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22 results on '"Matthieu Lebon"'

1. Contribution and limits of portable X-ray fluorescence for studying Palaeolithic rock art: a case study at the Points cave (Aiguèze, Gard, France)

Author

Julien Monney, Claire Chanteraud, Emilie Chalmin, Camille Noûs, Kevin Jacq, Jean-Jacques Delannoy, Hélène Salomon, Matthieu Lebon, Environnements, Dynamiques et Territoires de la Montagne (EDYTEM), Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, 060102 archaeology, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Mineralogy, 06 humanities and the arts, 01 natural sciences, Cave, Portable X-ray, 0601 history and archaeology, Rock art, Geology, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

International audience; Analysing the colouring matter used to make prehistoric rock art is essential in order to retrace the chaînes opératoires involved. Despite the well-documented limitations of portable analysis systems, the need to conserve rock art led us to reassess the capabilities of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry. Thus, we compared in-situ and laboratory analyses of materials from the Points cave (France), and laboratory pXRF results with analyses obtained using other methods and with reference samples. Results confirmed that current pXRF systems are unable to provide data suitable for elucidating the chaînes opératoires of ferruginous colouring matter.

Published
2021

2. First in situ pXRF analyses of rock paintings in Erongo, Namibia: results, current limits, and prospects

Author

Benoit Caron, Alma Nankela, David Pleurdeau, Guilhem Mauran, Jean-Jacques Bahain, Florent Détroit, Matthieu Lebon, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (iSTeP), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS), National Heritage Council of Namibia (NHC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, geography, Painting, geography.geographical_feature_category, pXRF, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, 060102 archaeology, in situ, Excavation, 06 humanities and the arts, Namibia, Erongo, 01 natural sciences, Archaeology, Original data, Style (visual arts), Cave, Anthropology, Rock Art, 0601 history and archaeology, Rock art, Geology, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, In situ study
Abstract

International audience; Namibia is one of the southern African countries hosting the richest rock art heritage, with thousands of rock paintings. Although numerous studies investigated their distribution, style, and possible meaning, few are known about the materials used to perform these paintings. Our in situ study aimed at identifying the diversity of pigments and alterations of some rock paintings in the northwestern part of the Erongo (Namibia). It relies on extensive pXRF analyses of 35 figures from eight rock art sites of the area. Despite common limits of in situ pXRF analyses, the extensive number of figures analyzed and the original data treatment that we performed pioneered the first scientific analyses of the pigments from rock painting sites in the Erongo Mountains. Furthermore, the study also confirmed the presence of iron oxide pigments on a portion of wall exposed during the excavations carried out at the archeological site of Leopard Cave and of possibly datable alterations over several paintings, paving the way to future chronological analyses of past tradition of rock paintings in Central Namibia.

Published
2019

3. Data pretreatment and multivariate analyses for ochre sourcing: Application to Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibia)

Author

Jean-Jacques Bahain, David Pleurdeau, Guilhem Mauran, Florent Détroit, Alma Nankela, Benoit Caron, Matthieu Lebon, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (iSTeP), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, Provenance, OchreI, Later Stone Age, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, 01 natural sciences, CP-OES, Cave, biology.animal, 0601 history and archaeology, Sequence stratigraphy, Rock art, Leopard CaveNamibia, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, 060102 archaeology, biology, Sourcing, Leopard, 06 humanities and the arts, ICP-MS/MS, Archaeology, Multivariate statistics, Multivariate statistical
Abstract

International audience; Usually referred to as ‘ochre’ or ‘pigment’ in archaeological contexts, ferruginous rocks were commonly exploited during the Later Stone Age in southern Africa. While ochre could lead to crucial inferences about socio-cultural behaviours of past populations, the provenance and the procurement strategies of this material in LSA contexts, as well as its association to rock art remain largely understudied. In the present study, seventeen ochre sources from five geological zones in north-central Namibia and 41 archaeological ochre pieces discovered in the stratigraphic sequence of the Later Stone Age site of Leopard Cave, Erongo Mountains - Namibia, were analysed by ICP-OES and ICP-MS/MS. Geochemical data coupled to data pre-treatment considerations and multivariate statistical analyses demonstrate that archaeological ochres were both collected locally and regionally from more distant sources. Beyond shedding new light on ochre provenance for rock art in north-central Namibia during the Later Stone Age, our data provide new insight into the mobility of past populations and the interactions existing between distinct rock art areas in north-central Namibia.

Published
2021

4. Direct evidence of Neanderthal fibre technology and its cognitive and behavioral implications

Author

Marie-Hélène Moncel, Nicolas Mélard, Ludovic Bellot-Gurlet, Bruce Hardy, Matthieu Lebon, Céline Kerfant, Department of Anthropology, Kenyon College, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, De la Molécule aux Nanos-objets : Réactivité, Interactions et Spectroscopies (MONARIS), Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC), Ministry of Culture, Service régional de l'archéologie Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Kenyon College, Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Neanderthal, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Direct evidence, fibre technology, lcsh:Medicine, engineering.material, 01 natural sciences, Article, [CHIM.ANAL]Chemical Sciences/Analytical chemistry, biology.animal, 0601 history and archaeology, lcsh:Science, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Neanderthals, Cognitive science, Stone tool, Multidisciplinary, 060102 archaeology, biology, lcsh:R, Palaeoecology, Conclusive evidence, 06 humanities and the arts, technological sophistication, Geography, Archaeology, string, engineering, lcsh:Q
Abstract

Neanderthals are often considered as less technologically advanced than modern humans. However, we typically only find faunal remains or stone tools at Paleolithic sites. Perishable materials, comprising the vast majority of material culture items, are typically missing. Individual twisted fibres on stone tools from the Abri du Maras led to the hypothesis of Neanderthal string production in the past, but conclusive evidence was lacking. Here we show direct evidence of fibre technology in the form of a 3-ply cord fragment made from inner bark fibres on a stone tool recovered in situ from the same site. Twisted fibres provide the basis for clothing, rope, bags, nets, mats, boats, etc. which, once discovered, would have become an indispensable part of daily life. Understanding and use of twisted fibres implies the use of complex multi-component technology as well as a mathematical understanding of pairs, sets, and numbers. Added to recent evidence of birch bark tar, art, and shell beads, the idea that Neanderthals were cognitively inferior to modern humans is becoming increasingly untenable.

