L'occupation humaine de l'abri Pataud (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, Dordogne) il y a 22 000 ans : problématique et résultats préliminaires des fouilles du niveau 2

In this paper, we present the first elements of response to the question: "What is the status of the human remains in the Final Gravettian Level (Level 2) at Abri Pataud?" In 2005, more than forty years after the excavations of H. L. Movius, a new project concerning level 2 was initiated at Abri Pataud. This project was conceived according to three simultaneous and complementary approaches: 1) a detailed analysis of archives; 2) a study of the Movius collections; 3) a new excavation with both archaeological and geoarchaeological objectives. The initial results of the 2005 and 2006 excavations have confirmed that we can indeed appreciably improve our understanding of this archaeological level. Certain elements, such as the presence of very small backed bladelets, already permit us to more precisely define the originality of this culture. A first approach to the human remains (more than 250, MNI=6) led us to consider the hypothesis of a "disturbed primary burial". This hypothesis is confirmed by preliminary results concerning the significant assemblage of "particular artefacts" associated with the human remains, most notably mammoth ivory beads.Cet article présente les premiers éléments de réponse à la question : " Quel est le statut des vestiges humains du Gravettien final (niveau 2) de l'abri Pataud ? ". En 2005, plus de quarante ans après l'arrêt des fouilles de H. L. Movius, a débuté une opération archéologique programmée portant sur le niveau 2 de l'abri Pataud. Cette opération a été conçue selon trois démarches simultanées et complémentaires : 1) analyse des archives ; 2) étude des collections Movius ; 3) reprise de la fouille elle-même, dans une double perspective archéologique et géoarchéologique. Les premiers résultats obtenus en 2005 et 2006 ont confirmé que nous pouvions sensiblement améliorer la compréhension de ce niveau archéologique. Nous avons d'ores et déjà des éléments permettant de mieux documenter ce faciès culturel original, comme par exemple la présence de lamelles à dos de dimensions millimétriques. Une première approche des vestiges humains (plus de 250 restes, NMI = 6), nous a conduits à envisager l'hypothèse de " dépôts primaires remaniés ". Cette hypothèse est confortée par l'analyse préliminaire de l'importante série d'" objets particuliers " associée aux restes humains, notamment des perles en ivoire de mammouth

Limpet Shells from the Aterian Level 8 of El Harhoura 2 Cave (Témara, Morocco): Preservation State of Crossed-Foliated Layers

International audienceThe exploitation of mollusks by the first anatomically modern humans is a central question for archaeologists. This paper focuses on level 8 (dated around * 100 ka BP) of El Har-houra 2 Cave, located along the coastline in the Rabat-Témara region (Morocco). The large quantity of Patella sp. shells found in this level highlights questions regarding their origin and preservation. This study presents an estimation of the preservation status of these shells. We focus here on the diagenetic evolution of both the microstructural patterns and organic components of crossed-foliated shell layers, in order to assess the viability of further investigations based on shell layer minor elements, isotopic or biochemical compositions. The results show that the shells seem to be well conserved, with microstructural patterns preserved down to sub-micrometric scales, and that some organic components are still present in situ. But faint taphonomic degradations affecting both mineral and organic components are nonetheless evidenced, such as the disappearance of organic envelopes surrounding crossed-foliated lamellae, combined with a partial recrystallization of the lamellae. Our results provide a solid case-study of the early stages of the diagenetic evolution of crossed-foliated shell layers. Moreover, they highlight the fact that extreme caution must be taken before using fossil shells for palaeoenvironmental or geochronological reconstructions. Without thorough investigation, the alteration patterns illustrated here would easily have gone unnoticed. However, these degradations are liable to bias any proxy based on the elemental, isotopic or biochemical composition of the shells. This study also provides significant data concerning human subsistence behavior: the presence of notches and the good preservation state of limpet shells (no dissolution/recrystallization, no bioerosion and no abrasion/fragmentation aspects) would attest that limpets were gathered alive with tools by Middle Palaeolithic (Aterian) populations in North Africa for consumption

