For You Lot Data - Piece Of Cake Palaeolithic Site Unearthed Inwards Southwestern France

Under the management of the Grand Angoulême Conurbation Community in addition to the Nouvelle Aquitaine populace land-management institution, the Angoulême educate station quarter is currently undergoing a major redevelopment project. In this context, the State services (DRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine) accept prescribed a preventive digging on the Renaudin Islet, located inward a sector that is poorly known from an archaeological perspective.

General sentiment of the digging inward the southern sector
[Credit: Denis Gliksman, Inrap]

A Sedimentary Sequence Revealing Past Climates

The prehistoric discoveries made at the site on the rue de Amiral Ranaudin accept revealed archaeological levels associated alongside a sequence of tufas in addition to peaty sediments at to the lowest degree 3 meters deep in addition to attributed to the cease of the Tardiglacial in addition to early on Holocene periods (end of the concluding glaciation, get-go of the electrical flow temperate period).

View of the digging of the Laborien (in the dark sands) in addition to Azilian (in the dark sands) levels
[Credit: Denis Gliksman, Inrap]

This geological sequence, previously unknown inward southern France, provides information on past times climates in addition to environments. It is the source of the “exceptional discovery” announcement made inward adherence to a specific physical care for of the Heritage Code (article R523-48 du Code du patrimoine), validated past times the Regional Commission of Archaeological Research in addition to resulting inward a instant prescription past times the State.

Trapped Prehistoric Occupations

Across 2,000 m², the digging expanse contains 3 prehistoric occupations inside a paleo-channel bordered past times tufas: ane attributable to the Late Azilian (11,500 BC), a instant ane to the “Laborian” (9,900 BC), in addition to bear witness for Mesolithic occupations (8,900 BC). These prehistoric sites check to the transition from the cease of the Upper Paleolithic to the Mesolithic, in addition to betwixt a mutual depression temperature climate in addition to a warm one.

Curved dorsum Azilian dot [Credit: Denis Gliksman, Inrap]

The site, located inward a valley bottom, is remarkably well-preserved despite erosion processes resulting inward a vertical dispersion of artifacts in addition to a colluviation of some horizons, notably the Azilian. The position of the site inward this unique surroundings led to the fossilization of the prehistoric remains nether a thick layer of tufa. The Azilian in addition to Laborian levels are thus stratigraphically well-defined.

200,000 Artefacts

For the past times vii months, a squad of 10 archaeologists has worked at this site, manually sifting 1,500 m3 of sediment. Approximately 200,000 artifacts, including 400 projectile armatures of varying types, accept been recovered.

Topographic survey of the rock tools inward situ at the base of operations of the tuff
[Credit: Denis Gliksman, Inrap]

Working together, a malacologist, geomorphologist in addition to tufa specialist, palynologist, in addition to prehistoric technology scientific discipline specialists accept achieved a amend agreement of the champaign data.

14,000 Year Ago: The Late Azilian

The Azilian is by in addition to large associated alongside a climatic warming next the concluding glaciation. Resulting changes inward the available fauna in addition to works led to changes inward human behavior. The draw of piece of work grade extends across the entire digging surface in addition to is twoscore to lxxx cm thick.

Digging of the Laborien grade [Credit: Denis Gliksman, Inrap]

Well preserved features were uncovered, including iv combustion features (fireplaces), concentrations of heated cobbles, os remains in addition to a flintstone working zone. It appears that the principal destination of the flintknappers was to arrive at elongated flakes (laminar) to manufacture projectile points.

Azilian deer antler [Credit: Miguel Biard, Inrap]

Most of these “points alongside a curved back”—small blades transformed into armatures at the site—display behave upon apparel in addition to fractures showing how they were used. The fauna is also relatively well-preserved, particularly cervid antlers in addition to metapodials.

Azilian flintstone knapping station [Credit: Miguel Biard, Inrap]

This Azilian draw of piece of work appears to accept been a “hunting site” in addition to a carcass processing in addition to consumption site, every bit indicated past times the domestic tools also discovered at that topographic point (scrapers, retouched tools, etc.).

12,000 years: The Laborian

In price of climate, archaeologists ofttimes elevate to this menstruation every bit the “last mutual depression temperature snap”. Springs originating on the Angoulême plateau are responsible for the formation of a 3-meter-thick tufa dam that trapped the Laborian grade “in place”.

An ochre coloring ball used for trunk paints in addition to tanning fauna skins
[Credit: Georges Gobet/AFP]

This culture, which follows the Azilian in addition to extends across southern France, corresponds to a transitional chronological period, to a greater extent than or less 9,500 BC, which is currently institute inward the Charente region.

A flintstone is displayed past times archaeologists from Inrap [Credit: Georges Gobet/AFP]

The digging of the Laborian grade sealed past times tufa has uncovered combustion features, flintstone working zones in addition to abundant novel information on huntergatherers at the cease of the Upper Paleolithic. The digging of the islet has already revealed an action zone via the uncovering of long flintstone blades accumulated inward proximity to Equus caballus bones, in all likelihood indicating butchering activities.

Flints, scrapers in addition to other prehistoric items are displayed past times archaeologists from Inrap[Credit: Georges Gobet/AFP]

The lithic manufacture is covered alongside a low-cal whitish patina indicating that the assemblage is homogeneous. It is mostly composed of projectile weapon elements made from small, narrow in addition to regular blades; these are the “Blanchères points” in addition to “Malaurie points” characteristic of this culture.

Flints, scrapers in addition to other prehistoric items are displayed past times archaeologists from Inrap[Credit: Georges Gobet/AFP]

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 radiocarbon appointment situates this draw of piece of work at 9940+/- twoscore BC. The paleoenvironmental information revealing a transition from a mutual depression temperature climate to a temperate climate supply an chance to amend empathize the concomitant climatic changes in addition to technological transformations/innovations of societies at the cease of the Paleolithic.

Source: Inrap [November 15, 2018]


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