L’attribution culturelle des sculptures du Jura souabe selon les documents des découvreurs

The portable art discovered in the caves of the Swabian Jura has been dated to the Aurignacian for almost half a century, following work by J. Hahn, but that was not the opinion of the discoverers at the sites of Vogelherd and Hohlenstein Stadel. The dating of these figurines poses questions about the first development of figurative art. This paper examines the validity of the arguments presented about radiometric ages of the finds comparing to their stratigraphic locations. A varied chronology for these artworks becomes clear: in our view, some pieces from Vogelherd and Hohle Fels date to the Gravettian, while others from Vogelherd and Hohlenstein Stadel date to the Magdalenian. The arguments in favour of the Aurignacian do not hold up to critical examination.     

Marqueur d’identification à micro-échelle de l’ivoire de mammouth dans les objets préhistoriques

This paper illustrates the importance of the material identification in order to be able to answer archaeological questions and describes the definition of new markers based on the chemical analysis and the study of the inner micro-morphology of the objects. The challenge for the identification of mammoth ivory is highlighted amongst prehistoric objects, which were heavily worked and used. The applied analytical approach is non-invasive to preserve the integrity of the rare and precious prehistoric objects. The objects are studied by means of Proton Induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and micro X-ray tomography (microCT). Examples of the study of objects dating back to the Upper Palaeolithic nicely illustrate the informative potential of this kind of investigations.     

Les statuettes en ivoire gravettiennes d’Europe occidentale

The results of an archeozoological and taphonomical analysis of mammoth ivory statuettes from gravettian levels of the grotte du Pape at Brassempouy (Landes) are presented in this article.     

Ivory Ornaments of the Aurignacian in Western Europe: Case studies from France and Germany

Here we present an overview of the personal ornaments of the Swabian Aurignacian and the Early Aurignacian sites of south-western France made from mammoth ivory. The production sequences for the serial manufacture of beads from these sites are quite similar. While the Swabian sites have yielded numerous different types of beads with a focus of the double-perforated bead, the nearly exclusive use of one bead-type, the perle en forme de panier, is striking at the sites of south-western France. Following the presentation of major inventories of ivory ornaments in the two regions concerned, we discuss potential factors underlying both the differences and the similarities we observe in these assemblages.     

Les “ Mésentéripores ” (Bryozoaires cyclostomes) du Néocomien du Jura suisse et Français

Study of new and important collections of bryozoa in Neocomian of the French and Swiss Jura improve the knowledge of these Bryozoa, especially the “mesenteripores” (Tubuloporina with bilamellar structure) of which almost all the species types proceed from the Jura. These species are here redefined, for example M. campicheana which was poorly known until now. One new species, Mesonopora uniordinata, is described. To this superior delimitation of species, is added extensed geographical distribution and also more precise stratigraphical position. The fauna of mesenteripores varies according to lithostratigraphy, that is to say, with variations of paleoenvironment. Among these, modification of substratum, sedimentary deposition, depth, are the easiest to envisage.     

Les statuettes féminines en ivoire des faciès gravettiens et post-gravettiens en Europe centrale et orientale : modes de fabrication et de représentation

During the Upper Palaeolithic, especially in Gravettian times, the hunter-gatherer societies had an economy closely linked with the exploitation of two local species in Eastern Europe: reindeer and woolly mammoth. The ivory objects are rich archives about their ways of life and their collective imagination, as in particular the ivory female statuettes show. These figurines, also called “Venus”, are one of the cultural characteristics of the Gravettian sites. To date, although they are more numerous in Eastern Europe, they were discovered, in a variable number, also in site of Central and Western Europe; today, we have no clue that this cultural tradition crossed the Pyrenees. The corpus of pieces from the Gravettian sites of the Russian Plain (dated between 25,000 and 21,000 B.P.) is the more informative about technological know-how of the Gravettian craftsmen. He consists in the leading material of this paper, completed with some data about Epigravettian and Magdalenian statuettes. Whereas the Gravettian figurines show figurative female representations, those of the later cultural facies are more stylized. In a technological point of view, there is a close link between the choice of blanks within the mammoth tusk and the morphology of the statuettes, whatever the period of time considered.     