Published
2020

5. Unraveling the polychromy and antiquity of the Pachacamac Idol, Pacific coast, Peru

Author

Philippe Walter, Denise Pozzi-Escot, Nicolas Bermeo, Christophe Moulherat, Marcela Sepúlveda, Philippe Sarrazin, Matthieu Lebon, Rommel Angeles Falcón, Universidad de Tarapaca, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (UP1), Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (MQBJC), Sport et Environnement Social (SENS ), Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC), and Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
Pigments, Luminescence, Fluorescence Spectrometry, Social Sciences, Plant Science, Fluorophotometry, Effigy, Cultural Anthropology, Coating Materials, Spectrum Analysis Techniques, Sociology, Peru, Middle horizon, 0601 history and archaeology, Materials, Paints, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, computer.programming_language, media_common, Multidisciplinary, 060102 archaeology, Physics, Electromagnetic Radiation, Plant Anatomy, 06 humanities and the arts, Art, Built Structures, Wood, Religion, Archaeology, Spectrophotometry, Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Medicine, Statue, Research Article, Structural Engineering, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Science, media_common.quotation_subject, Materials Science, Fluorescence spectrometry, Ancient history, Research and Analysis Methods, Fluorescence, CONQUEST, Pacific Ocean, 060101 anthropology, White (horse), Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission, Biology and Life Sciences, Pilgrimage, Anthropology, Icon, computer
Abstract

Pachacamac is the name of the 15th-16th century Inca sanctuary on the Peruvian coast as well as the name of one of the principal oracles of Inca divinities. This effigy would have been destroyed by Pizarro in 1533 during his visit to the great monumental complex, and as such the originality and antiquity of the wooden statue—the so-called Pachacamac Idol—have been the subject of much controversy and debate. We present here previously unpublished dates that confirm its manufacture during the Middle Horizon (AD 500–1000), as well as evidence of its original polychromy. Traces of colors were observed on its different sections with portable microscopy and analyses with two different X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry techniques, leading to identification of yellow, white, and red mineral pigments, including the presence of cinnabar. Dated between the 8th and 9th centuries, the statue would have been worshipped for almost 700 years, from the time of its creation to the time of the Spanish conquest, when Pachacamac was a major place of pilgrimage. These data not only offer a new perspective on Pachacamac’s emblematic sacred icon, but also on the colorful practices of the Pre-Hispanic Andes.

Published
2020

6. Archaeological ochres of the rock art site of Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibia): looking for Later Stone Age socio-cultural behaviours

Author

Joséphine Lesur, Matthieu Lebon, David Pleurdeau, Jean-Jacques Bahain, Océane Lapauze, Guilhem Mauran, Florent Détroit, Alma Nankela, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), National Heritage Council of Namibia (NHC), Archéozoologie, archéobotanique : sociétés, pratiques et environnements (AASPE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, Later Stone Age, behaviors, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, 01 natural sciences, Erongo, Cave, biology.animal, Ostrich eggshell, Assemblage (archaeology), 0601 history and archaeology, Middle Stone Age, coloring material, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, rock art, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, 060102 archaeology, biology, Leopard, chaines opératoires, 06 humanities and the arts, 15. Life on land, Archaeology, Namibia, Rock art
Abstract

International audience; The use of ochre has been documented in many Middle Stone Age sites of Southern Africa. However, the literature on the exploitation of ochre within the archaeological contexts of Later Stone Age (LSA) rock art sites is scarce. Despite the discovery of several painted shelters within the Erongo Mountains (Namibia), no archaeological study of ochre assemblages has been conducted in the region. Here, we present the archaeological ochre assemblage recovered from a LSA sequence at the rock art shelter of Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibia), spanning ca. 5,700 to 2,100 cal. BP. The use-wear traces present on some ochre fragments and the stone tools bearing red residues are indicative of different stages of ochre processing at the site. The presence of other artifacts, such as ostrich eggshell and bone beads with red residues, and the existence of rock paintings in the cave are pointers to the importance of ochre for understanding the sociocultural behaviors of the LSA populations in central Namibia.; Bien que de nombreux sites du Middle Stone Age d'Afrique australe documentent l'utilisation de matières colorantes ferrugineuses, la littérature existante sur leur utilisation dans des contextes archéologiques de sites d'art rupestre du Later Stone Age (LSA) est rare. Malgré la découverte de plusieurs abris ornés riches de nombreux blocs de matières colorantes ferrugineuses dans les monts Erongo (Namibie), aucune étude n'a été mené sur ces matières premières dans cette région. Nous présentons dans cet article l'assemblage archéologique de matières colorantes ferrugineuses récupérées dans l'abri orné de Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibie) au sein d'newapos;une séquence LSA, s'étendant d'environ 5700 à 2100 cal. a. BP. Les traces d'utilisations présentes sur certains blocs de matières colorantes ferrugineuses et la présence d'outils en pierre portant des traces de résidus rouges à leur surface attestent de l'existence de différentes « chaînes opératoires » de traitement des matières colorantes ferrugineuses sur le site. La présence d'autres artefacts portant des traces de résidus rouges tels que des perles en coquille d'oeuf d'autruche ou en os et l'existence dans l'abri de peintures rupestres soulignent l'importance d'étudier les matières colorantes pour comprendre les comportements socio-culturels des populations LSA en Namibie centrale.

