In the context of global ice retreat, studying glaciers and glacier responses to present and past climatic variations provies information to understand their long-term evolution. Alpine and Pyrenean glaciers have been the subject of paleoclimate studies but it is not the case of the Vosges Gr & eacute;seuses (VG), a low to medium elevation mountain range in northeastern France. This project focuses on the analysis of the palaeoglaciers of this area, where many landforms suggest the presence of ice during colder periods. We determined the locations of the paleoglaciers and mapped them by using the software ArcGIS and the tool "GlaRe" (Glacier Reconstruction). We show that glaciers in the VG were not extensive and did not exceed 45 m thick. We also dated moraines closest to the cirques using the cosmogenic 10 Be and confirmed that glaciers were indeed present in this area between 19.5 and 13.0 ka. Climatic reconstructions, obtained from Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA), show that mean summer temperatures were between 1.8 and 2.4 degrees C, when considering precipitations equivalent to the current level. Glaciers retreated before the Younger Dryas (YD) due to their small size, which differentiates them from the Vosges Cristallines, where deglaciation occurred later. Finally, initial dating of the Rocher de Mutzig, one the highest point of the VG, shows that an ice cap probably covered the massif until 38.000 years ago. In a context of cold climatic episodes, it is interesting to link the glacial evolution and prehistoric population dynamics, that must have adapted to paleoclimatic conditions, closing of strategic paths and decreasing availability of ressources.

The Middle Paleolithic site of Mutzig-Rain, discovered in 1992, has been studied through several pits (called M1 to M15) and excavation area since 2009, evidencing several localities and delivering more than 5000 lithic artifacts and 12,000 well preserved paleontological remains. The main excavation M2 sequence corresponds to a collapsed rock shelter, containing several levels of Middle Paleolithic occupation. The faunal assemblage of the main archaeological levels (l.7a to 7c) from this sequence includes woolly mammoth, reindeer, horse, bison and woolly rhinoceros, reflecting both cold climate and a steppe context for the whole sequence, while microfauna from the lower levels (l.7d and l.10) indicate the occasional presence of forests that could correspond to a cooler climate. In 1995, U-series analyses on bones from M8 were attempted but the obtained results did not follow the sample stratigraphic order. Later, an OSL dating study has placed the M2 archaeological sequence as coeval to the onset of the Weichselian glacial stage (MIS5d-5a), between 100 and 80 ka. The good preservation of the abundant faunal remains at Mutzig-Rain has allowed their use for ESR/U-series dating studies and the results obtained on Mutzig horse teeth are given in the present paper. A first set of analyses of teeth carried out from the M2 excavation provided ages around 106-96 ka for levels M2 l.7, in agreement with the OSL data, despite quite systematic evidence of U-leaching from the dental tissues and the consequent use of the Accelerating Uptake (AU) model for the age calculation. A second set of analyses on teeth from the M2 and M8 localities confirms this uranium leaching trend, placing the deposition of these levels ca 133 -122 ka. Taking the whole set of ESR/U-series ages, which are slightly older than the OSL dates, would suggest that the stratigraphic sequence was deposited between ca 130 ka (M8 l. 6 and M2 l.10) and ca 100 ka (M2 l.7), i.e. on a time range covering the Eemian Interglacial (MIS5e) and the subsequent Early Weichselian Glacial stage (MIS5d-5a). However, as the faunal record indicates a cool climate and an open steppe-like environment for the whole archaeological sequence, the ESR/U-series dating to the Eemian Interglacial in the Mutzig-Rain sequence seems unlikely. In order to check the quality of the paleodosimetric reconstruction of the ESR/U-series analyses, an additional isochron study was performed for the two levels for which several teeth were analyzed: M2 l.7 (n = 4) and M8 l.6 (n = 3). This isochron study validates the proposed reconstruction and confirms the Early Weichselian age of these two levels. These results confirm the chronology established previously with OSL and places Mutzig-Rain as a reference site for the understanding of the Neanderthal Middle Palaeolithic occupation in Eastern France.

