early Neolithic period in Valais.
The Combe-Cullier site (Lacave, Lot) is one of the few sites with a Magdalenian archaeosequence investigated using modern excavation methods. Its exceptional archaeological fill covers the entire Magdalenian period between 21,000 and 14,000 cal. BP. The cave was excavated in the early 20th century under the aegis of A. Viré, yielding remains of occupations for which no contextual data are available. Then, at the end of the 1960s, J.-F. Flies began a new operation on the slope in front of the cave, and carried out meticulous excavations using modern methodology until the mid-1970s. Most of the artefacts unearthed in the nearly five-metre-thick stratigraphic sequence are still unpublished to this day. Following academic work on elements of this collection, a multidisciplinary team was formed to re-examine all the remains in a revised chronostratigraphic framework. The results of this work are presented here by archaeostratigraphic unit (AU) and according to the different analysed artefacts (siliceous materials, bone industry, adornments, fauna). It is thus possible to track evolution at the site over nearly 7,000 years, highlighting continuities and changes. A comparison of the results obtained at Combe-Cullier with other sites in south-western France backs up the recent proposal for a new evolutionary scenario for the Aquitaine Magdalenian.
The Combe-Cullier site (Lacave, Lot) is one of the few sites with a Magdalenian archaeosequence investigated using modern excavation methods. Its exceptional archaeological fill covers the entire Magdalenian period between 21,000 and 14,000 cal. BP. The cave was excavated in the early 20th century under the aegis of A. Viré, yielding remains of occupations for which no contextual data are available. Then, at the end of the 1960s, J.-F. Flies began a new operation on the slope in front of the cave, and carried out meticulous excavations using modern methodology until the mid-1970s. Most of the artefacts unearthed in the nearly five-metre-thick stratigraphic sequence are still unpublished to this day. Following academic work on elements of this collection, a multidisciplinary team was formed to re-examine all the remains in a revised chronostratigraphic framework. The results of this work are presented here by archaeostratigraphic unit (AU) and according to the different analysed artefacts (siliceous materials, bone industry, adornments, fauna). It is thus possible to track evolution at the site over nearly 7,000 years, highlighting continuities and changes. A comparison of the results obtained at Combe-Cullier with other sites in south-western France backs up the recent proposal for a new evolutionary scenario for the Aquitaine Magdalenian.
The Rescoundudou site (Sébazac-Concourès, Aveyron), is a rare example of a Middle Palaeolithic chrono-stratigraphic context in the Grands Causses region. Occupations in the main level appear to be contemporary with MIS 5 (5c or 5a) and provide valuable data for this otherwise poorly represented period in the Eastern Aquitaine Basin and bordering areas, in this case the southern Massif Central. The rich lithic industry is dominated by unipolar and bipolar recurrent Levallois debitage, alongside significant autonomous laminar and lamellar productions. Group mobility seems to focus on the west and the Lot valley, as shown by evidence of human presence in the Cantal and the Agenais. These data, in parallel with identified raw material circulation, are consistent with findings from Levallois techno-complexes in the northern Aquitaine Basin, at the end of MIS 5 and the beginning of MIS 4. Our study thus links the Rescoundudou site to a North Aquitaine Mousterian macro-territory. It appears to form the easternmost limit of this territory and is a chronological milestone for the beginning of the late Middle Palaeolithic.
Le site du Rescoundudou (Sébazac-Concourès, Aveyron) offre l’un des rares contextes chrono-stratigraphiques du Paléolithique moyen dans la région des Grands Causses. Le niveau principal coïncide avec des occupations a priori contemporaines du MIS 5 (et plutôt 5c ou 5a) et apporte donc des données précieuses pour cette période en partie lacunaire dans l’occupation du Bassin est-aquitain et ses marges, ici le sud du Massif central. Le site a livré une riche industrie lithique dominée par le débitage Levallois, selon des modalités récurrentes unipolaires et bipolaires, accompagné de manière significative par une production laminaire et lamellaire autonome. Les circulations des groupes semblent s’orienter vers l’Ouest et la vallée du Lot, avec des témoins de fréquentation des domaines cantaliens et de l’Agenais. Ces données, comme les circulations de matières premières identifiées, s’intègrent dans l’homogénéité des techno-complexes Levallois du Bassin nord aquitain, documenté à la fin du MIS 5 et au début du MIS 4. Notre étude nous amène ainsi à rattacher le gisement du Rescoundudou à un macro-territoire moustérien nord-aquitain, dont il constituerait une limite orientale et un jalon chronologique durant le début du Paléolithique moyen récent.
