Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jan 29, 2012
We report here on the 2007 discovery, in perfect archaeological context, of part of the engraved ... more We report here on the 2007 discovery, in perfect archaeological context, of part of the engraved and ocre-stained undersurface of the collapsed rockshelter ceiling from Abri Castanet, Dordogne, France. The decorated surface of the 1.5-t roof-collapse block was in direct contact with the exposed archaeological surface onto which it fell. Because there was no sedimentation between the engraved surface and the archaeological layer upon which it collapsed, it is clear that the Early Aurignacian occupants of the shelter were the authors of the ceiling imagery. This discovery contributes an important dimension to our understanding of the earliest graphic representation in southwestern France, almost all of which was discovered before modern methods of archaeological excavation and analysis. Comparison of the dates for the Castanet ceiling and those directly obtained from the Chauvet paintings reveal that the "vulvar" representations from southwestern France are as old or older t...
Hunting is one of the areas of human activity that sees the most significant changes in the perio... more Hunting is one of the areas of human activity that sees the most significant changes in the period from 40 000e35 000 BP in Europe. In this respect, the Aurignacian technocomplex shows technical innovations, notably with the fabrication of split-based points (SBP) in antler and the mass production of bladelets, arguably to serve as weapon armatures. Yet, little experiment work has been dedicated to this question. To begin to fill this gap, we have designed an experimental program devoted to testing and assessing the design, manufacture and use of Aurignacian weaponry.
Despite being at the heart of the question of the emergence of the European Upper Palaeolithic, t... more Despite being at the heart of the question of the emergence of the European Upper Palaeolithic, the Aurignacian osseous industry is essentially known by the production of split-based points, ornaments and portable art whereas bone tools, usually dedicated to domestic tasks and with variable technical complexity, have been largely ignored. However, when the high number of unworked tools is included e i.e. bone fragments recovered from food processing and used directly as tools with no previous shaping phase e bone tools represent a significant proportion of the Early Aurignacian industry. Among these unworked tools, is a newly-discovered type: "unworked intermediate tools." This article presents a detailed description based on taphonomic, typological and technological characters. It shows that these tools are diaphyseal fragments which are used directly as a wedge, very likely for woodworking and perhaps for antler processing. The processes behind the appearance of osseous technology at the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic in Europe are then discussed in light of this discovery and, more generally, the revised composition of the Early Aurignacian toolkit. The high proportion of unworked bone tools, a type more commonly associated with the Middle Palaeolithic, suggests a more gradual technological shift between Middle and Upper Palaeolithic than has previously been considered. As part of this hypothesis, the emergence of working osseous material could be due to a gradual transfer of techniques previously applied to wood, as others have proposed.
Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française 2012, tome 109, n o 1, p. 69-83 Élise TARTAR Réfle... more Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française 2012, tome 109, n o 1, p. 69-83 Élise TARTAR Réflexion autour de la fonction des retouchoirs en os de l'Aurignacien ancien Résumé Les retouchoirs en os représentent le plus ancien outillage en matières dures animales du Paléolithique européen. Ils se rencontrent très fréquemment au sein des ensembles moustériens et perdurent tout au long du Paléolithique supérieur. Plusieurs études fonctionnelles leur ont été consacrées et l'hypothèse la plus communément admise est celle de leur emploi dans la retouche de tranchants lithiques. Cette hypothèse repose toutefois principalement sur l'étude de pièces moustériennes alors que les exemplaires du Paléolithique supérieur, en particulier ceux de l'Aurignacien ancien, présentent des caractéristiques légèrement différentes. À