Rectangular Beads from the Final Gravettian Level of the Abri Pataud: Raw Material Identification and its Archaeological Implications

The Final Gravettian level (level 2) of the abri Pataud (Dordogne, France) yielded a large assemblage of body ornaments that consists essentially of 85 quite standardized rectangular beads. Some uncertainty remained about the raw material in which these small beads were made: mammoth ivory, reindeer antler or bone? Non-invasive methods were employed in order to determine the raw material. First chemical analyses using microbeam Proton Induced X-ray Emission analysis (microPIXE) did not enable us to conclude definitively. Therefore, synchrotron and laboratory X-ray microtomography (microCT) were applied on eight beads and allowed us to identify ivory for all of them except for one, which shows slightly different morphological features.Le niveau 2 (Gravettien final) de l’abri Pataud (Dordogne, France) a livré un nombre important d’éléments de parure. L’essentiel (n : 85) correspond à des perles rectangulaires assez standardisées. Certaines incertitudes demeuraient sur leur matière première : ivoire de mammouth, bois de renne ou os ? Des méthodes non-invasives ont alors été employées pour déterminer la nature précise de celles-ci. Les analyses élémentaires par spectrométrie d’émission X induite par particules (PIXE) n’ayant pas été concluantes, la microtomographie de rayons X en laboratoire et au synchrotron a été utilisée sur huit perles et a permis d’identifier le matériau comme étant de l’ivoire, excepté pour l’une d’entre elles qui présente quelques légères différences de structure

90,000 year-old specialised bone technology in the Aterian Middle Stone Age of North Africa

The question of cognitive complexity in early Homo sapiens in North Africa is intimately tied to the emergence of the Aterian culture (~145 ka). One of the diagnostic indicators of cognitive complexity is the presence of specialised bone tools, however significant uncertainty remains over the manufacture and use of these artefacts within the Aterian techno-complex. In this paper we report on a bone artefact from Aterian Middle Stone Age (MSA) deposits in Dar es-Soltan 1 cave on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It comes from a layer that can be securely dated to ~90 ka. The typological characteristics of this tool, which suggest its manufacture and use as a bone knife, are comparatively similar to other bone artefacts from dated Aterian levels at the nearby site of El Mnasra and significantly different from any other African MSA bone technology. The new find from Dar es-Soltan 1 cave combined with those from El Mnasra suggest the development of a bone technology unique to the Aterian

An improved chronology for the Middle Stone Age at El Mnasra cave, Morocco

North African coastal Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites are key to study the development and expansion of early H. sapiens. El Mnasra cave on the Atlantic coast of Morocco (Témara region) is a crucial site associated with MSA archaeological materials considered advanced cognitive hallmarks of behavioural innovation, such as numerous Nassariidae perforated shells, hematite pigments, bones industry and coastal resources exploitation. We provide new trapped-charges dates (OSL and combined US-ESR ages). Our Bayesian modelling strengthens the new lithostratigraphic interpretation of the cave stratigraphic units (US) and we propose an updated chronostratigraphic model for the Middle Stone Age archaeo-sequence of El Mnasra Cave. We confirm a human presence between 124–104 ka, earlier than what the previous OSL and US-ESR data showed. Our time range intervals allowed us to also extend the age of the MSA occupations considerably to the MIS 4/3 (~62–30 ka), marked by the disappearance of the Nassariidae perforated shells. Outstandingly, our model pushed back the age of the largest record of Nassariidae perforated shells and placed the age of their use by the Aterian groups at El Mnasra from the MIS 5d-5b (~115–94 ka)

Des objets archéologiques in situ ? Ou le dilemme du fouilleur.

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Chapitre 2. Vers une nouvelle lecture archéologique de la couche 2.

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L’occupation humaine de l’abri Pataud il y a 22000 ans. Campagne 2012.

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