Apport de la géologie marine à la détermination des sources de matières premières au paléolithique dans le massif armoricain : origine possible du silex utilisé sur les stations paléolithique inférieur de Menez‑Dregan (Plouhinec, Finistère, Fr

Lefort, Jean‐Pierre; Monnier, Jean‐Laurent; Marcoux, Nancy

doi:10.4000/quaternaire.1096

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The only accessible sources of flint are small marine flint pebbles, naturally found within the local fossil beaches, eroded from a submerged outcrop of cretaceous flint situated 40 km from the site ( fig. 13; Lefort et al, 2007). Their dimensions (max.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The paleoenvironmental data indicates that during the prehistoric occupation of layer 4 the sea level was much lower than at present and the shoreline was probably between 5 and 10 km further from the site (Lefort et al, 2007). Therefore, the deposit would have stood on top of a high promontory and opened out into a vast landscape, providing strategic shelter for palaeolithic populations who had a clear view of the plain below.…”

Section: Layermentioning

confidence: 90%

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Menez-Dregan I, layer 4: A transitional layer between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in Brittany

Ravon

Monnier²,

Laforge³

2016

Quaternary International

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International audienceMenez-Dregan I is a Lower Palaeolithic site situated at Plouhinec, Finistère, in Brittany. It is an ancient marine cave whose roof has gradually collapsed. Layer 4 from the site of Menez-Dregan I is the last occupation of this deposit, at the boundary between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic. Geological correlations tend to place layer 4 in MIS 9 or 7, although the only TL dating obtained for this level gave an age of 223 ± 23 ka. This study focuses on the lithic industry from the 1991–2004 excavations and was undertaken in order to capture the various types of technical behaviour that could illustrate the transition between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic. We present the lithic industry of this layer, which simultaneously combines Lower Palaeolithic characteristics, such as large quantities of pebble tools (due to the environment of the site), and the emergence of characteristics that are common to the Middle Palaeolithic, such as standardisation of flake production, or adapting knapping methods to the dimensions of the raw materials (discoid knapping for quartzite, bipolar flaking on an anvil for small flint pebbles). The lithic industry from layer 4 and its three levels (4a, 4b and 4c) has been analysed. Layer 4 of Menez-Dregan I has been attributed to the “Colombanian” on the basis of the composition of its lithic industry: a predominance of cobble tools amongst heavy-duty tools, retouched light-duty tools on flake-supports comprising mostly notches and denticulates, and a knapping method akin to the “SSDA – Clactonian”. The Levallois method is absent, bifaces are absent or extremely rare, and there are few scrapers. The Colombanian proves to be a Lower Palaeolithic industry contemporary with the classic Acheulean, but typologically distinct. However, standardisation of flake production leads us to foresee a change in the lithic industry of layer 4, and highlights a transitional period from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Middle Palaeolithic in the latest occupation of this deposit. This study is a contribution to the documentation of the diversity and variability of Lower and Middle Palaeolithic lithic industries, demonstrating that the large amount of cobble tools in layer 4 is an unchanged component due to environmental constraints

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Layermentioning

confidence: 90%

Menez-Dregan I, layer 4: A transitional layer between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in Brittany

Ravon

Monnier²,

Laforge³

2016

Quaternary International

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“…9). The closest cretaceous outcrop is located 40 km offshore in the Audierne bay (Lefort et al, 2007), providing flint only in the form of small marine pebbles and small cobbles. These were used by the Paleolithic populations to make their débitage products, but they were too small to produce heavy-duty tools.…”

Section: Menez-dregan: Between Colombanian and Acheuleanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menez-Dregan (Plouhinec, far western Europe): The lithic industry from layer 7 and its Acheulean components