partir de l'étude de plusieurs séries de l'Aurignacien ancien (l'abri Castanet en Dordogne, la grotte des Hyènes dans les Landes et la grotte Gatzarria dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques) et d'une reconstitution expérimentale, nous montrons que les retouchoirs de cette période témoignent d'une évolution de leur mode de fonctionnement, liée aux changements opérés dans le domaine lithique. Nous envisageons également la possibilité de leur emploi dans le débitage lamellaire. Mots-clés Aurignacien ancien, retouchoirs en os, technologie osseuse, approche fonctionnelle, expérimentation, retouche laminaire, débitage lamellaire. Abstract Bone retouchers are the most ancient osseous tools of the European Palaeolithic. They are very frequent on Mousterian sites and persist throughout the Upper Palaeolithic. Several functional analyses have been devoted to them and the most commonly accepted hypothesis proposed is their use for lithic tool retouching by percussion. However, this hypothesis is based mainly on studies of Mousterian pieces while few functional analyses have been undertaken on Upper Palaeolithic bone retouchers. The persistent presence of these "ad hoc" tools makes their study important. This article presents the results of a techno-functional analysis devoted to the Early Aurignacian bone retouchers from Abri Castanet at Sergeac (Dordogne), northern and southern sectors (layer A and US 131 and below), Grotte des Hyènes at Brassempouy (Landes, complex 2) and Gatzarria at Suhare (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, layer cbcf). These unworked bone tools, including many specimens identified a posteriori among faunal remains, represent a significant part of the studied assemblages' osseous equipment. There are two categories of retouchers: those on raw bone fragments and those on technical objects. The former, most numerous, are mainly long bone shaft fragments recovered after food operations and used just as they were, without modification. The latter correspond to the use of finished 70 Élise TARTAR Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française 2012, tome 109, n o 1, p. 69-83 objects like smoothers and awls as well as manufacturing by-products. They bear diagnostic traces of utilisation in the form of linear, deep, short depressions, v-shaped in cross section. These depressions are similar to those that have been described in previous work involving microscopic observation and are compatible with use for lithic tool retouching by percussion. However, unlike Middle Palaeolithic retouchers, where the depressions are perpendicular to the main axis of the piece, Early Aurignacian depressions are often vertical (in combination or not with horizontal ones). This is a characteristic feature of Upper Palaeolithic retouchers related to their positions during use. The vertical depressions imply that the main axis of the retoucher is oriented parallel to the lithic edge during use. Quite obviously, this change in the functioning of retouchers must be linked to changes in flint-knapping processes. To understand this relationship, we explored the effects of changing the orientation of retouchers. One notable difference is their curvature in the transverse and longitudinal axes.
o¨ëìã¨: En 2007, un fragment de voûte ornée a été découvert, sur le site de l'abri Castanet (comm... more o¨ëìã¨: En 2007, un fragment de voûte ornée a été découvert, sur le site de l'abri Castanet (commune de Sergeac, Dordogne) lors des opérations archéologiques ce qui n'était plus arrivé depuis 1912 (fouilles de M. Castanet pour L. Didon). La face profondément gravée et peinte de ce bloc d'effondrement, pesant plus d'une tonne, était en contact direct avec la couche archéologique aurignacienne. Une série de six datations par 14 C AMS (par filtration moléculaire), réalisée sur des vestiges osseux de faune en contact avec le sommet du niveau d'occupation, donne des résultats cohérents dont la moyenne est de 32 400 BP. Parmi les tracés visibles, sur la surface du bloc, la figure la plus évidente est celle d'une vulve. Cette thématique a été mise en évidence de façon récurrente au cours des fouilles du XX e siècle sur le site de Castanet et sur celui voisin de Blanchard. La découverte de ce bloc et sa datation permettent de recadrer chronologiquement ceux retrouvés à quelques mètres au cours des fouilles anciennes et d'aborder ces manifestations du vallon de Castel-Merle sous un nouvel angle.
