La culture du Paléolithique dans la région de Jungwon en Corée

The Jungwon region is located in the central part of Korea and it is one of crucial regions for understanding of the Korean Paleolithic culture. Many Paleolithic sites have been discovered in this region, from the lower Paleolithic to the upper Paleolithic. It is of interest the remarkable variety of archeological remains such as human bones, stone tools, animal bones and paleoenvironmental artifacts. As a result, it permits us to reconstruct the subsistence of prehistoric men. This region has an important role for Korean prehistoric researches.     

L'industrie lithique du Paléolithique dans la région de Jungwon en Corée

Prehistoric people have been often lived in the Jungwon region during the Paleolithic. It is a reference for development of the Paleolithic cultures in Korea. During the lower Paleolithic, pebble tool culture has been developed: tools were made with local raw materials and direct percussion and anvil technique were utilized. Debitage and raw material of the middle Paleolithic did not make a great difference to the lower Paleolithic. Otherwise, tool size became small and the number of flake tools increased. The crucial changes occurred during the upper Paleolithic. Technique, acquisition of raw material and tool kits were thoroughly innovated. All of these changes would reveal that the upper Paleolithic people have carried out more various activities, that earlier periods and their social structure would be more complex than other ones'.     

La variabilité graphique du Molí del Salt (Vimbodí, Catalogne, Espagne) et l'art mobilier de la fin du Paléolithique supérieur à l'est de la Péninsule Ibérique

The Upper Paleolithic of Catalonia has been so far characterized by a very weak presence of artistic representations. This scarcity was especially surprising if we take into account the huge number of discoveries from other zones of the Iberian Peninsula (Valencia, the Cantabrian region). In this paper we present four objects of portable art found at the Molí del Salt site (Vimbodí, Conca de Barberà, Tarragona). Below a mesolithic layer, dated to 8 ka BP, there is an Upper Magdalenian sequence with several dates between 10.8 and 12.5 ka BP. These magdalenian levels have yielded four plaques of schist with engravings, including several animal figurines and one human representations. Once the objects are described, we will place them in the context of the portable art from the Late Upper Paleolithic of Mediterranean Spain. From these data, the chronocultural successions based on the Upper Magdalenian-Microlaminar Epipaleolithic distinction will be discussed.     

Reconstitution de la végétation et du paléoclimat à partir de charbons de bois prélevés sur les sites du Paléolithique dans la région de Jungwon en Corée

Hundreds samples of the charcoals and waterlogged woods excavated from three late Paleolithic sites (Suyanggae, Gunang-gul and Sorori) in the Jungwon Region in Korea were analyzed to reconstruct the vegetation and paleoclimate in the region. Analyzed charcoal samples from the Suyanggae site show that the climate was cold in the lower part and it became more warm and dry in the upper part. From the Gunang-gul site, only Picea spp. was identified, indicating cool climates. From the Sorori site, two species were found; Alnus spp. (95%) and Ulmus spp. (5%). No conifers were discovered. The species composition indicates that the climate condition of central Korean peninsula around 8,800 BP was little cooler and wetter condition.     

Le gisement rupestre de Siega Verde, Salamanque: Une vision de synthèse

The Paleolithic shelter Art in the open air of Siega Verde, Salamanca, is the unitary group better endowed with paleolithic shelter manifestations in the bleakness of the whole Iberian Peninsula. Its study, consequence of more than 10 years of works on the land, has culminated with the recent publication of a complete monograph. In the following lines, we intend to synthesize the content of that, with special emphasis in the internal analysis of the representations and in their relationship with its cultural immediate environment, the Upper Paleolithic of the Castilian Plateau. The results of so long investigation process suppose a new interpretation way, not only of the own site, but also of the whole Paleolithic shelter phenomenon inside the Peninsula, and in a more general environment, of the graphic system of the European Upper Paleolithic.     

La faune préhistorique de la région de Jungwon en Corée et la relation entre l'Homme et l'Animal

The Jungwon region, developed under the calcites deposit, contains 6 caves and 1 rock-shelter where we can find many animal bones. During the middle Pleistocene, some warm animals lived here and the number of species was increased in the course of the upper Pleistocene. In the upper Pleistocene, the young and old deer have been hunted as the main prey and they have been transported into the occupation area of prehistoric people. The cut-marks on the bones and the existence of bone tools reveal us their mode of subsistence.     

L’utilisation des reliefs pariétaux dans la réalisation des signes au Paléolithique supérieur

For a long time, the images of the Upper Paleolithic were represented in a way that emphasized their aesthetic qualities and ignored the specific characteristics of their natural supports. It is more damageable as the architecture of the decorated caves plays a real part, at different levels, in the elaboration of the parietal devices. As omnipresent elements of these devices, the signs play a determining part in this architecture. Analysing the links between the signs and their direct supports brings to light the various ways in which parietal devices can be used and also the integration and research for the volumes and frame. A study led inside the caves on a sample of 692 signs, distributed in the franco-cantabric paleolithic space, makes apparent the variety of the graphic choices left to the artists standing in front of the wall.     