Face à la fonte généralisée des masses de glace, l'étude des glaciers et de leurs réponses aux variations climatiques présentes et passées peut fournir des informations nécessaires à la compréhension de leur évolution sur le long terme. Si les glaciers alpins et pyrénéens ont fait l'objet d'études paléoclimatiques, ce n'est pas le cas d'autres massifs de montagnes français, comme les Vosges Gréseuses (VG), un massif de basse à moyenne montagne, situé dans le Nord-Est de la France. Cette étude cible l'analyse des paléoglaciers de cette région, où de nombreuses structures glaciaires suggèrent qu'elle a été englacée au cours de la dernière période glaciaire du Würm. Nous avons déterminé la localisation de quatre paléoglaciers et les avons cartographiés en utilisant ArcGIS et l'outil « GlaRe » (Glacier Reconstructions Tools). Nous avons montré que ces glaciers des VG étaient peu étendus et n'excédaient pas 45 m d'épaisseur. Nous avons daté les moraines les plus proches des cirques en utilisant le nucléide cosmogénique 10Be, et confirmé que des glaciers étaient bien présents dans ce secteur des Vosges entre 19,5 et 13,0 ka. Les reconstructions climatiques, obtenues à partir de la Ligne d'Equilibre Glaciaire (LEG), montrent que la température estivale moyenne se situait entre 1,8 et 2,4°C, en considérant les précipitations moyennes annuelles comme équivalentes aux actuelles. Les glaciers des VG n'ont pas persisté pendant le Dryas Récent, en raison de leur faible étendue, ce qui les différencient des Vosges Cristallines où la déglaciation s'est faite plus tardivement. Enfin, la datation d'un des points culminants des VG, le Rocher de Mutzig, montre qu'une calotte glaciaire coiffait probablement le massif jusqu'à il y a 38 000 ans. Il est pertinent de relier ces évolutions glaciaires à la dynamique des populations préhistoriques, qui ont dû s'adapter aux conditions paléoclimatiques, à la fermeture de passages stratégiques et à la diminution de ressources pendant les périodes froides.

The Paleolithic site of Mutzig, discovered by chance in 1992 (Sainty 1992), has been the focus of several excavations since 2009. Located in Alsace (Bas-Rhin, France), it is presently one of only a handful of sites reliably attributed to the Middle Paleolithic in this area, thus providing rare evidence for a zone still relatively unknown for Early Prehistoric remains. The excellent preservation of the remains and the long stratigraphic sequence, with 6 to 8 in situ archaeological levels, make Mutzig a potential reference site for environmental and behavioral analyses for the Middle Paleolithic of the region. At least four archaeological levels contain burnt elements, and one level features a hearth structure.

During their exploitation, the quarries of Achenheim and Hangenbieten (Alsace, France) provided access to an exceptional loess-paleosol sequence, totalling over 40 m in thickness and spanning at least four glacial-interglacial cycles. As early as 1914, E. Schumacher identified thirty stratigraphic units, in which, over the course of almost a century, numerous large faunal remains and lithic artefacts scattered within various levels would be revealed, although only two of these levels were extensively excavated. In particular, the site offers an almost complete key sequence to understand early settlement dynamics in the Rhine valley and particularly the transition between Lower and Middle Palaeolithic, at the boundary between western and central Europe. Nevertheless, data are old and artefacts were recovered by quarry workers and repositioned after their collection. Moreover, while many chronostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental studies have been made during the last decade, the data are dispersed and rarely combined. Due to these biases Achenheim's archaeological data could be disregarded. In the present study, we aim to take a fresh look at the reliability of Achenheim's lithic assemblages. We focus on Lower and Middle Palaeolithic lithic remains, re-examined here in detail. In parallel, their chronostratigraphic position in terms of marine isotope stages, as well as the contemporaneous palaeoenvironmental characteristics, have been checked by combining all available data scattered in many publications concerning older quarries that are no longer accessible or difficult to access. By comparing the archaeological data from this site with the most recent discoveries, both in Alsace and elsewhere in north-western and central Europe, we can show that the lithic industries, though largely incomplete, represent an interesting sample which sheds new light on the succession of lithic technocomplexes of early settlement in the Upper Rhine area. The various technical manifestations identified at Achenheim seem to match the overall techno-typological sequence observed for the Middle and Late Pleistocene of either northwestern or central Europe.