We report here on the 2007 discovery, in perfect archaeological context, of part of the engraved ... more We report here on the 2007 discovery, in perfect archaeological context, of part of the engraved and ocre-stained undersurface of the collapsed rockshelter ceiling from Abri Castanet, Dordogne, France. The decorated surface of the 1.5-t roof-collapse block was in direct contact with the exposed archaeological surface onto which it fell. Because there was no sedimentation between the engraved surface and the archaeological layer upon which it collapsed, it is clear that the Early Aurignacian occupants of the shelter were the authors of the ceiling imagery. This discovery contributes an important dimension to our understanding of the earliest graphic representation in southwestern France, almost all of which was discovered before modern methods of archaeological excavation and analysis. Comparison of the dates for the Castanet ceiling and those directly obtained from the Chauvet paintings reveal that the "vulvar" representations from southwestern France are as old or older than the very different wall images from Chauvet.
au Piage (Fajoles, Lot). Problématique et premiers résultats. Résumé Fouillé dans les années soix... more au Piage (Fajoles, Lot). Problématique et premiers résultats. Résumé Fouillé dans les années soixante, le Piage est un gisement de référence pour le Paléolithique supérieur ancien du sud-ouest de la France. L'analyse récente des séries lithiques a conduit à réviser l'interprétation de sa séquence archéostratigraphique sur deux points : absence d'interstratification Aurignacien/Châtelperronien/Aurignacien ; présence, entre le Châtelperronien et l'Aurignacien ancien, d'une industrie attribuable au Proto-Aurignacien tel qu'il est défini sur le pourtour méditerranéen et les Pyrénées. Afin de valider ces récentes interprétations et de les préciser avec de nouvelles observations et données de terrain, une reprise des fouilles a débuté au Piage en 2004. Les investigations en cours ont permis de considérablement modifier la vision jusqu'alors traditionnellement admise de ce site. Cet article vise à replacer cette reprise de fouilles dans sa problématique générale, la transition du Paléolithique moyen au Paléolithique supérieur, en rappelant la place singulière du Piage dans ces débats. Il expose ensuite quelques-uns des principaux résultats obtenus à l'issue des trois premières campagnes de terrain 2004-2006. Mots clés : Bassin Aquitain -transition du Paléolithique moyen au Paléolithique supérieur -Interstratification Châtelperronien/Aurignacien -Proto-Aurignacien -stratigraphie -taphonomie. Abstract First excavated during the 1960's, Le Piage is a key site for the Early Upper Palaeolithic in southwestern France. A recent analysis
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jan 29, 2012
We report here on the 2007 discovery, in perfect archaeological context, of part of the engraved ... more We report here on the 2007 discovery, in perfect archaeological context, of part of the engraved and ocre-stained undersurface of the collapsed rockshelter ceiling from Abri Castanet, Dordogne, France. The decorated surface of the 1.5-t roof-collapse block was in direct contact with the exposed archaeological surface onto which it fell. Because there was no sedimentation between the engraved surface and the archaeological layer upon which it collapsed, it is clear that the Early Aurignacian occupants of the shelter were the authors of the ceiling imagery. This discovery contributes an important dimension to our understanding of the earliest graphic representation in southwestern France, almost all of which was discovered before modern methods of archaeological excavation and analysis. Comparison of the dates for the Castanet ceiling and those directly obtained from the Chauvet paintings reveal that the "vulvar" representations from southwestern France are as old or older t...
Hunting is one of the areas of human activity that sees the most significant changes in the perio... more Hunting is one of the areas of human activity that sees the most significant changes in the period from 40 000e35 000 BP in Europe. In this respect, the Aurignacian technocomplex shows technical innovations, notably with the fabrication of split-based points (SBP) in antler and the mass production of bladelets, arguably to serve as weapon armatures. Yet, little experiment work has been dedicated to this question. To begin to fill this gap, we have designed an experimental program devoted to testing and assessing the design, manufacture and use of Aurignacian weaponry.