Conception et exécution de bases de données intégrées pour l'analyse des rapports spatiotemporels des artefacts du Paléolithique

The archaeologists excavate the historic site and analyze data from the excavation site. Therefore, they study about the past affairs and circumstances unknown to the world. These data are composed of stones, plants, bones and geological features, which are stored in separate files according to the fields of study. It is important to mention that this information become the first step toward the solution of some hypothesis in Archaeology. Therefore, we need the system that can not only support integrated environment to find clues of the past, but also manage existing artifact data systematically and grasp relationships among the data. In this paper, we modeled the time, which is used in archaeology and geology, and built an entity relationship database to store Paleolithic data excavated in Jungwon region site of the Republic of Korea as one resource, which seem to give a base for integrated research and relationships in archaeology. In addition, we developed the Graphic User Interface that allows various users to connect to the established system through the web.     

L’art bourgeois de la fin du XIX siècle face à l’art mobilier Paléolithique

On the occasion of the centenary of the Emile Cartailhac’s « Mea culpa d’un sceptique”, we want to reflect on one of the main questions of our discipline: Why has so-called « cave art” only been accepted as Paleolithic art in 1902, whereas the so-called « mobiliary art” had been accepted as Paleolithic art at the beginning of 1860s? In this paper, we want to suggest a definition of the conception of primitive art during the last third of the 19th century in order to understand: (A) Why Paleolithic paintings in the walls of some caves (Niaux, Chabot, Altamira) were not accepted as Paleolithic art between 1860 and 1902. (B) Given that what we now call mobiliary art is the same artistic phenomenon that prehistorians of the late 19th century thought of as primitive art, this article allows us to suggest a genealogy of mobiliary art. This genealogy will enable us to show that this concept not only defines a wide variety of forms, from engraving stones to carving in antler or ivory, but hides a multiplicity of meanings and connotations which originated in the period between 1860 and 1900.     

Stratégie de débitage et mode de façonnage des industries du Paléolithique inférieur en Chine et en Europe entre 1 Ma et 400 000 ans: Ressemblances et différences de la culture de l’homme de Yunxian et Acheuléen européen

These stone tools from Yunxian with other Lower Paleolithic sites in South China, for example, the site Lantian (Shanxi, China) and the site Bose (Guangxi, China), indicates that there are many common characteristics among these industries. There are choppers, chopping-tools, picks, hand-axes, cleavers and scrapers. Long ago we thought that there are not hand-axes in China. In fact, there are lots of hand-axes in China and these hand-axes existed more earlier than those in Europe. The hand-axe appeared in China before 800,000 years old and it barely arrived in Europe before 600,000 years old. The quaternary deposits of the site of Yunxian Hominid (Hubei, China) are at least dated to 800,000 years old. A large quantity of lower Paleolithic material was discovered. The types of the tools are choppers, picks, scrapers, hand-axes and cleavers. The pebbles tools make up the majority of the implements. Small flake tools are relatively rare. The lithic industries comparison of the two regions has help us to know the cultural evolution in China and Europe.     

Le site Paléolithique de Suyanggae, Corée

The Suyanggae site is an open-air site in central part of South Korea. This site was discovered in 1980 and seven excavations have been carried out from 1983 to 1996. As a result, many stone artefacts were unearthed and 49 stone tool workshops were known. This site contains 5 cultural layers and the most important one is the Upper Paleolithic layer. This layer is dated to be 16,400 ~ 18,630 BP by ¹⁴C dating. It shows a massive blade production and microblade technique. It is one of the crucial sites for understanding the Upper Paleolithic of Korea.     

L'hominidé du Pléistocène supérieur en Corée

Since the middle of 1970s, one rock-shelter, six caves and one open archaeological site have yielded several hominid fossils. Among them, fossils from Yonggok, Mandal, Sangsi and Hungsu cave sites are useful to reconstruct the general shape of the Upper Pleistocene Hominids in Korea. The main study of this paper is to focus on the reconstruction of the general shape of the upper Pleistocene hominids, and to examine the cause of cranial changes from the late upper Paleolithic to Mesolithic period in Korea. Biomechanical principles are also applied to reconstruct the social activity of the upper Paleolithic man in Korea. In addition, it is assumed that main proponent of Paleolithic cultures in Korea might be Homo sapiens rather than any other species. Based on the anatomical characteristics of skull, the axillary border of the scapular and the midshaft of the femur, general appearance of Homo sapiens during the Pleistocene in Korea could be reconstructed.     