Protoglobigérines et Oberhauserellidae (Foraminifères) du Bajocien-Bathonien du Jura méridional, France

A detailed investigation of the Bajocian-Bathonian protoglobigerinids and other globigerina-like foraminifera of the Southern Jura Mountains reveals an unsuspected diversity, with seven species of Conoglobigerinidae and two species of Oberhauserellidae. The discovery of two umbilical apertures in Oberhauserella as well as in some Conoglobigerina questions the generic taxonomy and raises the problem of comparisons with literature. For these reasons, five new species have been proposed: Oberhauserellaparocula and O. aff. parocula (with two apertures), “Conoglobigerina”trilocula and “C”.biapertura (with two apertures), C.solaperta and C.pupa. We demonstrate that Globuligerinabalakhmatovae (Morozova, 1961) (here emended) has a small globuligerine aperture as well as G. aff. dagestanica (Morozova, 1961). Despite the different taxonomic concepts, the Southern Jura Mountains associations, that are typical of the epicontinental platform, most closely match those of the Dagestan in the Caucasus. They clearly differ from those of the oceanic Tethys.     

Comparaison de deux techniques de prélèvement du zooplancton,le filet et la trappe de Schindler,en lagune Ebrié (Côte d'Ivoire)

The analysis of net (bottom to surface vertical hauls) and trap samples taken at night shows that net hauls underestimate abundance of all planktonic organisms from nauplii and mollusc larvae to adult calanids. There is no obvious explanation for this. The underestimation probably results from low net filtering efficiency. The mean ratio between trap and net observed densities is 1.46 (1.2 to 1.9) and does not change significantly according to the organisms.

     

Les cultures moustériennes en Ligurie italienne : analyse du matériel lithique de trois sites en grotte

Multidisciplinary studies realized these last years about cave sites of Madonna dell’Arma, Arma delle Manie and Santa Lucia superiore, in italian Liguria, have stated precisely the conditions of neandertalian frequentations of those sites, placing at intervals, according to the cases, from isotopic stage five to the beginning of stage three. The mousterian industries recovered in those sites, associated with a lot of faunal remains, are here analyzed about the different stratigraphic levels in each site. In Madonna dell’Arma and Arma delle Manie, those industries show a certain constancy in the different levels, about technological and typological point of view or about raw material management. In Santa Lucia superiore, on the contrary, two different types of occupation have let lithical vestiges with different facies in lower levels and above levels. For the three sites, the analysis of the raw material management shows an essentially local supplying, but also some origins much more far like in the case of the jasper. This carrying of distant stones reveals us one aspect of the mobility or at least the territories extension that were able to apprehend those neandertalian human groups in Liguria region and beyond also. Otherwise, some preferential choices for certain raw materials were done by knappers for the débitage or for the small retouched tool supports. The flaking technics are identified in each site and certain regularities have been stated, like the high frequency of Levallois flaking in the different levels (also external levels) of Madonna dell’Arma site that is not the case in the two other sites.     

Les industries lithiques préoldowayennes du début du Pléistocène inférieur du site de Dmanissi en Géorgie