Despite being at the heart of the question of the emergence of the European Upper Palaeolithic, t... more Despite being at the heart of the question of the emergence of the European Upper Palaeolithic, the Aurignacian osseous industry is essentially known by the production of split-based points, ornaments and portable art whereas bone tools, usually dedicated to domestic tasks and with variable technical complexity, have been largely ignored. However, when the high number of unworked tools is included e i.e. bone fragments recovered from food processing and used directly as tools with no previous shaping phase e bone tools represent a significant proportion of the Early Aurignacian industry. Among these unworked tools, is a newly-discovered type: "unworked intermediate tools." This article presents a detailed description based on taphonomic, typological and technological characters. It shows that these tools are diaphyseal fragments which are used directly as a wedge, very likely for woodworking and perhaps for antler processing. The processes behind the appearance of osseous technology at the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic in Europe are then discussed in light of this discovery and, more generally, the revised composition of the Early Aurignacian toolkit. The high proportion of unworked bone tools, a type more commonly associated with the Middle Palaeolithic, suggests a more gradual technological shift between Middle and Upper Palaeolithic than has previously been considered. As part of this hypothesis, the emergence of working osseous material could be due to a gradual transfer of techniques previously applied to wood, as others have proposed.
Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française 2012, tome 109, n o 1, p. 69-83 Élise TARTAR Réfle... more Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française 2012, tome 109, n o 1, p. 69-83 Élise TARTAR Réflexion autour de la fonction des retouchoirs en os de l'Aurignacien ancien Résumé Les retouchoirs en os représentent le plus ancien outillage en matières dures animales du Paléolithique européen. Ils se rencontrent très fréquemment au sein des ensembles moustériens et perdurent tout au long du Paléolithique supérieur. Plusieurs études fonctionnelles leur ont été consacrées et l'hypothèse la plus communément admise est celle de leur emploi dans la retouche de tranchants lithiques. Cette hypothèse repose toutefois principalement sur l'étude de pièces moustériennes alors que les exemplaires du Paléolithique supérieur, en particulier ceux de l'Aurignacien ancien, présentent des caractéristiques légèrement différentes. À partir de l'étude de plusieurs séries de l'Aurignacien ancien (l'abri Castanet en Dordogne, la grotte des Hyènes dans les Landes et la grotte Gatzarria dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques) et d'une reconstitution expérimentale, nous montrons que les retouchoirs de cette période témoignent d'une évolution de leur mode de fonctionnement, liée aux changements opérés dans le domaine lithique. Nous envisageons également la possibilité de leur emploi dans le débitage lamellaire. Mots-clés Aurignacien ancien, retouchoirs en os, technologie osseuse, approche fonctionnelle, expérimentation, retouche laminaire, débitage lamellaire. Abstract Bone retouchers are the most ancient osseous tools of the European Palaeolithic. They are very frequent on Mousterian sites and persist throughout the Upper Palaeolithic. Several functional analyses have been devoted to them and the most commonly accepted hypothesis proposed is their use for lithic tool retouching by percussion. However, this hypothesis is based mainly on studies of Mousterian pieces while few functional analyses have been undertaken on Upper Palaeolithic bone retouchers. The persistent presence of these "ad hoc" tools makes their study important. This article presents the results of a techno-functional analysis devoted to the Early Aurignacian bone retouchers from Abri Castanet at Sergeac (Dordogne), northern and southern sectors (layer A and US 131 and below), Grotte des Hyènes at Brassempouy (Landes, complex 2) and Gatzarria at Suhare (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, layer cbcf). These unworked bone tools, including many specimens identified a posteriori among faunal remains, represent a significant part of the studied assemblages' osseous equipment. There are two categories of retouchers: those on raw bone fragments and those on technical objects. The former, most numerous, are mainly long bone shaft fragments recovered after food operations and used just as they were, without modification. The latter correspond to the use of finished 70 Élise TARTAR Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française 2012, tome 109, n o 1, p. 69-83 objects like smoothers and awls as well as manufacturing by-products. They bear diagnostic traces of utilisation in the form of linear, deep, short depressions, v-shaped in cross section. These depressions are similar to those that have been described in previous work involving microscopic observation and are compatible with use for lithic tool retouching by percussion. However, unlike Middle Palaeolithic retouchers, where the depressions are perpendicular to the main axis of the piece, Early Aurignacian depressions are often vertical (in combination or not with horizontal ones). This is a characteristic feature of Upper Palaeolithic retouchers related to their positions during use. The vertical depressions imply that the main axis of the retoucher is oriented parallel to the lithic edge during use. Quite obviously, this change in the functioning of retouchers must be linked to changes in flint-knapping processes. To understand this relationship, we explored the effects of changing the orientation of retouchers. One notable difference is their curvature in the transverse and longitudinal axes.