Les faunes de grands mammifères de la Caune de l'Arago (Tautavel) dans le cadre biochronologique des faunes du Pléistocène moyen italien

The fossiliferous levels of Caune de l'Arago supply a useful tool to investigate the relationships between faunal renewals and climate changes in a restricted area during the Middle Pleistocene. On the other hand the Italian fossil assemblages of the middle Galerian testified changes of palaeoenvironmental conditions. A biochronologic and palaeoecologic comparison among large mammalian faunas of these quite different Mediterranean regions have been performed in the aim to value possible vicariance of taxa and differences of faunal renewal dynamic during the Middle Pleistocene. After the results of our analysis we can correlate the faunal assemblages from the “Complexe moyen, ensemble stratigraphique I”, “Complexe moyen, ensembles stratigraphiques II and III”, “Complexe supérieur, sols A and B” of Caune de L'Arago sedimentary succession with the Italian Isernia (middle Galerian), Fontana Ranuccio (late Galerian) and Torre in Pietra (early Aurelian) faunal units (FUs) respectively. The French faunal assemblages were characterised by the absence of browsers and, conversely, by the presence of boreal taxa, mainly grazers, that were rare or never occurred in Italy. Accordingly, at no one Italian faunal complex, as expected, we can find any indication of continental cold climatic condition as showed by the faunal complexes of the Caune de l'Arago. Nevertheless, the major climate changes characterising the Middle Pleistocene can be detected in both regions. During the span time of Isernia FU, the temperature was at its lowest and arid conditions prevailed, whereas during the following Fontana Ranuccio FU humidity and temperature increased, as is more evident in central Italy local faunas. Moreover, after the similarity analysis, the Visogliano local fauna (North-Eastern Italy) was more related to the French than to the Italian ones. During the late Middle Pleistocene (Torre in Pietra FU) a moderate faunal reconstruction can be detected in both regions. The renewal was linked to climatic modifications taking place in the Mediterranean area approximately around OIS 11/OIS 10 transition, when interstadials became progressively milder and average humidity increased.     

L'Aurignacien et le Gravettien ancien de la grotte Paglicci au Mont Gargano

The author illustrates, in a very synthetical way, Aurignacian and early Gravettian lithic industry from Paglicci Cave (Mount Gargano, South Italy), found during excavations carried out by University of Siena in the Eighties-Nineties. Layer 24 contains Aurignacian industries and is constituted by a fine silty-sandy sediment. The faunal remains from layer 24, dominated by Equus asinus, indicate a dry-temperate phase which on the basis of ¹⁴C dates, would be identified with the Arcy. Lithic industry contains numerous marginally backed bladelets and microbladelets Dufour like that, in the higher level evolve into a special type (denominated “PA 24 A1”). The early Gravettian occupies the overlying layers 23 and 22 that are rich in rough stones and blocks and contain more or less cold faunal remains (at first dominated by Capra ibex, subsequently Bos primigenius becomes abundant): the ¹⁴C dating insert them in a phase between Arcy and Tursac. Lithic industry includes a great number of La Gravette backed points and especially microgravette backed points. Some probable fléchettes are also present but unfortunately they are fragmented.     

Évolution de la préhension chez les primates humains et non humains : la précision et l'utilisation d'outils revisitées

The term “precision”, involving the contact between the tips of thumb and the index is generally attributed to humans, tool use and associated with morphological criteria. Identified in fossils, those criteria are used to assert that they manipulated tools. Observations of 69 individuals belonging to Catarrhines and Platyrrhines allowed us to quantify surfaces of fingers used during simple tasks of grasping both small and large objects, as well as during complex tasks of proto-tool and tool use. We concluded that precision grasping is not peculiar to humans and that it is not systematically linked to tool use. These results allowed us to discuss morphological traits used till now to deduce precision and tool use from the fossils. Besides, our analyses let appear a recurrent proximity between the capuchins and the humans, species distant in a phylogenetic point of view, suggesting the possible existence of functions and close behaviours in spite of great genetic distinctions.     

