Le Moustérien à outils bifaciaux dans le Massif armoricain : première lecture technologique

Abstract

Technological study of bifacial tools from a Mousterian industry in the Armorican Massif; example of the site of Bois-du-Rocher (Saint-Hélen, Côtes ď Armor). Known since the 19th century in the Armorican Massif from two production sites, Le Bois-du-Rocher (Côtes-d 'Armor) and Kervouster (Finistère), Mousterian bifacial tool industries can be considered as an essential component of settlement during the Late Pleistocene. The site of Bois-du-Rocher provides a glossy sandstone industry, dated to the Middle Palaeolithic, now recognized as a Mousterian industry of bifacial tools. The principal characteristic is the bifacial treatment, with most of the industry made from flake supports. The aim of this technical choice seems to be the creation of special volumetric constructions, linked with functional reasons, to create specific functional features. The emphasis is on the link between the morphological approach of the support and functional possibilities for cutting. This bifacial phenomenon is examined from different points of view to find a suitable schema of technological interpretation. Artefacts are not considered merely from a typological aspect, but as an association of different units combining active and prehensive sections.

Spatio-temporal variation in late Middle Palaeolithic Neanderthal behaviour: British bout coupé handaxes as a case study

“…Sometimes these occur in the absence of handaxes in the same raw material, further demonstrating the mobility of these elements (Soressi, 2002;Faivre, 2006;Wragg Sykes, 2010). Habitual resharpening and repair, alongside other secondary modifications (including percussion marks), suggest that handaxes formed a similarly dynamic part of the late Middle Palaeolithic toolkit (Soressi, 2002;Launay and Molines, 2005;Claud, 2008;Wragg Sykes, 2009Thi ebaut et al, 2010;Iovita, 2014). For example, some bifaces were recycled and reused as cores, e.g.…”