Peu de sites du Paléolithique moyen sont recensés en Alsace par rapport à d’autres régions. Depuis quelques années, des recherches archéologiques et géoarchéologiques tentent d’y remédier. Ces travaux, initiés depuis 2011, synthétisés dans le Projet Collectif de Recherche « PaléoEls » depuis 2015, visent à la reprise des données existantes ainsi qu’à la recherche de nouveaux gisements pour le Paléolithique et le Mésolithique, aussi bien en contexte programmé que préventif. Ils permettent de dresser un nouvel essai de synthèse pour le Paléolithique moyen, résumé dans le présent article. Il s’agit d’un reflet de l’état actuel de la recherche et ce bilan sera sûrement amené à évoluer au gré des découvertes futures. Les sites du Paléolithique moyen se retrouvent sur toute la bordure de la plaine rhénane, au sein de différents contextes et à des profondeurs très variables, parfois en surface, parfois profondément enfouis. Ce sont surtout les sites « historiques » de Mutzig et des carrières d’Achenheim-Hangenbieten, revisités, qui fournissent l’essentiel de l’information, complétée par de nouvelles découvertes. Pour le moment, les occupations sont essentiellement attribuées 1) à la phase ancienne du Paléolithique moyen contemporaine du Saalien, datant parfois du stade isotopique marin (SIM) 9, et 2) au Début Glaciaire weichselien, i.e. des SIM 5d à 5a. En revanche, aucun gisement n’est clairement attribué au Pléniglaciaire inférieur et au Pléniglaciaire moyen, contemporains des SIM 4 et 3, alors que des niveaux sédimentaires contemporains ont été détectés. L’étude des industries lithiques permet de proposer des hypothèses chronoculturelles concernant la dynamique de peuplement des Néandertaliens d’Europe du Nord-Ouest.

Quaternary small vertebrate assemblages from northern France, and more generally from northwestern Europe, are poorly recognized, and studied less than those from more southern, Mediterranean areas. However, important sites of human occupation are often found in these northern areas, with significant issues related to the occupation of these sites by Neanderthals and previous humans, as well as faunal dynamics under climatic pressure. In this paper, we present preliminary results from the study of small vertebrate assemblages from two Late Pleistocene sites of northern France: Mutzig (Alsace) and Le Rozel (Normandy). Both are ancient rock-shelters that have been excavated recently and have yielded evidence of Neanderthal occupation, but in very different contexts: Le Rozel is located in a coastal area of northwestern France contemporaneous with a temperate period, while Mutzig is located at the foot of the Vosges mountains in northeastern France and was occupied during a cold period. Consequently, even if these two sites are chronologically close to each other, differences in faunal composition are observed and discussed in relation to the geographic, climatic and biochronological context, in comparing the results from small vertebrates with those from other disciplines (numerical dating, large mammals). (C) 2016 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.