Our dependence on common sense when it comes to transforming the truncated documentation from our excavation campaigns into interpretative narrative has been regularly emphasised since André Leroi-Gourhan. Its counterpart, and one of the conditions of its existence, is our lack of ethnological culture. We know too little about the characteristics, properties and modes of operation of the vast category of pre-state societies, of which prehistoric European societies are, after all, a part. The aim of ethnoarchaeology and ethnographic comparatism is precisely to familiarise us with this universe, so strange in some respects to our Western eyes, of societies that were once called “primitive”. The article begins with an epistemological reflection on the way in which a set of presuppositions conditions the interpretations of researches devoted to the exploration of the human-animal relationship in societies of late European prehistory. We attempt to show how an implicit model inspired in particular by our knowledge of historical peasantry and a biased conception of the functioning of the primitive economy (both being part of our “intellectual habitus” a scholarly conditioned form of common sense) slips into the process of knowledge production, between the examination of raw facts and the elaboration of interpretations. A detailed examination of pig farming in the New Guinea Highlands then serves to show that the presuppositions of this model are anything but universal. It also leads us to develop alternative models likely to shed new light on prehistoric animal husbandry, for example on the conditions of emergence of the first domestications in the Near East and elsewhere. In this way, we hope to contribute to the development of a catalogue of the forms of animal husbandry known in pre-state, pre-literary and animist societies, both current and sub-actual, with the aim of making it a tool for understanding prehistoric animal husbandry. The underlying idea, which is one of the “commandments” of ethnoarchaeology, is that the depth of the political, social and ontological rupture introduced by the emergence of the state and universal religions is such that the level of proximity between present-day pre-state and prehistoric societies will necessarily be greater than that between the latter and the historical European societies that are the main source of inspiration for the implicit model mentioned above.
The Aquitaine gallery graves are located at the heart of one of the oldest centres of European megalithism, yet until recently, they were still little known and poorly dated. These dolmen gallery graves are well represented between Charente-Maritime and Lot-et-Garonne, and may possibly have emerged in this region before spreading throughout Atlantic Europe. Long considered as late architecture, like the Armorican gallery graves, some authors have suggested that they appeared as early as the Middle Neolithic. As part of a restoration program, new excavations were undertaken between 2019 and 2022 on the Roquefort megalithic gallery grave in Lugasson (Gironde), an emblematic monument in the Entre-Deux-Mers region. Discovered in 1922, then emptied of its contents, this monument currently comprises 21 asteriated limestone orthostats and is almost 14 m long. It is part of a non-dated rampart at the time of this new research. The complete clearing of the Roquefort gallery grave and the test pits excavated under the paving and in the mass of the rampart have enhanced our knowledge of this architecture. A massive episode of the stele reuse has been brought to light in the paving, in the orthostats and at the base of the cairn. Such reuse is now well known in European megalithism. Dating carried out at the base of the cairn and under the paving dates the construction of the monument to the first half of the 4th millennium, i.e., almost a millennium before the generally accepted date for the construction of Aquitaine gallery graves. These results confirm that, in the current state of knowledge, the oldest gallery grave dolmens in Atlantic Europe are found in Aquitaine.
The robustness and accuracy of archaeological field data condition subsequent studies of past lifeways due to the destructive nature of excavation. Few articles, however, succinctly describe and explain the excavation methods adopted. This often causes difficulties for researchers wishing to restudy collections or compare data between different sites and equally raises questions concerning the reproducibility of fieldwork. Here, we describe the excavation methods used at two Middle Palaeolithic sites, Combe-Grenal and Le Moustier (Dordogne, France), after attempting to justify and explain the nature of the data required by various specialists. These two sites, which contain very rich archaeological deposits, required rethinking how to optimise the acquisition of field data in terms of time and consumption of plastic bags. Two simple technical solutions proved particularly effective: a) the use of a single, continuous numbering system for all data and b) a system of compartmentalised trays and boxes. The interplay between needs, data, methods and justifications for the choices made is discussed throughout the text.