Published
2020

7. Calcium oxalate radiocarbon dating: preliminary tests to date rock art of decorated open-air caves of Erongo Mountains in Namibia

Author

C Moreau, Matthieu Lebon, Alma Nankela, David Pleurdeau, Lucile Beck, Ingrid Caffy, Emmanuelle Delqué-Količ, Marc Sieudat, Marion Perron, B Thellier, Guilhem Mauran, Jean-Pascal Dumoulin, Laboratoire de mesure du carbone 14 (LMC14 - UMS 2572), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette] (LSCE), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Calcium oxalate, Geochemistry, 01 natural sciences, Natural (archaeology), Oxalate, law.invention, chemistry.chemical_compound, Cave, law, 0601 history and archaeology, Radiocarbon dating, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Open air, Total organic carbon, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, 060102 archaeology, 06 humanities and the arts, chemistry, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rock art, Geology
Abstract

The direct dating of rock paintings is not always possible due to the lack of organic carbon compounds in pigments, or because sampling from a heritage site is often restricted. To overcome these limitations, dating laboratories have to develop new approaches. In this study, we consider sampling calcium oxalate crusts covering the painted artworks as a way to indirectly date the rock art. This stratigraphic approach includes isolating and extracting pure oxalate from the crusts. The approach was tested on natural bulk accretions collected in the open-air sites of Erongo Mountains in Namibia. The accretions were separated into two phases (pure oxalate and the remaining residues) with a special pretreatment. This process removes carbonates through acidification (HCl 6N) and dissolves the oxalate into the supernatant, leaving the minerals and windblown organic compounds in the residue. The efficiency of the separation was checked on the two phases by FTIR analyses and by 14C dating and showed that pure oxalate powders were indeed obtained. AMS radiocarbon results of various accretions on the same art panels provided ages from modern periods to 2410 ± 35 BP. From these first results, more targeted sampling campaigns can be considered to provide a terminus ante quem for the rock art.

Published
2020

8. Comparison of Two Bone-Preparation Methods for Radiocarbon Dating: Modified Longin and Ninhydrin

Author

Ingrid Caffy, Emmanuelle Delqué-Količ, C Moreau, Lucile Beck, J. P. Dumoulin, Matthieu Lebon, Hélène Valladas, Cyrielle Messager, Laboratoire de mesure du carbone 14 (LMC14 - UMS 2572), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette] (LSCE), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), and Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
[SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, Atmosphere, 010506 paleontology, Archeology, Chromatography, 060102 archaeology, Chemistry, 06 humanities and the arts, 01 natural sciences, Preparation method, chemistry.chemical_compound, Elemental analysis, Ninhydrin, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, 0601 history and archaeology, [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces, environment, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

In this paper, first results comparing modified Longin and ninhydrin collagen extraction methodologies are presented. The goal of this study is to investigate the bones of several species with different ages, preservation conditions, and collagen contents to determine the most suitable preparation method. Different types of samples are used such as VIRI samples, previously dated bones, and background samples. Each bone has undergone elemental analysis, infrared analysis, and 14C measurement. The results are presented and the advantages and disadvantages of each preparation method are discussed. In general, results obtained by the two methods are in accordance with the consensus value for 2σ uncertainty. For VIRI I and a mammoth bone, the ninhydrin preparation gives, respectively, 8450±70 BP and 14,870±60 BP whereas the modified Longin process gives 8365±45 BP and 14,750±100 BP in agreement with the expected values. From the experimental point of view, the modified Longin process is easier to implement than the ninhydrin protocol. From this approach, we can conclude that the modified Longin process could be preferred in most cases and particularly when the amount of bone is small and the sample is not too contaminated.

Published
2017

9. The early pleistocene site of la Terre-des-Sablons at Lunery-Rosières (Cher department, Centre region, France): sedimentary units, ESR dating, geoarchaeological studies, prehistory

Author

Simon Puaud, Pierre Voinchet, Thomas Ingicco, Jean Dépont, Jean-Jacques Bahain, Gilles Courcimault, Jackie Despriée, Matthieu Lebon, Salah Abdessadok, Mathieu Duval, Christophe Falguères, Marie-Hélène Moncel, Jean‑Claude Jouanneau, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre régional de Recherches archéologiques, 18, rue Charles-Lindbergh, FR-41000 BLOIS., Société d’Archéologie et d’Histoire du Berry, 28, rue Gambon, FR-18000 BOURGES, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre régional de Recherches archéologiques, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Département de Préhistoire du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Griffith University [Brisbane], Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, 060101 anthropology, Early Pleistocene, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Geology, 06 humanities and the arts, 15. Life on land, 01 natural sciences, [SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences, 13. Climate action, 0601 history and archaeology, Humanities, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Earth-Surface Processes
Abstract

Situe pres du site paleontologique de Rosieres, le site prehistorique de « la Terre-des-Sablons » a Lunery (Cher) a ete decouvert dans les annees 1980 et environ 50 pieces taillees prehistoriques typologiquement attribuables a un Paleolithique tres ancien (Mode 1) y avaient alors ete recoltees dans une sabliere exploitant des formations alluviales fossiles du Cher. A partir de 2003, des etudes pluridisciplinaires y ont ete organisees en vue de mieux comprendre la situation geologique et structurale du site et de preciser le mode de depot et la position des formations sedimentaires qui y sont observees afin de les replacer dans le systeme fluviatile du Cher. Trois formations fluviatiles fossiles superposees ont ainsi ete reconnues et leur datation par la methode ESR sur quartz fluviatile optiquement blanchis a montre qu’elles avaient ete toutes trois deposees par le Cher au cours du Pleistocene inferieur entre 1,1 et 0,8 Ma. Lors des prelevements associes a cette etude geochronologique, des pieces d’industrie prehistorique furent de nouveau recoltees a la base de la formation fluviatile la plus ancienne (1,166 ± 0,140 Ma), a 12 m de profondeur sous la surface topographique initiale. Les fouilles menees entre 2006 et 2012 dans cette formation ont revele la presence de quatre niveaux archeologiques associes a deux cailloutis stratifies deposes sur le plancher d’incision et recouverts par cet ensemble fluviatile inferieur. Les techniques de debitage utilisees dans ces assemblages d’artefacts prehistoriques (blocs debites et eclats) rentrent dans la variabilite des techniques de Mode 1 reconnues dans les sites prehistoriques du Pleistocene inferieur europeen. Une etude geoarcheologique de cette unite grossiere a permis de determiner les materiaux siliceux, essentiellement des chailles jurassiques et des meulieres, recoltes sur place par les hominines et de caracteriser la situation des artefacts dans des cellules de cryoturbation ou sur des surfaces d’erosion.