The site of Mutzig, discovered by chance in 1992 (Sainty et al., 1994), has been the focus of programmed excavations since 2009. Located in Alsace (Bas-Rhin, France), it is at present one of the very few reliable sites attributable to the regional Middle Palaeolithic, thus providing rare evidence for a zone still relatively unknown for early rehistoric times. The excellent preservation of the remains and the deep stratigraphic sequence make the site a potential reference site for environmental and behavioural analyses regarding the Middle Palaeolithic in this region. However, as studies are still largely in progress, this paper presents a summary of the preliminary results obtained. The occupations are located where the Bruche Valley opens out, at the foot of the Felsbourg Cliff which is oriented directly southwards and contains many natural rockshelters. Highly attractive due to its unobstructed view of the Alsace Plain, this topographic location was quite likely selected for repeated human occupations, perhaps relatively close in time. The entire sequence is attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic. While the upper levels (Layers 1-4) may be formed of colluvial deposits containing reworked material from occupations on the dismantled upper terraces, layers 5, 7A, 7C1, 7C2 and 7D seem to be in situ below the shelter, which shows different phases of collapse. The older layers 8, 9 and 10, observed only in test excavations, contain occupations on a ledge protected by the rockshelter overhang. It is not currently possible to determine whether these took place during an earlier phase of the rockshelter with a larger porch or at the cliff base. As bedrock has not yet been reached, it is quite possible that the sequence is even longer. The different occupations reflect the same relatively cold steppe-like environmental context, with reindeer, woolly mammoth, steppe horse, steppe bison and woolly rhinoceros being identified. The small mammals also indicate a cold climate, but not of the Pleniglacial type. Isotope analyses of oxygen and carbon in horse and mammoth teeth also indicate temperatures colder than today and an open environment. These data, as well as the OSL dates obtained thus far, place the occupations of Mutzig during the Early Weichselian Glacial (MIS 5, ca. 90 000 BP), which biometric analyses and analyses of the large and small fauna tend to corroborate. The archaeological material is abundant in each of the different layers, altogether forming an inventory of more than 2500 faunal remains and over 1300 lithic artefacts. The excavation is currently being conducted across an area of around 30 m(2). The lithic industry is fairly uniform throughout the sequence. Knappers used different local raw material types, mainly sedimentary and volcanic rocks, either found in the primary outcrops (up to 15 km away) or most commonly in the alluvial deposits of the Bruche a few hundred metres from the site. Exploitation techniques are relatively simple, using natural convexities, indicating a significant selection phase for raw blocks. Most of the cores and flakes show flat core management, i.e., exploitation of a single surface to produce relatively thin invasive flakes. Flexibility in techniques can be observed, resulting in different kinds of production, permitted by mastery of core reduction management. In some cases, when the initial block morphology is not suitable, core preparation took place, sometimes Levallois in method. Few retouched tools have been found, but the many retouch flakes recovered testify to the circulation and use of such tools. From a techno-typological point of view, the industry differs from contemporaneous industries on the other side of the Vosges and the Rhine. At least four archaeological levels (layers 5, 7A, 7C1 and 7D) contain burnt elements and one level (layer 7C1) a combustion structure. The site of Mutzig seems to be linked to major hunting activities since the fauna are not only abundant, but also frequently show anthropic traces (striae and intentional fractures). However, the question is raised concerning procurement of very large herbivores, particularly mammoth (representing more than 40% of the identifiable taxa in layer 7A in NR). This is even more striking since all anatomical elements appear to have been transported to the camp, including cranial elements, ribs and vertebrae. The use of these parts and the procurement strategy for these very large herbivores remain to be explained. The absence of carnivore marks on the bones of large fauna should be noted. This, along with the large number of lithic artefacts, suggests long-term occupations by human populations and/or rapid burying of archaeological lithics and fauna. Rapid carcass processing is also demonstrated, perhaps associated with combustion zones. Finally, although the sequence is fairly uniform, slight differences can be perceived. While mammoth dominates the faunal spectrum in layer 7A, it is under-represented in layer 7C1 where reindeer is higher, and nearly absent in layer 7C2. The hypothesis of a more rigorous climate in layer 7C1 can be proposed, based in part on the preliminary small mammals database, but especially by the near absence of charcoal in the combustion structure, which contains mostly burnt bone. This contrasts sharply with other combustion structures in which charcoal is common, perhaps reflecting less dense forest cover for layer 7C1. Continuing excavation and analyses specific to each discipline and their comparison should ultimately enable clarification of the environment and Neanderthal ways of life in Alsace.

