Retourner à Moulin Quignon

In March 1863, Jacques Boucher de Perthes found in the alluvia of Moulin Quignon (Abbeville, France) a human jaw in association with lithic artifacts and fossil bones of mammals. Quickly challenged, this discovery will appear as a fraud whose prehistorian was the victim. Since that time, the collection and the Moulin Quignon site are synonymous with an archaeological forgery. Forgotten for almost 150 years, these collections became in 2012 a research topic in the context of a program devoted to oldest settlements and Acheulean. The objective was to identify and study the whole 1863–1864 documentation set (human remains, artifacts, sediments, fauna bones, malacological remains, archives, papers, site) to allow further analysis of the whole subject.     

Le genre Nucleolites (Echinoidea, Cassiduloidea) du Bajocien à l'Oxfordien dans le Bassin de Paris : apport des données architecturales à la systématique et à la phylogénie

The classification of the Paris basin Bajocian-Oxfordian species of the genus Nucleolites is revised. A classic point of view, until now used by authors and mainly based on the general morphology of the test, is first developed. Then, this last is modified with new architectural data, which refer to the extraxial-axial theory concerning the structure of the apical system as well as the presence of supplementary and catenal plates. These architectural data are first used facing the general morphology of the test. Such approach leads to a new point of view for the classification of the species of the genus Nucleolites. The systematics is particularly significantly simplified. The deduced and proposed phylogenetic hypothesis shows that the genus Nucleolites is composed of two parallel lineages as soon as the beginning of the genus in the Bajocian: a group with a so-called “primitive” architecture, and a group with an “advanced” one. On and after the Late Callovian, the species with a primitive organisation give birth to advanced species, which continue in younger time. In this way, the genus Nucleolites may be paraphyletic since the Late Callovian onward.     

Apports du site de Montclus (Gard) à l’origine et à la filiation du Montclusien (Mésolithique)

The Baume of Montclus is located in the Cèze valley (Gard). This site gave its name to a prehistoric tool-age, the Montclusian, which parted from the Sauveterrian. Middle and Upper Montclusian are present in Montclus, unlike the Lower Montclusian. The Montclusian industry, which starts here in about 8000 BP, includes a very high proportion of hypermicrolithes. It is followed by a Castelnovian industry from around 7000 BP. This one features very different Montclusian, showing thus a break. The Castelnovian survives in Montclus while the Cardial is already settled in Châteauneuf-les-Martigues and sites around the Ardèche river. After these Montclusian levels appear Cardial and Chassean layers. Neolithisation has been very gradual here, affecting tools first before the arrival of ceramic, around 6500 BP. What is the origin of Montclusian? And what could have become? Its origin might be further west with the Causses and Languedoc, where levels are rather similar. The Sauveterrian origin has long been established. But research shows a great diversity among the Sauveterrian originated industries. What the Montclusian was going to become is to discovered from the Lower Montclusian, quite original, and which should be found in other site. Montclusian might be on the geographic and cultural boderline of 2 districts: one being located west of the Rhône river, influenced by Sauveterrian, and which gave birth to Montclusian, the other east of the Rhône river bears witness to Castelnovian.     

Introduction à l’étude du site de Longgupo

The site of Longgupo, discovered in 1984, is located south of the crossing of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze, in the eastern part of Chongqing Province. Situated on the limestone slope of the Miaoyu Valley, three excavation campaigns have been carried out since 1985. The first two seasons took place from 1985–1988 and 1997–1998, directed by W.B. Huang and the last campaign from 2003–2006 by E. Boëda and Y.M. Hou. After the first two campaigns, the presence of several bones, with an estimated age of 1.9 My, notably including a mandible fragment attributed to a hominid² and the discovery of more than 20 lithic artifacts incited not only great interest in the scientific community, but controversy as well since these data contradicted diffusion models of the first hominids out of Africa. Paleoanthropological data often being privileged over other data, including lithic artifacts, the anthropic nature of the site was contested. Yet the few artifacts from the initial excavations irrefutably demonstrate their manufacture by humans, in particular those in exogenous stone. To definitively re-establish the authenticity of this site by applying the latest investigative methods, a new Franco-Chinese campaign was organized. The objective of the 2003–2006 field seasons focused on understanding and analysis of the archaeological data in their geomorphological and stratigraphic contexts.     

Un nouveau gisement à ambre insectifère et à végétaux (Albien terminal probable) : Archingeay (Charente-Maritime, France)

A layer of clay interbedded in sandstone, which age is likely uppermost Albian, yielded a new deposit with amber and fossil plants in Charente-Maritime (south-west France). A survey of the arthropods found in amber, the xylologic and palynologic determinations and the sedimentologic study are in progress. We already have datas to propose a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the coast of the northern Aquitain basin at the end of lower Cretaceous : an estuarine area under warm and wet climate.     

Tumeurs brunes disséminées : à propos d’un cas

We report a case of multiple brown tumours concerning a 46-year-old, operated for a parathyroid adenoma, who is presenting clinical and biological signs of hyperparathyroidism recurrence. Unusual features in this case were the disseminated distribution of brown tumour and the bone scan pseudo-metastatic aspect.