Published
2017

10. Characterization of painting pigments and ochres associated with the Hoabinhian archaeological context at the rock-shelter site of Doi Pha Kan (Thailand)

Author

Guilhem Mauran, Matthieu Lebon, Hubert Forestier, Xavier Gallet, Manon Bondetti, Ludovic Bellot-Gurlet, Simon Puaud, Valery Zeitoun, Sylvain Courrech du Pont, Philippe Walter, Antoine Zazzo, Prasit Auetrakulvit, Arctic and Antarctic studies, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie (IMPMC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de recherche pour le développement [IRD] : UR206-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale (LAMS), Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), De la Molécule aux Nanos-objets : Réactivité, Interactions et Spectroscopies (MONARIS), Archéozoologie, archéobotanique : sociétés, pratiques et environnements (AASPE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Silpakorn University, Centre de recherche sur la Paléobiodiversité et les Paléoenvironnements (CR2P), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris (MNHN) ATM fundings.Sorbonne Universités and MH@SATSU-OPPaCro project., Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Silpakorn University [Bangkok, Thaïlande]

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, AUSTRALIA, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, media_common.quotation_subject, Context (language use), 01 natural sciences, MINERALS, Prehistory, AGE, RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY, [CHIM.ANAL]Chemical Sciences/Analytical chemistry, [SDU.STU.GC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geochemistry, 0601 history and archaeology, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, media_common, Painting, 060102 archaeology, IDENTIFICATION, Excavation, 06 humanities and the arts, Art, 15. Life on land, Hoabinhian, Archaeology, ARNHEM-LAND, Homogeneous, PREHISTORIC PIGMENTS, HEMATITE, PROVENANCE, Rock shelter, ART, Chronology
Abstract

International audience; The use of ochre in mortuary practices was widespread during prehistory. In northern Thailand, several painted rock-shelters attributed to Iron age or Neolithic cultures have provided burials characterized by the presence of pigment fragments and ochres deposits. In the case of Doi Pha Kan, data collected during excavations have highlighted the important role of ochre in funerary rites dating from 13,172 to 10,986 cal BC. The presence of painted panels overhanging Hoabinhian burials raises the question of their chronology and association to painting activities. To investigate this issue at Doi Pha Kan, we applied a multi-analytical approach (optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, Raman spectroscopy, XRF spectroscopy, XRD and μXRD) on painting pigments and ochres associated with a grave (dpk E-5) and the archaeological context to determine the mineralogical and elemental composition of pigment raw materials. We showed that the composition of raw pigments from the archaeological context is homogeneous, suggesting a common geological source characterized by the presence of As. In contrast, pigments on the painted panel have variable compositions indicating that panels were created in different time periods. The pigment used for anthropomorphic figure is the only one similar to the materials identified in the archaeological levels and burial at Doi Pha Kan. Without possibility of direct dating, it is not possible to establish a direct link between the these anthropomorphic figure paintings and mortuary practices, however two painted wall fragments were discovered in the archaeological layers attest to a long tradition of rock painting for at least 13,000 years at this site.

Published
2019

11. Collagen Extraction and Stable Isotope Analysis of Small Vertebrate Bones: A Comparative Approach

Author

Matthieu Lebon, Juan Rofes, Antoine Zazzo, S. Cersoy, Séverine Zirah, Archéozoologie, archéobotanique : sociétés, pratiques et environnements (AASPE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Micro-organismes (MCAM)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, 060102 archaeology, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Extraction (chemistry), Vertebrate, Small mammal, 06 humanities and the arts, Biology, 01 natural sciences, Isotopes of nitrogen, law.invention, Paleontology, law, Evolutionary biology, Elemental analysis, [CHIM.ANAL]Chemical Sciences/Analytical chemistry, biology.animal, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, 0601 history and archaeology, Radiocarbon dating, [SDV.BBM.BC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Biochemistry [q-bio.BM], ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Isotope analysis
Abstract

Bone remains of small vertebrate fossils provide valuable information for paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions. However, direct radiocarbon dating of small vertebrates remains challenging as the extraction of sufficient good quality collagen is required. The efficiency of eight collagen extraction protocols was tested on seven samples, representative of different ages and burial environments, including both macro and small vertebrate taxa. First, the samples were prescreened using attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) to quantify collagen content in archaeological bones, revealing that one should be discarded for 14C dating. Then, the quantity of protein extracted (yield) and collagen integrity were checked using conventional elemental analysis. The results show that one protocol was not able to accurately extract collagen from the samples. A soft HCl-based protocol seems more appropriate for the pretreatment of archaeological small mammal bones, whereas a harsher protocol might be more efficient to extract a higher amount of collagen from large mammals as well as amphibian bones. The influence of the tested protocols on carbon and nitrogen isotope values was also investigated. The results showed that isotopic variability, when existing, is related to the interindividual differences rather than the different protocols.