Ravon

Gaillard²,

Monnier³

2016

Quaternary International

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International audienceThe Lower Palaeolithic site of Menez-Dregan I (Plouhinec, Finistere), located in Brittany at the very tip of western Europe, has been under excavation since 1991. It is an ancient marine cave where the roof has gradually collapsed, and hence partly protected the archaeological living floors from erosion. The fauna has not been preserved due to the acidic environment at the site, leaving only the lithic industry to show the living style of the human groups who settled there and, notably, mastered the very early lighting/control of fire in late MIS 13 or early MIS 12. Recent digging of layer 7 has provided a lithic assemblage comparable to that of the upper layers at the site and is representative of the Colombanian techno-typological facies. This Lower Palaeolithic industry is contemporary with the Acheulean but differs from it as the heavy-duty tools are mostly cobble tools (choppers). The raw materials used were directly collected from the site itself or from the surrounding pebble beaches; from this stage of collection the use of two chaines operatoires is clearly evident. The flint pebbles/cobbles are preferentially used for flake production. In most of the cases the "SSDA-Clactonian" (systeme par surface de debitage alternee) method is applied providing flakes with wide striking platforms seldom facetted, prominent bulbs and open angled ventral faces; sometimes flakes are produced by percussion on anvil; they are never Levallois. The small tool kit mainly includes denticulates and notches with a few scrapers. The heavy-duty tools mostly comprised of various types of choppers are shaped on larger cobbles selected for their rather flat, often elongated shape and for their homogenous nature sandstone or microgranite). This paper presents some specimens yielded by layer 7; although few, they are typical and definitely akin to the Acheulean techno-typological facies, especially two cleavers made on flakes (quartzite and microgranite), and two bifacial tools roughly shaped on cobbles (sandstone and quartzite), with a third one from the top of the underlying layer 8. These findings revive the question of the relationship between the Acheulean and the Colombanian. Moreover the position of the site in a setting where the natural rocks are available in the form of pebbles/cobbles, flint only as small pebbles, questions the influence of raw material on technical traditions. This provides arguments for understanding the Lower Palaeolithic variability and contributes to the debate on the definition of Acheulean

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“…Dans la Baie d'Audierne, une étude plus ciblée (Lefort et al, 2007) a montré en détail que les silex dragués en surface ne se répartissaient pas de façon quelconque sur le socle (Lapierre, 1972 ;Lefort et Peucat, 1974), mais qu'ils se localisaient préférentiellement (Saint-Réquier, 1970), soit au niveau des al eurements de craie sénonienne (qui peuvent éventuellement contenir de gros rognons de silex) en contact avec le socle paléozoïque (Andreief et al, 1969), soit à des profondeurs reconnues ailleurs autour de la Bretagne (Boillot, 1964 ;Hommeril, 1967 ;Hinschberger, 1969 ;Lefort, 1970 ;Pinot, 1974). Ces zones privilégiées correspondent à des cordons de galets délaissés par la mer lors des dif érentes régressions antérieures à l'actuel (Lefort et al, 2007 ;Danukalova et Lefort, 2009).…”

Section: La Répartition Des Silex En Manche Et à L'ouest De La Bretagneunclassified

“…En début de période glaciaire, lorsque la phase d'érosion continentale, déclenchée par l'abaissement du niveau marin, décapait les formations marines interglaciaires, les paléolithiques vivant en bordure de l'Iroise auraient pu théoriquement avoir accès aux silex des cordons abandonnés sur la pente continentale par la transgression précédente et non encore chassés par les rivières. Mais rien ne prouve que chaque transgression a remonté le stock de silex aujourd'hui échantillonné à -100 mètres et que comme en Baie d'Audierne il existait une source importante de silex dans un cordon localisé -40 mètres de profondeur (Lefort et al, 2007). Les stocks disponibles au nord du Cap Sizun étant réduits et uniquement constitués de galets de petite taille (cf.…”

Section: Pourquoi Y A-t-il Si Peu De Silex En Iroise ?unclassified

La mer d’Iroise : une singularité dans l’approvisionnement en silex des hommes du Paléolithique breton

Lefort¹,

Monnier²,

Hallégouët³

2011

rao

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Apport de la géologie marine à la détermination des sources de matières premières au paléolithique dans le massif armoricain : origine possible du silex utilisé sur les stations paléolithique inférieur de Menez‑Dregan (Plouhinec, Finistère, Fr

Cited by 12 publications

References 12 publications

Menez-Dregan I, layer 4: A transitional layer between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in Brittany

Menez-Dregan I, layer 4: A transitional layer between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in Brittany

Menez-Dregan (Plouhinec, far western Europe): The lithic industry from layer 7 and its Acheulean components

La mer d’Iroise : une singularité dans l’approvisionnement en silex des hommes du Paléolithique breton

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