Supply distances and territories in south-west France through the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic: a petro-techno-economic approach

摘要

It is now well-acknowledged that the passage from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic was not a clear break in Europe, but more closely resembled a mosaic of innovations (art, ornament and osseous industries) that first appeared during the Middle Palaeolithic. However, one strong position reveals a clear distinction between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic: human groups from the Middle Palaeolithic mainly exploited lithic raw materials from a very limited area around campsites (less than 50 km), whereas during the Upper Palaeolithic it is common to find evidence of lithic raw material circulating within several hundred kilometres. Here, we present a comparative study of two French sites: Abri Pataud (Dordogne) from the Upper Palaeolithic and Baume-Vallée (Haute-Loire) from the Middle Palaeolithic, based on a combined analysis of petrographic, technological and economic data that we refer to as a petro-techno-economic (PTE) approach. From a methodological point of view, studies of both Abri Pataud and Baume-Vallée show the importance of the PTE approach since it helps to trace not only supply distances or territories, but also the management routes within these territories. These sites reveal a huge supply area extending over several hundred kilometres around the main site. This is common for the Upper Palaeolithic but is exceptional for the Middle Palaeolithic. Our paper discusses Middle Palaeolithic raw material management using the same terms, models and questions as for the Upper Palaeolithic.