Les séries silicoclastiques miocènes du Nord-Est au Sud-Ouest de la Tunisie : une mise au point

During the Miocene time, the Atlas-pelagian block, which is limited northward by the atlasic-alpin chain of North Africa-Sicily, southward by the Gafsa-Jeffara-Azizia fault and eastward by the Malta escarpment, resulted from the extension-compression regime, mainly controlled by the subduction-collision processes. This regime induced the opening of many Miocene microbasins, which have been infilled by silicoclastic materials showing lateral and vertical facies variations and several hiatus associated to tectonic and stratigraphic unconformities. Excepting the very local transgressive regimes, such as those of Langhian and Messinian periods, most of the Miocene deposits took place on internal platforms, especially at the NE part of the country. The fluviodeltaic and alluvial sediments are, in fact, lateral equivalents which infilled the valley and depression enclosed systems towards the SW. In this context (rapid facies variations in time and space, superposition of tectonic and eustatic unconformities, climatic variations, rare or absent stratigraphic markers…), some controversies remain as regards the correlation and dating of these series. This work consists of a study of the lateral and vertical facies and thickness variations, coupled to the identification of the main unconformities. It is also a study of significance of the main sedimentological mechanisms and an inventory of the different palynological and paleontological content of the sediments. The aim of this work is to propose a new vision on the Miocene deposits in Tunisia along a NE-SW axis. Then, using these data, we have correlated the different lithological formations, discuss their age and, finally, proposed paleogeographical drafts for them.     

Stratégies techniques dans le Paléolithique Moyen du sud-est des Pyrénées

In this article, the lithic reduction systems from Middle Paleolithic levels at Roca dels Bous and Tragó are presented. These two sites are located in the South-eastern Pyrenees in Catalunya (Spain) and yield Mousterian levels which are attributed to MIS 3 and MIS 5. At the two studied sites, there is coexistence between expedient knapping systems and more complex techniques such as the Levallois method. Furthermore, cores are heavily exhausted, showing a pattern that cannot be explained by the absence or scarcity of raw material. This technical pattern can be traced across several Mousterian assemblages in the South-eastern Pyrenees, suggesting technocognitive continuity in the Middle Palaeolithic during the Upper Pleistocene, in which changes in lithic reduction patterns are not evident. In this paper, the implications of such observations are contextualized within the general discussion on the behaviour of the South-eastern Pyrenees Neanderthals.     

Échinodermes de l'Ordovicien supérieur (Ashgill) de Sardaigne et d'Algérie

Research on the influence of sea level variations on the benthic faunas have been carried out in the Upper Ordovician of Sardinia. Study of the depositional facies and sequence analysis of the upper part (Lower Ashgill) of the Portixeddu Formation led to the identification of the sedimentary environments. Cystoids and crinoids are associated to bryozoans and brachiopods in most levels. The numerical analysis of associations and megaguilds shows that crinoids and cystoids have a higher frequency in the proximal and median facies of the upper offshore. The columnal association characterized by Conspectocrinus celticus and the coronoid Mespilocystites tregarvanicus has been discovered in the upper part of the formation. This material and complementary samples from Upper Ordovician of Sardinia and Kabylia (Algeria) bring additional data on the systematic and show the wide distribution of this fauna outside of the Ibero-armorican domain. The distribution of this echinoderm association supports a palaeogeographical position of the Ibero-armorican domain and Sardinia within the north gondwanan margin during the Lower Palaeozoic.     

La stratigraphie du Pléistocène supérieur et le Paléolithique en Corée

In Korea, Quaternary deposits are characterized by marine and fluvial terrace deposits, commonly found in the coastal areas and at the sides of river valleys. The major terraces are classified into 5 different levels, i.e., alluvial plain (3-5 m asl), lower terrace (10-25 m asl), middle terrace (33-50 m asl), high terrace (55-85 m asl), and highest terrace (90-160 m asl). They were formed by the repetition of sedimentation and erosion due to sea level fluctuation and uplifting along the coastal areas during Quaternary period. The formation age of the lower marine terraces at the level of 10-20 m is interpreted to be the last interglacial (75-125 Ka, MIS = 5a-5e). The middle coastal terrace gravels distributed at the level of about 33-45 m above mean sea level and are to be formed before the last interglacial. Above coastal terrace deposits, slope deposits and paleosol layers are overlain and freezing and thawing crackings were developed in them. Major prehistory archaeological sites in the coastal areas are found in the slope deposits formed during last glaciations. The upper parts of the slope deposits are typified by paleosol layers with typical frost cracks (soil wedges) and frangipanes. As geochronological bases for subdividing Paleolithic cultures, two typical paleosol layers are useful because they are mostly found and imprinted with several horizons of frost cracks or soil wedges. The uppermost crack structures were formed under the boreal-periglacial climatic regime during the last glacial period of extremely cold-dry climate in Korea. The upper pedogenetic sediments containing frost cracks or soil wedges were formed between 24 and 17 Ka in many Paleolithic profiles. The lowermost paleosol layer with frost cracks (soil wedge), strongly attacked into hillslope sediments or last interglacial saprolite layers on the weathered basement rocks, were detected at least as old as 59-74,000 Ka. Lastly upper Paleolithic cultural layers were found in the young fluvial deposits, which had been formed since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Some of them were particularly continued as late as the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition Period.