Le site de Mutzig, découvert fortuitement en 1992 (Sainty et al., 1994) est fouillé en contexte programmé depuis 2009. Localisé en Alsace (Bas-Rhin), il est à l’heure actuelle un des seuls témoins fiables attribués au Paléolithique moyen dans la région, permettant ainsi de documenter une zone assez méconnue pour la Préhistoire ancienne. La très bonne conservation des vestiges s’y retrouvant ainsi que son importante stratigraphie en font potentiellement un site de référence pour les analyses environnementales et comportementales au Paléolithique moyen dans la région. Néanmoins, les études étant en cours, ce sont les premiers résultats qui sont présentés dans cet article. Les occupations sont situées au débouché de la vallée la Bruche, au pied de la falaise du Felsbourg. Véritable attrait de par la vue imprenable sur la plaine d’Alsace qu’il expose, cet emplacement topographique a été vraisemblablement le témoin de nombreuses occupations répétées. L’ensemble de la séquence se rapporte au Paléolithique moyen. Si les niveaux supérieurs (couches 1 à 4) pourraient être le reflet de colluvionnements d’occupations sur une des terrasses supérieures qui se seraient démantelées, les couches 5, 7A, 7C1, 7C2 et 7D semblent en revanche en place, et se sont vraisemblablement déposées sous abri, ce dernier étant affecté par différentes phases d’effondrement. Les couches 8, 9 et 10, plus anciennes, appréhendées uniquement en sondage, révèlent des occupations sur un replat d’environ un mètre en contre-bas. Le substrat n’ayant pas été atteint, il est possible que la séquence soit encore plus importante. Les grands mammifères (mammouth laineux, cheval des steppes, bison des steppes et rhinocéros laineux) et la microfaune reflètent une même ambiance environnementale relativement froide de type steppe sur toute la séquence. Ces données, couplées aux dates OSL obtenues pour le moment, placent les occupations de Mutzig au Début Glaciaire du Weichselien (MIS 5, vers 90000 BP). Les vestiges archéologiques sont très nombreux au sein des différentes couches. L’industrie lithique est assez homogène sur toute la séquence. Les artisans ont exploité différents types de matériaux locaux et les méthodes d’exploitation sont assez simples, les tailleurs ayant mis à profit des convexités naturelles, révélant une phase de sélection des supports assez drastique. Peu d’outils retouchés sont recensés, mais les nombreux éclats de retouche récoltés attestent d’une circulation de ces outils. D’un point de vue typotechnologique, l’industrie se démarque de ses homologues sub-contemporains outre-Vosges et outre-Rhin. Au moins quatre niveaux archéologiques (couches 5, 7A, 7C1 et 7D) révèlent la présence d’éléments brûlés, avec pour l’un d’entre eux (couche 7C1) la présence d’une structure de combustion (couche 7C1). Le site de Mutzig paraît lié à une activité de chasse importante puisque les restes fauniques sont non seulement très nombreux, mais présentent également de fréquentes traces anthropiques (stries et fractures volontaires). Néanmoins, la question de l’acquisition des très grands herbivores reste posée. Enfin, si l’ensemble de la séquence est assez homogène, de légères différences tendent néanmoins à apparaître. Certaines couches se distinguent notamment par la représentation de certains taxons fauniques (mammouth dominant dans la couche 7A, à l’inverse de la couche 7C1 pour laquelle le renne est majoritaire) ainsi que par la présence de charbons de bois ou d’os brûlés dans les structures de combustion, peut-être à relier à des couverts forestiers distincts. La poursuite de la fouille devra permettre à terme de reconstituer l’environnement des Néandertaliens d’Alsace et de documenter leurs modes de vie.