The lithic industry discovered at the Dmanissi site, in Georgia is dated to between 1.81 and 1.7 Myrs and is in association with a rich faunal assemblage composed of large Quaternary vertebrates, as well as several hominid fossils attributed to Homo georgicus, and attests to the human presence on the border of Europe at the beginning of the Lower Pleistocene. The material taken into account in this study was excavated from 1991 to 1999 and comprises 4446 lithic pieces coming from Beds I through VI of the site. The assemblage is very homogenous from the base to the top of the deposits and shows no significative evolutionary tendencies. The lithic material includes a high proportion of whole pebbles (33.8% of the assemblage) coming from two nearby rivers, the Mashavera and the Pinezaouri. They are essentially of fine and coarse grained volcanic tuff, basalt, but also of rhyolite, granite, quartz, as well as other volcanic and metamorphic rocks. Pebbles used for percussion, shaping or debitage were chosen according to their petrographic nature, their morphology and their size. Whole pebbles with percussion marks situated on their extremities or with isolated removals showing convexe edges, are abundant (1.3% of the assemblage). Other pebbles showing percussion marks on a flat face, were used as anvils. Broken pebbles and pebble fragments are very numerous (30.4% of the assemblage). These often show percussion marks on their cortical surfaces. Fractures are generally related to violent percussion as the pebbles were used for striking instruments, or as they were intentionally broken. Some fractures may have been caused accidentally during flaking. Pebble tools represent 4.8% of the lithic assemblage and 10% of the industry, excluding whole and fractured pebbles. These include essentially the primary choppers (pebbles with isolated concave removal negatives) (6% of the industry and 60.1% of the pebble tools), choppers showing continuous cutting edges without a point (2.1% of the industry and 21.2% of the pebble tools). Chopping-tools are very rare (0.8% of the industry and 8.7% of the pebble tools). Although choppers without pointed cutting edges were made using very few removals (3.3 on average), they usually present a regular cutting edge and seem relatively standardised. Cores are well represented (5% of the industry, excluding whole and broken pebbles). They are characterized by a low degree of exploitation and by a frequence of cortical striking platforms. Cored knapped on a single face are most frequent, representing nearly half of the pieces (42.3%), while bifacial cores are present in smaller proportions (34.2%) and multifacial cores are rare (6.3%). Non-modified flakes are very numerous and usually of small size and intentional retouch is absent. On the other hand, the cuttingedges of many the pieces; broken pebbles, pebble tools, cores and flakes, show irregular micro-retouch and irregular retouch such as isolated notches or with continuous or overlapping configuration, sometimes associated with localised crush marks which appear to have been caused by intensive use and heavy working of the pieces. A total of 31.3% of the non-modified flakes show irregular retouch on their cutting edges. One of the main characteristics of the Dmanissi industry appears therefore to be the obtaining of flakes, most often of small size, to be used without modification. The technological and typological characteristics of the lithic industry from Dmanissi allow to attribute the assemblage to a "Pre-Oldowayen" cultural horizon (Lumley de et al., 2004), characterized by the absence of small retouched tools, which appears in East Africa from 2.55 Myrs ago. This cultural horizon is present at the border of Europe, at Dmanissi, around 1.81 Myrs ago and in Western Europe, on the shores of the Mediterranean, at Barranco León about 1.3 Myrs ago and at Fuente Nueva 3 about 1.2 Myrs ago. The lithic industry from the Dmanissi site seems anterior to the Oldowan cultural horizon, characterized by the presence of standardized small retouched tools, which appears in East Africa around 1.8 Myrs ago and emerges in Mediterranean Europe around 800?000 years ago.     

Les chasseurs du Sahara atlantique ont-ils inventé la métallurgie ? Les haches « à tranchant en éventail » dans l’art rupestre du sud marocain

It is generally accepted that the metal appeared in Morocco under Iberian influence during the second millennium BC (3800–3200 BP). On the base of three main types of “peltiforme” axes represented in rock engravings, we assume the existence of an endogenous and independent invention of metallurgy in southern Morocco. Initially, we will discuss the chronological implications of this proposal, which will be then confronted with historical and ethnological data. Several factors support the hypothesis that a black population of nomadic hunters was established on the north bank of the Moroccan Sahara. This population probably assimilated by paléoberbère society from the late Neolithic would be the inventor of the “Metgourine” axe and Metallurgy. Such a hypothesis is supported by a set of arguments from various disciplinary fields.     

Les industries magdaléniennes de l’Ardèche (France) dans le contexte du bassin méditerranéen