o¨ëìã¨: En 2007, un fragment de voûte ornée a été découvert, sur le site de l'abri Castanet (comm... more o¨ëìã¨: En 2007, un fragment de voûte ornée a été découvert, sur le site de l'abri Castanet (commune de Sergeac, Dordogne) lors des opérations archéologiques ce qui n'était plus arrivé depuis 1912 (fouilles de M. Castanet pour L. Didon). La face profondément gravée et peinte de ce bloc d'effondrement, pesant plus d'une tonne, était en contact direct avec la couche archéologique aurignacienne. Une série de six datations par 14 C AMS (par filtration moléculaire), réalisée sur des vestiges osseux de faune en contact avec le sommet du niveau d'occupation, donne des résultats cohérents dont la moyenne est de 32 400 BP. Parmi les tracés visibles, sur la surface du bloc, la figure la plus évidente est celle d'une vulve. Cette thématique a été mise en évidence de façon récurrente au cours des fouilles du XX e siècle sur le site de Castanet et sur celui voisin de Blanchard. La découverte de ce bloc et sa datation permettent de recadrer chronologiquement ceux retrouvés à quelques mètres au cours des fouilles anciennes et d'aborder ces manifestations du vallon de Castel-Merle sous un nouvel angle.
We report here on the 2007 discovery, in perfect archaeological context, of part of the engraved ... more We report here on the 2007 discovery, in perfect archaeological context, of part of the engraved and ocre-stained undersurface of the collapsed rockshelter ceiling from Abri Castanet, Dordogne, France. The decorated surface of the 1.5-t roof-collapse block was in direct contact with the exposed archaeological surface onto which it fell. Because there was no sedimentation between the engraved surface and the archaeological layer upon which it collapsed, it is clear that the Early Aurignacian occupants of the shelter were the authors of the ceiling imagery. This discovery contributes an important dimension to our understanding of the earliest graphic representation in southwestern France, almost all of which was discovered before modern methods of archaeological excavation and analysis. Comparison of the dates for the Castanet ceiling and those directly obtained from the Chauvet paintings reveal that the "vulvar" representations from southwestern France are as old or older than the very different wall images from Chauvet.
au Piage (Fajoles, Lot). Problématique et premiers résultats. Résumé Fouillé dans les années soix... more au Piage (Fajoles, Lot). Problématique et premiers résultats. Résumé Fouillé dans les années soixante, le Piage est un gisement de référence pour le Paléolithique supérieur ancien du sud-ouest de la France. L'analyse récente des séries lithiques a conduit à réviser l'interprétation de sa séquence archéostratigraphique sur deux points : absence d'interstratification Aurignacien/Châtelperronien/Aurignacien ; présence, entre le Châtelperronien et l'Aurignacien ancien, d'une industrie attribuable au Proto-Aurignacien tel qu'il est défini sur le pourtour méditerranéen et les Pyrénées. Afin de valider ces récentes interprétations et de les préciser avec de nouvelles observations et données de terrain, une reprise des fouilles a débuté au Piage en 2004. Les investigations en cours ont permis de considérablement modifier la vision jusqu'alors traditionnellement admise de ce site. Cet article vise à replacer cette reprise de fouilles dans sa problématique générale, la transition du Paléolithique moyen au Paléolithique supérieur, en rappelant la place singulière du Piage dans ces débats. Il expose ensuite quelques-uns des principaux résultats obtenus à l'issue des trois premières campagnes de terrain 2004-2006. Mots clés : Bassin Aquitain -transition du Paléolithique moyen au Paléolithique supérieur -Interstratification Châtelperronien/Aurignacien -Proto-Aurignacien -stratigraphie -taphonomie. Abstract First excavated during the 1960's, Le Piage is a key site for the Early Upper Palaeolithic in southwestern France. A recent analysis
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