Published
2017

12. Bone diagenesis variability among multiple burial phases at Al Khiday (Sudan) investigated by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

Author

Ivana Angelini, Gilberto Artioli, Donatella Usai, Matthieu Lebon, Gregorio Dal Sasso, Lara Maritan, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Dipartimento di Geoscienze [Padova], Universita degli Studi di Padova, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Archaeological record, Infrared spectroscopy, Mineralogy, Oceanography, 01 natural sciences, Diagenesis, Sudan, chemistry.chemical_compound, 0601 history and archaeology, Precipitation, Bioapatite, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Holocene, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Earth-Surface Processes, Calcite, 060102 archaeology, Early Holocene palaeoenvironment, Fossil bone, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Paleontology, 06 humanities and the arts, chemistry, Attenuated total reflection, Carbonate, Fossil bone, Diagenesis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Bioapatite, Early Holocene palaeoenvironment, Sudan, Geology
Abstract

In this study the diagenetic pathways of archaeological human bones are investigated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection mode (ATR-FTIR). Archaeological excavations at Al Khiday (16-D-4 site, Khartoum, Sudan) revealed a multi-stratified cemetery with distinct burial phases, chronologically attributed to different periods spanning from the Early Holocene to the beginning of the 1st millennium CE. ATR-FTIR measurements are carried out on a set of 56 bone samples, representative of each burial phase. Parameters related to collagen content and to bioapatite crystallinity and structural carbonate are calculated from infrared spectra in order to monitor the types and extent of diagenetic alteration, to assess the preservation state of bones and to define the alteration processes occurring during burial. A new method is here developed to quantify the amount of secondary calcite and to remove its contribution to the infrared spectrum, when interfering with the signal of structural carbonate from bioapatite. Considering the wide span of time covered by the archaeological record, the variability of bones alteration among burial phases is related to the climatic changes occurring in central Sudan during the Holocene. The more humid environment occurring in the Early Holocene, characterised by higher precipitation rates, seasonal swamps and palaeo-lakes, progressively changed towards drier conditions until the current arid climate of the Sub-Saharan belt. The change of palaeoenvironmental and local burial conditions over time differently influenced the types and extent of diagenetic processes affecting bones during burial. In this research are also discussed advantages and disadvantages of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy with respect to the more established FTIR spectroscopy in transmission mode.

Published
2016

13. Can we Use Calcined Bones for 14C Dating the Paleolithic?

Author

Roland Nespoulet, Ina Reiche, Clothilde Comby, Antoine Zazzo, Matthieu Lebon, Laurent Chiotti, Emmanuelle Delqué-Količ, Archéozoologie, archéobotanique : sociétés, pratiques et environnements (AASPE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de mesure du carbone 14 (LMC14 - UMS 2572), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale (LAMS), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), and Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, Bone collagen, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, 060102 archaeology, Mineralogy, 06 humanities and the arts, 01 natural sciences, Apatite, law.invention, Paleontology, law, visual_art, visual_art.visual_art_medium, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, 0601 history and archaeology, Calcination, Radiocarbon dating, Aurignacian, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, Geology, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

This work aims to test the reliability of calcined bones for radiocarbon dating of the Paleolithic. Fifty-five calcined bone samples coming from Aurignacian and Gravettian layers at Abri Pataud (Dordogne, France) were selected based on their macroscopic features. For each sample, the heating state was estimated on the basis of bone crystallinity (splitting factor [SF] using FTIR) and δ13C value. Twenty-seven bone samples (3 unburnt and 24 calcined) from 5 different levels were prepared for 14C dating. The majority (15/24) of the calcined samples had to undergo a sulfix treatment prior to graphitization, probably due to the presence of cyanamide ion in these samples. The comparison between our results and recently published dates on bone collagen for the same levels shows that unburned bone apatite is systematically too young, while a third of the calcined bones fall within or very near the range of expected age. No clear correlation was found between 14C age offset and δ13C value or SF. Most of the sulfixed samples (14/16) yielded ages that were too young, while almost all of the non-sulfixed samples (8/9) gave ages similar or 2 gas from well-calcined Paleolithic bones can provide reliable 14C ages.

Published
2013

14. Rapid quantification of bone collagen content by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

Author

Ludovic Bellot-Gurlet, Antoine Zazzo, Xavier Gallet, Ina Reiche, Matthieu Lebon, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale (LAMS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), De la Molécule aux Nanos-objets : Réactivité, Interactions et Spectroscopies (MONARIS), Archéozoologie, archéobotanique : sociétés, pratiques et environnements (AASPE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), and Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
Radiocarbon dating, 010506 paleontology, Archeology, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Sample (material), [SHS.ANTHRO-BIO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Biological anthropology, Atr ftir spectroscopy, Infrared spectroscopy, Mineralogy, Mass spectrometry, 01 natural sciences, [CHIM.ANAL]Chemical Sciences/Analytical chemistry, Quantification, 0601 history and archaeology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Bone collagen, 060102 archaeology, Chemistry, Stable isotope ratio, 06 humanities and the arts, Attenuated total reflection, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, Collagen, [CHIM.OTHE]Chemical Sciences/Other, ATR-FTIR
Abstract

Expensive and time-consuming preparation procedures for radiocarbon and stable isotope analyses can be conducted on archaeological bone samples even if no collagen is preserved. Such unsuccessful preparation can lead to the partial destruction of valuable archaeological material. Establishing a rapid prescreening method for evaluating the amount of bone collagen while minimizing the impact of sampling constitutes a challenge for the preservation of archaeological collections. This study proposes and discusses a new methodology to detect and quantify collagen content in archaeological bone samples by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. A total of 42 Pleistocene to modern bone samples were selected according to their nitrogen content measured using an elemental analyzer. Comparison of collagen content estimation using ATR-FTIR and mass spectrometry reveals that some of the studied samples are contaminated by a nitrogen source coming from the burial environment. Two different FTIR calibration approaches were tested on the uncontaminated samples: peak-to-peak ratio and multivariate regression (PLS). The two approaches yield similar results with a good correlation of ATR-FTIR analyses and N wt% from 0.7 to 4wt% (R²=0.97–0.99; standard error of estimation ±0.22 to 0.25wt%). While collagen content remains difficult to detect in poorly preserved bones (less than ~3wt%), ATR-FTIR analysis can be a fast alternative for sample screening to optimize the sampling strategy and avoid partial destruction of valuable samples that do not contain enough collagen for further analysis.