Ardèche, a department of Rhone Alpes region, is rich in prehistoric sites belonging to a very large chronological period dated back to 350?000 years ago. But, the prehistory of the region has been unknown for a long time, mainly, because of its distance from traditional centres of research. Jean Combier, in his abstract dated 1967, defined for the first time Upper Palaelolithic stages: only towards the acquisition of new data, we are now able to suggest a new evolution for the Magdalenian from its origins to the Alleröd climatic episod. To define Ardèche originality within the Magdalenian context, we have compared its lithic industries with those of the Adaouste Cave oriental sites, the Cornille rock shelter and of the Gazel cave in the Aude western part. Ardèche Magdalenian dwelling is peculiar compared to the South West of France. Badegoulian has been substituted by a Mediterranean Facies culture rich in bladelets, the Salpestrian. This facies limited in its geographic extention to Gard and Ardèche, evolves gradually in situ gaining Magdalenian elements (such as backed bladelets and dihedral burins) giving birth to the transitory lithic complex of Huguenots and Baume d’Oullins Cave. An established Magdalenian is certified in the Blanchisserie camp, within a cold climatic context dated back to circa 16?000 years ago. Although the lithic industry is dominated by dihedral burins and backed bladeletse it is also characterised by some archaic features (such as keel endscrapers, transverse burins and scalene bladelets). The upper Magadalenian with bone harpoons appears soon in our region, in the Colombier rock shelter, in a fairly temperate climatic context dated according to 14C back to circa 14?000 BP. We could identify six stages within the evolution of this Upper Magdalenian.which are attested in the Colombier, Ebbou and Deux Avens Caves and in the Colombier rock shelter that has been occupied during several periods. The Magdalenian gradually changed loosing his most typical elements, the bladelets and burins supremacy has been substituted by Azilian elements (such as short endscrapers and curved backed points). But even if the Azilian process happens very early (before 12?500 BP) the Magdalenian, in its fundamental features, never disappears completely and it has never been substituted by classic Azilian. After Alleröd appears a culture characterised by the recovery of Magdalenian features similar to the Epimagdalenian defined by D. Sacchi in Gazel. The described evolution can be compared, as regard to its upper stages, to that of several sites of Rhone region as well as of the North West of France, which allow to define a culturally homogeneous province having the Rhone corridor with Ardèche as its Southern border. At the end of Palaeolithic this province broke up and Ardèche opened to the South and the Mediterranean from where seems to come the retouched large blade facies and endscrapers attested by the Colombier rock shelter dating back to 12?150 BP.     

Les conceptions religieuses et idéologiques des tribus de l’âge du bronze en Azerbaïdjan et leurs traditions

The primitive religious view of tribes in Azerbaijan Bronze Age was in close connection with nature. Fire rituals had taken the main place in ancient people’s belief.     

Les ongulés en périgord et Nord-Ouest du Quercydurant le würm III. Chronoclimatologie,paléobiogéographie,palethnologie

The studies of Ungulate associations present in Würm III deposits of Southwest France lead to state biological paleoenvironments and paleoclimates more precisely. The second climatic phasis brought to light by H. Laville in Perigord seems cold and dry and the third one (Arcy) would be the most temperate and humid phasis during the Würm III period. Two posterior climatic ameliorations (fifth phasis = «Kesselt and seventh phasis = Tursac) are separated by a colder period. From the eighth phasis, a climatic threshold is crossed; paleontological as well as geological and palynological studies show the establishment of global cold conditions which would continue after Würm III–IV «interstadial (Laugerie). This one looks like a minor humid oscillation.Although data come from geographically close sites, clear differences appear between contemporary faunal associations. In Perigord, Ungulate associations strongly vary during the first seven phasis whereas in Northwest Quercy, in Auniac plain, Reindeer dominates all along this period.Lastly, comparisons between the results of paleontological,geological and palynological studies enable us to approach the question of the game choice made by prehistoric men. The perigordian men who inhabit La Ferrassie rockshelter during the sixth climatic phasis preferentially hunt Reddeer. They deliberately give up hunting other Ungulates yet well represented in contemporary levels of not distant sites.     

Proposition méthodologique pour une étude des esthétiques du Mésolithique : une analyse sociologique-anthropologique de la fin du Tardiglaciaire et durant le Postglaciaire en Europe occidentale

Do the decorated productions cover esthetics, i.e. the whole of the symbolic systems of a culture of hunters-gatherers? How to leave this glance with the aesthetic requirements that we other Westerners, pose on all things… and to exceed the debate of the artistic expressions thought from the aesthetic point of view, like “works of art” objects and “stylistics” objects? It is out of question “to make a fetish” of the productions decorated “works of art” while placing them at the starting point with our reflexion, (Studying them from a functional, technological, typological, art for art, meaningful point of view…) but to associate another of dimensions of the aesthetic experiment, i.e., the context of the decorated productions.