Des chasseurs en embuscade ? Les témoins de la présence humaine autour de l'Igue du Gral : caractérisation des vestiges lithiques « piégés » par l'aven et hypothèses d'introduction

Résumé fourni par la source

Hunters on the lookout ? Evidence of human activity around a natural trap : nature and origin of the lithic assemblages from Igue du Gral.- While the faunal remains from Igue du Gral do not show evidence of anthropic exploitation, several lithic artifacts were discovered within each biostratigraphic units. Petrographic and typo-technologic analyses of these small assemblages (52 artifacts in total, mostly from dated stratigraphic units ; flint=27, quartz and quartzite=25) was intended to (1) highlight possible markers in order to discuss the chronocultural significance, coherence and specificity of each set of artifacts in comparison with the available radiometric framework and (2) propose and discuss hypothesis explaining the reasons for the presence of such artifacts in this natural trap. Despite the existence of several retouched pieces, among which several backed bladelets (N=5 from 8 flint tools), the scarcity and main characteristics of the assemblages do not allow to propose reliable chronocultural attributions. Apart from the non-stratified lithic remains, these assemblages are broadly similar from one unit to another and show typo-technologic features combinations that fit with Upper Palaeolithic sensu lato (i.e. blades and bladelets). Considering the absence of evidence of anthropic carcasses processing, several non-exclusive hypothesis may be proposed to explain these findings in such a natural faunal accumulation : brought by the animals themselves, wounded or not (into the fur, beneath de hoofs) and/or through natural inflows from one or several external “archaeological source(s)”.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.