Caractérisation des silex par l'analyse des microfaciès et application au peuplement préhistorique de l'Auvergne (France)

Microfacies analysis has been made on a sample of siliceous raw material from both natural deposits and archaeological sites from Auvergne. The objectives were twofold: to make precise mineralogical characterization and obtain new data on the geographical origin of archaeological flints. The results confirm the hypothesis on the foreign origin of the ‘silex blond’ (blond flint, Upper Cretaceous levels localized in the southern part of the Paris basin). In addition, the precise characterization of local flints enables the rectification of old denominations such as ‘jasper’ and demonstrates that these raw materials belong to the Upper Oligocene lacustrine or swampy levels.