Published
2016

15. Impact of heating conditions on the carbon and oxygen isotope composition of calcined bone

Author

Antoine Zazzo, Rick Schulting, Christophe Snoeck, Matthieu Lebon, Julia A. Lee-Thorp, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Archéozoologie, archéobotanique : sociétés, pratiques et environnements (AASPE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Chemistry, Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, 060102 archaeology, Isotope, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Radiochemistry, chemistry.chemical_element, Fraction (chemistry), 06 humanities and the arts, 01 natural sciences, Oxygen, Isotopes of oxygen, law.invention, chemistry.chemical_compound, chemistry, Isotopes of carbon, law, Environmental chemistry, Carbonate, 0601 history and archaeology, Calcination, Carbon, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

Only the inorganic fraction of bone survives the high temperatures reached during cremation, so that it remains the sole material available for isotopic analyses. In order to assess the amount of information that can be extracted from such material, we measured carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in the remaining carbonate fraction of experimentally heated modern bone, and cremated bone from several archaeological sites. The results show that the isotope composition of cremated bone is strongly altered, but some information can nevertheless be extracted. First, we find very little evidence of post-burial alterations on the isotope composition of calcined bone. More importantly, it appears possible to obtain information about the way bodies were burned (with or without fuel, oxygen availability) giving the opportunity to improve our knowledge regarding funerary practices in places and times where cremation was practiced.

Published
2016

16. Contribution of ESR/U-series dating to the chronology of late Middle Palaeolithic sites in the middle Rhône valley, southeastern France

Author

Pierre Voinchet, C. Falguères, Matthieu Lebon, Maïlys Richard, Camille Daujeard, Simon Puaud, Hélène Valladas, Jean-Michel Dolo, Jean-Jacques Bahain, Marie-Hélène Moncel, Jean-Paul Raynal, Mathieu Rué, Edwige Pons-Branchu, Alcatel-Thalès III-V lab (III-V Lab), THALES-ALCATEL, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette] (LSCE), Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Géochrononologie Traceurs Archéométrie (GEOTRAC), Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Département de Préhistoire, Department of geochronology, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement (LSE), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Lorraine (UL), Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille (CINaM), Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), CEA- Saclay (CEA), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Paléotime, Archéologie des Sociétés Méditerranéennes (ASM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-Ministère de la Culture (MC), De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Human Evolution [Leipzig], Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology [Leipzig], Max-Planck-Gesellschaft-Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ministère de la Culture (MC), Technologies et systèmes d'information pour les agrosystèmes (UR TSCF), Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA), Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Pleistocene, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Stratigraphy, [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences, 01 natural sciences, law.invention, [SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences, Gamma dose, Rate measurement, law, Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous), 0601 history and archaeology, Radiocarbon dating, [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces, environment, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, Atmosphere, Series (stratigraphy), 060102 archaeology, Geology, 06 humanities and the arts, Demise, Archaeology, Period (geology), Chronology
Abstract

International audience; The establishment of a chronology for late Middle Palaeolithic sites on the right bank of the Rhone valley in southeastern France is important for the knowledge of Neandertal dynamics and their demise in this area. The suite of dating methods that are directly applicable to fossils is limited for this period, especially around 50 ka where radiocarbon dating is beyond its technical limits. Currently applied to Middle and Lower Pleistocene periods, the use of combined ESR/U-series dating on Upper Pleistocene samples led to new issues, such as the acquisition of an age for samples yielding low equivalent doses and low uranium content in dental tissues. The gamma dose rate measurement thus plays a key role in age calculation. Beyond the discussion on methodological issues, the present study contributes to the establishment of a chronological framework that covers the Neandertal occupations between MIS 5 and MIS 3 for this area.

Published
2015

17. Non-Destructive Portable Analytical Techniques for Carbon In-Situ Screening Before Sampling for Dating Prehistoric Rock Paintings

Author

Elsa Lambert, Patrick Paillet, Frédéric Plassard, Florian Téreygeol, Ina Reiche, Evelyne Kaltnecker, Michel Menu, Matthieu Lebon, Colette Vignaud, Hélène Valladas, Lucile Beck, Dominique Genty, Sophia Lahlil, Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC), Lab JANNUS, Service de recherches de métallurgie physique (SRMP), Département des Matériaux pour le Nucléaire (DMN), CEA-Direction des Energies (ex-Direction de l'Energie Nucléaire) (CEA-DES (ex-DEN)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-CEA-Direction des Energies (ex-Direction de l'Energie Nucléaire) (CEA-DES (ex-DEN)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Département des Matériaux pour le Nucléaire (DMN), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette] (LSCE), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Glaces et Continents, Climats et Isotopes Stables (GLACCIOS), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Service Interdisciplinaire sur les Systèmes Moléculaires et les Matériaux (ex SCM) (SIS2M UMR 3299), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Géochrononologie Traceurs Archéométrie (GEOTRAC), De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de mesure du carbone 14 (LMC14 - UMS 2572), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Archéomatériaux et Prévision de l'Altération (LAPA - UMR 3685), Nanosciences et Innovation pour les Matériaux, la Biomédecine et l'Energie (ex SIS2M) (NIMBE UMR 3685), Institut Rayonnement Matière de Saclay (IRAMIS), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Rayonnement Matière de Saclay (IRAMIS), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Recherches sur les Archéomatériaux (IRAMAT), Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbeliard (UTBM)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Université Bordeaux Montaigne-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale (LAMS), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Rayonnement Matière de Saclay (IRAMIS), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbeliard (UTBM)-Université Bordeaux Montaigne-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Archeology, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, X-ray fluorescence, chemistry.chemical_element, 02 engineering and technology, 01 natural sciences, [SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences, law.invention, Prehistory, Cave, law, Non destructive, 0601 history and archaeology, Radiocarbon dating, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Painting, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, 060102 archaeology, Sampling (statistics), 06 humanities and the arts, 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology, Archaeology, chemistry, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, [SHS.HIST]Humanities and Social Sciences/History, 0210 nano-technology, Carbon, Geology
Abstract

