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International audience; The Sauveterrian represents one of the main cultural aspects of the Early Mesolithic in Europe. Its recognition in southern France by L. Coulonge dates back to the beginning of last century. During the 1970s it was also identified in northeastern Italy (Adige Valley) by A. Broglio and some years later in Tuscany. In spite of these early attributions only a few works – essentially applying a typological approach – have attempted to compare the lithic complexes from northern Italy and southern France.By applying a techno-economic analysis to a broad set of assemblages distributed across northern Italy and southern France, a synthesis of Sauveterrian lithic technical systems has been attempted. This has made it possible to identify the general objectives of debitage and the reduction sequences applied by Sauveterrian groups along with some broad evolutionary trends over time. According to this technological perspective the same conceptual schemes are attested in the two regions. Incidentally, certain specific traits – both stylistic and technical – have also been recognized, especially in the production of microliths, which are possibly related to regional adaptations. The key to the success of the Sauveterrian lithic technical systems, which also permitted extensive occupation of the entire territory considered, is recognized here in all its versatility.

Des publications précédentes parlent de dizaines de sites localisés en Emilie Romagne (Italie) considérés chronologiquement parlant comme appartenant à la phase la plus ancienne du Paléolithique inférieur sur la base de considérations purement typologiques. L’objectif de ce travail est de procéder à la révision des industries lithiques de certains de ces sites avec une approche méthodologique basée sur le concept de chaîne opératoire. L’étude est géographiquement circonscrite la zone de Bologne et de Forli. La dissertation est structurée deux parties principales. La première après des considérations d’ordre épistémologiques et méthodologiques concernant l’étude du Paléolithique inférieur. Elle retrace également l’historique du débat relatif aux éolithes et dresse l’état des lieux concernant les diverses méthodologies élaborées afin d’identifier les géofacts. En effet, du fait de la composition des industries (mélangés à des géofacts) il s’est avéré nécessaire mettre en place une méthode d’identification des géofacts. Le concept de clé dichotomique emprunté à la biologie végétale a été appliqué aux industries lithiques grâce à la combinaison des variables caractérisant les industries lithiques selon la méthode de percussion utilisée. La deuxième partie revient sur le débat relatif au premier peuplement de l’Europe, le contexte général du Paléolithique inférieur européen en rappelant les données archéologiques, paléoenvironnementales et chronologiques. Une partie plus approfondie est réservée à l’Italie. En plus de l’application de la clé dichotomique, une activité expérimentale avec les techniques de percussion directe et bipolaire a été menée pour les sites de Monte Poggiolo, Bel Poggio, Romanina Bianca, Cava i laghi avec matériel en provenance de l’environnement immédiat des sites afin de mieux cerner les caractéristiques morphotechnologiques des industries étudiées. L’âge chronologique de certains sites (Romanina Bianca) est sérieusement compromis par les caractéristiques morpho-techniques de leurs industries qui les placent dans des périodes plus récentes. Et la comparaison des techniques mises en œuvre dans ces sites avec d’autres sites présumés contemporains (après reconsidération techno-typologique) permet de mettre en évidence une certaine homogénéité des connaissances techniques mais aussi des choix imposés par la nature de la matière première exploitée. Par contre d’autre site de référence ( Bel Poggio) du Paléolithique inférieur de l’Italie voit leur industrie redéfinie et leur effectif se réduire drastiquement du fait de la présence de géofacts. Cette dissertation n’est que l’ébauche de tout un travail qui doit être fait pour replacer le Paléolithique inférieur et moyen de l’Italie dans un cadre chrono-technologique mais aussi paléoenvironementale mieux définis. L’autre axe de recherche à exploiter concerne très probablement les modalités d’occupation du territoire afin de définir des modèles de subsistance et d’organisation sociale sur la base des données relatives à la variabilité technologique, et la distribution des ressources.

The aim of this research is to delve into the knowledge of the Castelnovian cultural complex, developed during the recent Mesolithic, reconstructing the settlement dynamics and the lithic technical systems in Emilia. In order to recollect all the available data, the collections of the regional museums have been examined: doing so we have identified 55 Castelnovian sites, some of them were unpublished. Analyzing the geomorphologic and palaeo-environmental features in different sections of the area, and considering the position of the known sites in these landscape units, the picture of the settlement choices of the Castelnovian groups has been updated. These choices appear to be orientated toward the areas more suitable for hunting and gathering, because of their high ecological productivity (damp areas) or the transit of wild fauna (mountain passes, clearings, valleys), in an established seasonal mobility pattern between mountains and plains. The origin of lithic raw material allowed us to assume the presence of east-west oriented displacements in the mountain region alongside the ridge, in addition to the north-south movement already proposed in the literature. The detailed analysis, especially from a technological point of view, of the 16 main lithic assemblages, allowed us to define the distinctive features of the Castelnovian technical system. The reduction sequence main objective is to produce regular and standardized bladelets, generally obtained with unidirectional exploitation of flint, jasper and silicified siltstone pebbles or blocks, collected near the sites with embedded procurement strategies. The core preparation and maintenance stages are very simple, in particular on the small flint blocks/pebbles, which are generally exploited till the exhaustion. Analyzing the various lithic raw material treatment, we have observed how the knapping objectives were often adapted to the different lithotype characteristics: the more homogeneous and vitreous (Calabrian pebbles, other flint types, some varieties of jasper) were used to produce regular bladelets and projectile points, the ones of poor quality or bigger size (silicified siltstone, jasper) to obtain flakes and common tools. Part of the research has been committed to the recognition of knapping techniques used to produce regular bladelets obtained from Calabrian flint pebbles, which are typical of the lithic assemblages of the eastern part of the region (Bologna area). In order to do so, we have developed a specific experimental activity, in collaboration with the CRPPM (Centre de Recherche sur la Préhistoire et la Protohistoire de la Méditerranée) of Toulouse, during which François Briois realized 26 series of bladelets by indirect percussion and by pressure with an abdominal crutch. The detailed analysis of these products and the comparison with the archaeological materials give us way to hypothesize the adoption of the pressure technique by the Castelnovian knappers, along with some cases of indirect percussion. The introduction of these techniques represents an innovative element as regards the ancient Mesolithic, characterized by the exclusive use of direct percussion technique. The use of this last technique continues in the Castelnovian, both for the core opening and maintenance, and for the production of non-standardized blanks (flakes and irregular bladelets). The distinctive features of the regional Castelnovian technical system are coherent with the diffusion of the industries of the second Mesolithic characterized by regular blades and trapezoidal arrowheads. As for many others European regions, even in Emilia we observe the appearance of important innovations in comparison with the ancient Mesolithic, mainly the adoption of a new “style” of débitage, oriented toward a marked standardization, obtained by the use of new knapping techniques and the introduction of trapezoidal arrowheads and of denticulated bladelets. On a regional level, however, the persistence of some aspects characteristic of the previous phase is to be found, mainly the use of local raw materials, the production of flakes and common tools made with silicified siltstone and jasper and the microburin technique. Even the settlement choices and the mobility patterns of the Castelnovian groups do not change significantly from the ones identified for the ancient Mesolithic. It seems then that the important changes which characterize the Castelnovian can not be ascribed, as far as the region is concerned, to a substitution/replacement of populations or to the arrival of new groups from an external area; they are probably to be traced back to cultural and social phenomena which the current state of researches does not allow to identify.