Blade production is common in northwest European industries for the Middle Palaeolithic (Tuffreau, 1983; Revillion, 1994; Locht, 2002). It is typically associated with the Early Weichselian (MIS 5d-a, ibid.). Its presence, even minor, is a strong marker and the assemblages containing this kind of production are systematically attributed to the 'Northwest European Technocomplex' (Depaepe, 2007). However, its frequency in the assemblages is rarely considered although it is far from being identical. Generally associated with other kinds of production (flakes and/or points), blade production most often represents 5-15% of the assemblage structure, but is sometimes very minor (1-2%) or, on the contrary, exclusive. The question of its status and frequency in relation to other production modes should be addressed. To explain the representativeness of blade production in Mousterian assemblages, we have examined its frequency in different archaeological assemblages. Five lithic assemblages from the Paris Basin dating to the Early Weichselian (MIS 5, ca. 110 to 70 ka BP) were selected: Ange (Loir-et-Cher), levels C and D at Soindres (Yvelines), the upper level at Auteuil (Oise) and Villiers-Adam (Val-d'Oise). These assemblages were chosen because blade production varies quite significantly between them. Ange contains a relatively minor blade production component (around 7% of the assemblage), with volumetric and pyramidal core structure, produced in situ and accompanied by the importation of blades, the latter frequently retouched. The industry in level D at Soindres is exclusively laminar (i.e., blade production represents 100% of all production), with a dominance of volumetric core structure, made in situ and accompanied by the export of blades. Finally, level C at Soindres, the upper level at Auteuil and Villiers-Adam show only the importation of rare blades in the assemblages (ca. 3%) and reflect volumetric core reduction. The present study offers an opportunity to identify the relationships between the differences in proportion of blade production within these assemblages, which could be explained, among other factors, by the significant fragmentation of the blade production chaine operatoire. Indeed, some sites appear to be 'producers' and 'exporters' of blades, while others are 'importers' or 'consumers'. Such fragmentation of blade chaines operatoires in space and time should be correlated with that also observed for point production (Locht et al., 2003; Goval, 2008; Koehler, 2009) and Levallois flake production (Koehler, 2009). Such splitting of these chaines operatoires during the Early Weichselian in the Paris Basin may be correlated with variability in site function for the assemblages studied (halts, short-term camps, long-term occupations, repeated occupations, etc.). These observations lead us to propose interpretative hypotheses concerning the space occupation mode during this period. One of the responses, the most appealing, would be to consider these sites as evidence of different occupations by a single human group/set of human groups, each site having a specific function: some long/repeated occupations with varied activities would indicate long-duration occupations by all of the groups, others would reveal specific camps occupied by a few people leaving the base camp to carry out certain specific tasks, in line with the 'base camps' and 'logistical camps' proposed by L. and S. Binford (1966).This hypothesis, while attractive, cannot be confirmed as is, the main pitfall being the contemporaneity of the sites, which has not been conclusively demonstrated. However, it has the merit of highlighting the organization of space and the high degree of mobility of artefacts and thus probably of humans during the Early Weichselian in the Paris Basin. This observation is even more valid for more recent periods, the Lower and Middle Pleniglacial of the Weichselian, during which the organization of space appears to be entirely different. Indeed, although these periods are less well documented than the First Weichselian Glacial, the lithic assemblages are not only less diversified but appear especially small and more circumscribed in space. These observations, although they need to be developed and clarified, particularly given the rate of discovery of MIS 4 and 3 sites, currently demonstrate differences in the occupation of space in the Paris Basin during the recent phases of the Middle Palaeolithic. We are thus tempted to propose the hypothesis that blade production during the Weichselian may have been a response to the singular organization of knappers of the period, in line with a high degree of mobility.