Direct dating of prehistoric paintings is playing a major role in Paleolithic art studies. Very few figures can be directly dated since the necessary condition is that they contain organic carbon-based material. Thus, it is very important to check the presence of organic carbon-based material in situ before sampling in order to protect the visual integrity of the paintings or drawings. We have tested and compared 3 different portable analytical systems that can be used in cave environments for detecting carbon in prehistoric paintings: (1) a very compact X-ray fluorescence (XRF) system in Villars Cave (Dordogne, France); (2) a portable micro-Raman spectrometer in Rouffignac Cave (Dordogne, France); and (3) an infrared reflectography camera in both caves. These techniques have been chosen for their non-destructiveness: no sample has to be taken from the rock surface and no contact is made between the probes and the paintings or drawings. The analyses have shown that all the animal figures have been drawn with manganese oxides and cannot be directly dated by radiocarbon. However, carbon has been detected in several spots such as black dots and lines and torch marks. 14C results were obtained from 5 torch marks selected in Villars Cave, with ages between 17.1–18.0 ka cal BP. Three methods were used to identify carbon in black pigments or to confirm the presence of torch marks by carbon detection. Thanks to these new analytical developments, it will be now possible to select more accurately the samples to be taken for 14C dating prehistoric paintings and drawings.

Published
2013

18. Non-destructive provenance differentiation of prehistoric pigments by external PIXE

Author

Lucile Beck, Hélène Salomon, Yvan Coquinot, Laurent Pichon, Sophia Lahlil, Giliane P. Odin, Matthieu Lebon, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Provenance, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Population, chemistry.chemical_element, Mineralogy, Manganese, 01 natural sciences, Natural (archaeology), Prehistory, Petrography, Cave, 0601 history and archaeology, education, Instrumentation, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, geography, education.field_of_study, geography.geographical_feature_category, 060102 archaeology, 06 humanities and the arts, chemistry, Elemental analysis, Geology
Abstract

The elemental analysis of minerals/rocks has been often used for the determination of their geological origin. When these natural rocks were exploited by prehistoric civilizations as objects, weapons, or pigments, the composition of the minerals can provide information on the mobility, the exchanges and the interaction between groups of population. In this paper, we will present results obtained from archaeological samples of prehistoric pigments, mainly iron and manganese oxides. PIXE analysis has been applied to samples of the prehistoric cave “La grotte du Renne” in Arcy-sur-Cure, France (Chatelperronian, 38,000–34,000 BP). Because most of the archaeological objects are decorated or display some use marks, it is not possible to take samples. Consequently, we have used a non-destructive technique thanks to the external beam of AGLAE (C2RMF, Paris). In order to improve the limits of detection (LOD less than 10 ppm from Cu to Sb), a metal absorber has been placed on the X-ray detector to preferentially filter the Fe–K or Mn–K lines. Based on the quantitative analysis of major and trace elements, we have obtained groups of compositions corresponding to different geological sources. We demonstrate in this study that it is possible to extend PIXE analysis to the characterization of prehistoric pigments such as iron and manganese oxides for differentiating potential sources of pigments in archaeological contexts.

Published
2012

19. Analyse in situ des dessins préhistoriques de la grotte de Rouffignac par fluorescence X et diffraction X portable

Author

Jacques Castaing, Frédéric Plassard, Lucile Beck, Adrian Duran, Hélène Rousselière, Matthieu Lebon, Sophia Lahlil, Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC), Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire (IPCM), Chimie Moléculaire de Paris Centre (FR 2769), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-ESPCI ParisTech-Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris- Chimie ParisTech-PSL (ENSCP)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-ESPCI ParisTech-Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris- Chimie ParisTech-PSL (ENSCP)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris - Chimie ParisTech-PSL (ENSCP), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris (ESPCI Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Bordeaux (UB)

Subjects
art préhistorique, 010506 paleontology, Archeology, système portable, 060102 archaeology, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, portable system, in situ, prehistoric rock art, X-ray fluorescence, 06 humanities and the arts, 01 natural sciences, Rouffignac Cave, diffraction X (XRD), préhistoire, fluorescence X (XRF), 0601 history and archaeology, manganese oxide, oxyde de manganèse, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

La Grotte de Rouffignac (Dordogne, France) est un site d'art paléolithique qui renferme de nombreux dessins réalisés au trait noir (mammouths, bisons, rhinocéros laineux, chevaux, bouquetins...). Bien qu'aucune datation directe n'ait été réalisée à ce jour, les œuvres graphiques de cette caverne sont en général rattachées au Magdalénien. The Cave of Rouffignac (Dordogne, France) is a Palaeolithic rock art site which contains numerous black drawings (mammoths, bisons, rhinoceros, horses, ibexes…). Although no direct dating was carried out until now, the artworks of this cave are generally connected with the Magdalenian Culture.