The Aquitaine gallery graves are located at the heart of one of the oldest centres of European megalithism, yet until recently, they were still little known and poorly dated. These dolmen gallery graves are well represented between Charente-Maritime and Lot-et-Garonne, and may possibly have emerged in this region before spreading throughout Atlantic Europe. Long considered as late architecture, like the Armorican gallery graves, some authors have suggested that they appeared as early as the Middle Neolithic. As part of a restoration program, new excavations were undertaken between 2019 and 2022 on the Roquefort megalithic gallery grave in Lugasson (Gironde), an emblematic monument in the Entre-Deux-Mers region. Discovered in 1922, then emptied of its contents, this monument currently comprises 21 asteriated limestone orthostats and is almost 14 m long. It is part of a non-dated rampart at the time of this new research. The complete clearing of the Roquefort gallery grave and the test pits excavated under the paving and in the mass of the rampart have enhanced our knowledge of this architecture. A massive episode of the stele reuse has been brought to light in the paving, in the orthostats and at the base of the cairn. Such reuse is now well known in European megalithism. Dating carried out at the base of the cairn and under the paving dates the construction of the monument to the first half of the 4th millennium, i.e., almost a millennium before the generally accepted date for the construction of Aquitaine gallery graves. These results confirm that, in the current state of knowledge, the oldest gallery grave dolmens in Atlantic Europe are found in Aquitaine.
Summary. This contribution is a synthesis on the development of the Aurignacian at a European scale. First, it focuses on Southwestern France to establish an evolutionary model in two successive phases: the Protoaurignacian and the Early Aurignacian. Once defined based on archaeological data (lithic and bone technologies, and when available, ornaments and graphic representations), the model is then confronted with other macro-regions of Europe in order to test its pan-European significance. The results suggest that the Protoaurignacian/Early Aurignacian chrono-cultural succession is not restricted to France and occurs at a continental scale. Moving forward, we propose new avenues to investigate the meaning of this pattern by integrating paleoanthropological and paleogenomic data, and by considering the role of settlement dynamics. We also address the relevance of the so-called ‘transitional industries’ which strictly precede the emergence of the Protoaurignacian in the regions considered.
Abstract. Excavated in 2018 as part of the western bypass of Strasbourg, the Berstett Langenberg site of nearly two hectares (site no. 5.6 of the project) has revealed occupations dating from the Late Neolithic to the Final La Tène period. The Bronze Age occupation is characterised by 43 features spread over almost the entire area, while the 31 Middle Bronze Age features include ten pits, storage pits (11), two possible excavated buildings, three slits and five windfalls. No buildings were found, but areas devoid of features surrounded by pits suggest the location of buildings, as do the remains of cob (earth and wood architecture). The large quantity of ceramic remains uncovered (160 vessels), as well as several radiocarbon dates have made it possible to better characterise the typochronology of the ensembles for the Bronze D and the transition from Bronze D to Bronze D. Biogeochemical analysis of the inner walls of ten vessels has revealed animal fats, as well as traces of vegetable oil (Brassicaceae) or resin (Pinaceae). In addition to the large quantity of pottery, which makes the site a reference point, other objects unearthed (lithics, fauna) provide supplementary information as to the late Middle Bronze Age settlement for which little is known in eastern France.
Abstract. The aim of this paper is about discussing to the homogeneity and relationship of the Belloisian tradition with the more southern Laborian. In this regard, we choose central France, the reputed southern margin of Belloisian, to be the geographical framework of this study. It is punctuated by key sites belonging to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition: Muides-sur-Loire, Champ-Chalatras and Cuze de Sainte-Anastasie. What we are questioning in this article are the networks relationships between the Belloisian and the Laborian traditions through the study of lithic industry. This research area is on the fringes of the major dynamic’s university programs too and involves research traditions that differ regionally. We therefore also question the notion of “prehistoric” or “prehistorian” boundaries through a petro-techno-typological analysis of lithic series. In this case study, the techno-economic data shows a frequentation of common outcrops and economic management of the silicites for the three sites. This complex network of relationships between groups shows the porosity between the prehistorian designation. The identification of laborian “know-how” from silicites in the south of the Paris Basin and the circulation of large laminar supports corroborate this fact. So finally, these results lead us to propose the hypothesis of an interweaving of a Belloisian technical sub-system with a Laborian tradition, now well defined.
