A techno-economic approach to the Mousterian of Pradayrol (Caniac-du-Causse, Lot, France): An example of the complementary management of quartz and flints during the late Middle Palaeolithic in Quercy, balancing mobility of lithic resources and adaptation to local raw materials

摘要

The Mousterian locus at Pradayrol (Caniac-du-Causse, Lot, France) produced an important lithic assemblage, composed primarily of quartz, alongside a varied flint component. Our technological analysis reveals the presence of several chains operatoires adapted to the morphology and mechanical properties of different raw materials. This is especially evident in the use of the bipolar on-anvil technique on quartz cobbles and discoidal flaking methods on both quartz and relatively local flints. Flint from the Perigord region provides evidence for a fragmented and ramified Levallois chain operatoire, different from that observed with local raw materials. These techno-economic features are similar to those documented for many late Middle Palaeolithic assemblages in the Quercy. The Neanderthal occupation of Pradayrol seems to reflect a balance between technical know-how and adaptations to the raw material constraints. (C) 2018 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.