Le débitage laminaire est fréquemment attesté au Paléolithique moyen dans les productions septentrionales (Tuffreau, 1983 ; Révillion, 1994 ; Locht, 2002). Il est, la plupart du temps, associé à d’autres types de productions (éclats et pointes). Néanmoins, la place qu’il occupe par rapport à ces derniers est loin d’être claire. S’il ne constitue généralement qu’une production secondaire en proportion, il peut également être exclusif dans de rares cas. Afin de comprendre sa représentativité dans les occupations moustériennes, nous nous sommes intéressés à sa fréquence au sein de différents ensembles archéologiques. Nous avons pour cela analysé cinq séries lithiques du Bassin parisien datant du Weichsélien ancien (SIM 5, soit entre environ 110 et 70 ka BP), à savoir celles d’Angé (Loir-et-Cher), les niveaux C et D de Soindres (Yvelines), le niveau supérieur d’Auteuil (Oise) et Villiers-Adam (Val-d’Oise). Ces séries ont retenu notre attention car les productions laminaires y sont quantitativement très variées, leur présence étant exclusive dans l’assemblage de Soindres, niveau D, minoritaire dans celui d’Angé et sporadique à Auteuil, Soindres, niveau C et Villiers-Adam. Leur étude a offert l’opportunité de mettre en relation les différences de proportion des productions laminaires au sein de ces ensembles archéologiques, pouvant s’expliquer, entre autre, par une importante fragmentation de la chaîne opératoire laminaire. En effet, des phénomènes d’export et d’import de lames sont systématiquement attestés. Quand le niveau D de Soindres suggère une production laminaire in situ ainsi qu’un export de lames, il en est tout autrement pour le niveau C de Soindres, le niveau supérieur d’Auteuil et Villiers-Adam pour lesquels un import de lame est constaté. Enfin, la série d’Angé révèle une position intermédiaire avec une production laminaire in situ accompagnée d’imports de lames. Cette fragmentation des chaînes opératoires laminaires dans l’espace et dans le temps doit être corrélée à celle également constatée pour les productions de pointes (Locht et al., 2003 ; Goval, 2008 ; Koehler, 2009) et d’éclats Levallois (Koehler, 2009). Ce constat, couplé aux fonctions manifestement variées des séries étudiées (halte, occupations brèves, occupations longues, répétées, etc.), nous amène à envisager une structuration singulière de l’espace géographique par les Paléolithiques dans le Bassin parisien au Weichsélien ancien, basée sur une forte mobilité des vestiges et donc probablement des hommes. Structuration de l’espace qui serait, en l’état actuel des données, différente pour les périodes ultérieures du Pléniglaciaire inférieur et moyen du Weichsélien. En effet, bien que ces périodes soient moins bien documentées que pour le Début Glaciaire du Weichsélien, les ensembles lithiques sont non seulement moins diversifiés mais semblent surtout plus réduits et davantage circonscrits dans l’espace. Ces observations nous amènent ainsi à proposer que produire des lames au Weichsélien ancien pourrait être une réponse à l’organisation spatiale singulière des tailleurs de l’époque, en lien avec leur forte mobilité.

La fouille du gisement paléolithique moyen de Mauquenchy (Seine-Maritime) a permis la découverte de niveaux archéologiques bien préservés au sein d’un sol gris-forestier attribué au stade isotopique marin (SIM) 5a. Ce sol contient deux niveaux archéologiques, l’un dans sa partie inférieure (Wa2), le second dans sa partie supérieure (Wa1). Ces deux ensembles archéologiques contenaient chacun un silex taillé chauffé datés par thermoluminescence (83,7 ± 7,6 ka pour Wa2 et 77,6 ± 7,2 ka pour Wa1). Ces datations offrent pour la première fois une possibilité de calage précis de ce sol qui avait été préalablement attribué au SIM 5a sur la base de sa signature interstadiaire.

La fouille du gisement paleolithique moyen de Mauquenchy (Seine-Maritime) a permis la decouverte de niveaux archeologiques bien preserves au sein d’un sol gris-forestier attribue au stade isotopique marin (SIM) 5a. Ce sol contient deux niveaux archeologiques, l’un dans sa partie inferieure (Wa2), le second dans sa partie superieure (Wa1). Ces deux ensembles archeologiques contenaient chacun un silex taille chauffe dates par thermoluminescence (83,7 ± 7,6 ka pour Wa2 et 77,6 ± 7,2 ka pour Wa1). Ces datations offrent pour la premiere fois une possibilite de calage precis de ce sol qui avait ete prealablement attribue au SIM 5a sur la base de sa signature interstadiaire.