Published
2012

20. PIXE characterisation of prehistoric pigments from Abri Pataud (Dordogne, France)

Author

Matthieu Lebon, Laurent Pichon, Laurent Chiotti, Roland Nespoulet, L. Beck, Patrick Paillet, Michel Menu, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
010506 paleontology, 060102 archaeology, Minor element, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Mineralogy, Excavation, 06 humanities and the arts, Solutrean, 01 natural sciences, Archaeology, Prehistory, 0601 history and archaeology, Aurignacian, Spectroscopy, Geology, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

Abri Pataud is a prehistoric rock-shelter now largely collapsed. Archaeological excavations have revealed more than 40 settlements between 35 000 and 20 000 years ago corresponding to the first half of Upper Palaeolithic (Aurignacian, Gravettian and Solutrean archaeological cultures). During the excavations, remains of painted rock flakes coming from the collapsed shelter walls, painted objects, ochre pencils as well as raw pigments were found in archaeological levels. After preliminary non-destructive investigation of the samples by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction, non-destructive analyses were performed by ion beam analysis (IBA). In this paper, PIXE results obtained on red pigment material are reported. Minor and trace elements were used to compare pigments present on the decorated rock flakes or on painted objects, with raw pigment materials discovered in the same archaeological site. PIXE results provide new data for the interpretation of the Abri Pataud prehistoric site. This study confirms the ability of PIXE to characterize prehistoric pigments and to discriminate possible sources on the basis of the trace elements associated with the iron oxide phase. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Published
2011

21. New parameters for the characterization of diagenetic alterations and heat-induced changes of fossil bone mineral using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Author

Ina Reiche, Anne-Marie Moigne, Matthieu Lebon, Céline Chadefaux, Henry P. Schwarcz, J.-J. Bahain, François Fröhlich, C. Falguères, François Sémah, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)

Subjects
Bone mineral, 010506 paleontology, Archeology, Mineral, 060102 archaeology, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Chemistry, Infrared spectroscopy, Mineralogy, 06 humanities and the arts, Fossil bone, 01 natural sciences, Diagenesis, Characterization (materials science), Crystallinity, 13. Climate action, 0601 history and archaeology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

International audience; Diagenetic alteration may limit the potential use of the biogenic composition of fossil bone as a reliable source of information for dietary, environmental and climatic reconstructions. One of the key parameters used to determine the state of preservation of fossil remains is their crystallinity. This can be evaluated by means of infrared spectroscopy, measuring the “splitting factor” (IRSF). However, the crystallinity may fail to describe the extent of chemical and mineralogical changes occurring during fossilization, and cannot be used alone as a reliable indicator of biogenic signal preservation.In this study, modern bones were experimentally heated in order to monitor the changes of FTIR spectral features related to an evolution of mineral properties. Further spectroscopic proxies of the mineral composition and structure were defined and calibrated. This method was then applied on unburnt, charred and calcined bones coming from three archaeological sites (Bize-Tournal, Organc 3 and Song Terus).The results obtained on modern and fossil bones demonstrate that low temperature heating and diagenetic processes may induce similar effects on bone mineral, while these processes are clearly distinct from those occurring during high temperature heating (>550 °C). The comparison between charred and calcined fossil bones shows that heating over 550 °C reduces the reactivity of the mineral phase and prevents compositional and structural characteristics from experiencing diagenetic modification.Applied to unburnt fossil bones, the proxies developed in this study, easily obtained from FTIR spectra, provide a more reliable evaluation of the degree of preservation than IRSF alone and contribute to a better understanding of the diagenetic processes.

Published
2010

22. Le site de la baume Flandin (commune d’Orgnac-l’Aven) : nouvelles données sur ce gisement du Paléolithique moyen

Author

Evelyne Crégut-Bonnoure, Nicolas Boulbes, Simon Puaud, Matthieu Lebon, Marie-Hélène Moncel, Sébastien Croizet, Anne-Sophie Lartigot, Camille Daujeard, Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Museum Requien, Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (M.E.N.E.S.R.), Unite toulousaine d'archéologie et d'histoire (UTAH), Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès (UT2J)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée - Jean Pouilloux (MOM), Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Université Jean Monnet [Saint-Étienne] (UJM)-Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (UJML), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2), Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès (UT2J), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2)-Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (UJML), and Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne (UJM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
Sud-est de la France, 010506 paleontology, 060102 archaeology, [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory, Stratigraphy, General Engineering, Paleontology, 06 humanities and the arts, Human occupation, Stratigraphie, Paléontologie, Paléolithique moyen, 01 natural sciences, Paleoenvironment, Southeastern France, Occupation humaine, Paléoenvironnement, Middle Palaeolithic, 0601 history and archaeology, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

International audience; The Baume Flandin, located in the Middle Rhone valley, yielded in the 1950s an archaeological level attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic, with abundant elongated flakes. This feature is rare in southern Europe before MIS 4. The cave was totally excavated and little evidence existed to confirm the date of this level, which was attributed to the ‘Riss–Würm’ according to the fauna remains and the sediments. New fieldwork took place in 2005, in front of the cave entrance, on the terrace. The study of the archaeological level that has been discovered brings new information on the age of the sequence of this site. The human occupation took place in the latest interglacial, at the end of isotopic stage 5e. This date leads us to revive the debate on the first evidence of the laminar debitage between northern and southern Europe.; La baume Flandin, située sur le plateau d’Orgnac en Ardèche, a livré, dans les années 1950, un niveau d’occupation attribué au Paléolithique moyen, avec de nombreux produits laminaires, fait rare en Europe du Sud avant le dernier Glaciaire (stade isotopique 4). La cavité ayant été intégralement fouillée à l’époque, peu d’indices permettent de confirmer l’âge du niveau d’occupation, qui a été attribué, selon les restes fauniques et les données stratigraphiques, à la fin du « Riss–Würm ». Une nouvelle campagne de fouilles a eu lieu en 2005, sur la terrasse en avant du porche actuel. Elle a permis de mettre au jour un niveau archéologique dans un secteur aujourd’hui à l’air libre. Les données stratigraphiques, paléontologiques et paléoenvironnementales apportent des informations nouvelles sur les dépôts de ce gisement et sur son âge. Il peut être situé dans le dernier Interglaciaire, à la fin du stade isotopique 5e. Cette datation relance le débat à propos du diachronisme de l’apparition du débitage laminaire existant entre le Nord et le Sud de l’Europe.

Published
2008

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