GERLAND (1530 M) AND LA MARE (1610 M), TWO HOLOCENE OPEN-AIR STATIONS AT
HIGH ALTITUDE IN VERCORS (WESTERN FRENCH ALPS)
First Results From the Study of Lithic Technology
Alexandre ANGELIN
Where The Wild Things Are:
Recent Advances in Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Research
March 24-25th, 2012
Durham University, UK
University of Toulouse 2-Le Mirail (France)/TRACES UMR 5608
[email protected]
1
1 - INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVES:
During the Holocene period, the range of Vercors (figure 1) has been the theatre of multiple
human occupations. When Late Paleolithic people used to settle at low range altitude (porch of
caves and rock shelters), the end of the Late Glacial is well characterized by a movement of
people at high altitude.
For the past three decades, surveys and test excavations made in altitude (above 1400 m. a.s.l.)
by different archaeologist such as P. Bintz or R. Picavet, have mostly revealed open-air occupations attributed to Middle Mesolithic mixed with very few sets from Late Mesolithic and Early
Neolithic (figure 2).
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This work and the preliminary results to follow have been based on the study of lithic industry for
the comprehension of modalities of human occupations at high altitude.
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2 - MATERIAL FOR STUDY & METHODOLOGY:
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In these open-air contexts, it’s very important to notice the absence of stratigraphic sequences
(figure 3), which make the assemblages very heterogeneous. The first methodological approach
of this work is the identification of strong cultural evidence from the study of typological materials. The comparison with very well stratified settlements in the area (however not completely
studied: Grande Rivoire, Pas de la Charmate…) is the key for the identification and the understanding of specific prehistoric culture at high altitude.
This typological approach together with the technological study of the different chaînes opératoires make it possible to replace Gerland and La Mare in a chronological and cultural sequence
of prehistory of Vercors.
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Figure 2 – Map of Vercors with Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sites excavated.
(CAD: A. Angelin, Cartography: C. Bernard)
ACQUISITION OF FLINT OUTSIDE THE SITE
ACQUISITION OF FLINT OUTSIDE THE SITE
PREPARATION OF THE CORES
PREPARATION OF THE CORES
- Opening of the back, the slopes and the striking platform by
irregular and cortical flakes.
5
1
4
5
1’
4
Creation of a frontal crest
?
2’
3
?
Creation of a neocrest
PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION
Creation of a neocrest
- Small bladelets with a width of 5-7 mm by
direct soft-hammer percussion.
- Large blades with a standard width of
12-14 mm, most probably by indirect percussion.
MAINTENANCE
- Maintenance flakes and blades of laminar tables
and slopes,
- Extraction of tablets.
MAINTENANCE
- Maintenance flakes of laminar tables and slopes,
- Large and thick flakes for the maintenance of
the stricking platforms as well as the laminar tables.
CONFECTION
CONFECTION
- Geometrical arrowheads,
- End-scrapers,
- Blades with irregular side
removals.
- Backed bladelets,
- Truncated backed bladelets,
- Crescents...
UTILISATION
of retouched tools
Phases:
principals
Rejection of used or broken tools
and maintenance flakes
0
secondaries
Figure 4 – SET A, Middle Mesolithic débitage
5cm
Phases:
principals
secondaries
0
Figure 5 – SET B, Early Neolithic débitage
5cm
In this station the assemblage seems a little bit more homogeneous than in Gerland. However, the presence of both geometrical arrowheads and irregular side removals on blades, which are very similar to Late Mesolithic’s “Montbani blades”, as
well as the absence of a complete chaîne opératoire, do not allow us to attribute the
assemblage to a very specific period. However, and unlike Gerland, this set can be
referred to a very short period, to a Meso-Neolithic transition.
4. SYNTHESIS (FIGURE 7) & PERSPECTIVES
4000
2521
Bronze
1258
B
B
Chronological Periods :
B
B
Final
3000
B.C.
cal.
Subboreal
B.P.
NR
17000
Late
Middle
Neolithic
Middle
Middle Mesolithic
NA
NA
Early Mesolithic
MN
MR
SM
MR
MR
MR
SM
SM
MR
SM
SA
SA
Late Paleolithic
SM
SA
Cultural Periods :
SA
MA
MA
MA
Late
Early
Late Mesolithic
Epipaleolithic
MG
AZ
Magdalenian
SA
SM
CA
Early Sauveterrian
Azilian
Middle Sauveterrian
Castelnovian
C dating
14
AZ
AZ
MG
Vercors
Porch of Caves and Rock-shelters sites
L
(1 a M
61 ar
0m e
)
G
(1 erla
53 n
0m d
)
Pr
é
(1 Pe
59 yr
0 m et
)
Gr
an
d
(5 e R
80 iv
m oir
e
)
Pa
sd
e
(9 l’E
80 ch
m ell
)
e
lm
(6 e-R
50 ou
m sse
)
17211
NA
Ba
16000
NA
C
(5 oufi
50 n
m
)
16323
«Meso-Neolithic» Transition
NA
Early
AllerØd
15000
Bölling
15148
PLENIGLACIAL
14000
Late glacial
13723
MN
Dryas II
Dryas I
13000
Middle
11907
Early Neolithic
Final
12000
NA
Late
10924
Late/Final Neolithic
Middle Neolithic
NM
SA
Middle
11000
NR
NM
Early
Boreal
9522
Dryas III
10000
Preboreal
8252
Epipaleolithic
9000
Mesolithic
6938
Late Paleolithic
8000
NR
NM
MN
Late
5909
NR
P
Ch as d
(1 arm e la
10 a
0 m te
)
7000
4890
Atlantic
6000
3756
Holocene
5000
Bronze Age
Vercors
Open-air sites
18216
Figure 7 – Chrono-cultural sequence of main archeological sites in Vercors
Figure 3 – Stratigraphy observed in the excavation tests 2 & 8 of Gerland. In this context, the sedimentary layer is very thin and the lithic
assemblage is very heterogeneous.
(Original drawing: R. Picavet, CAD: A. Angelin)
B. LA MARE (FIGURE 6)
Resharpening
of some geometrical
arrowheads by direct
retouches
Rejection of used or broken tools
and maintenance flakes
of retouched tools
0,50 m
flakes,
incorrect blades,
debris...
flakes,
incorrect bladelets,
debris...
UTILISATION
0,25
Two different sets of tools have been identified in this station. Technologically, and
for both of them, it has been possible to reconstruct a complete chaîne opératoire,
from the preparation of the cores to the rejection of used or broken tools:
SET A (figure 4): The technology is geared toward obtaining small bladelets (or
microblades), with a width of 5-7 mm by direct soft-hammer percussion from unidirectional bladelet cores, for the creation of microliths (backed bladelets, crescents…). These tools are then probably side hafted in arrows, and are characteristic of a Middle Mesolithic.
SET B (figure 5): The “débitage” is aimed at obtaining blades, with a width of
12-14 mm by indirect percussion from unidirectional blade cores, for the creation
of geometrical arrowheads. Arrowheads are manufactured by fractioning of the
blade by inflection and by inverse bitruncations, followed, most of the time, by
direct low angle retouches. This technology points to an Early Neolithic.
2’
1’
2
1/10
0
Humus, archeologic horizon
Thin gravel sand in a fat clay
Sterile yellow layer (feels like tufa)
Urgonian limestone (bedrock)
A. GERLAND (FIGURES 4 & 5)
Rejection
1
Gerland: Stratigraphy of the excavation test 2 & 8
3 - MAIN RESULTS:
- Opening of the back, the slopes and the striking platform by
irregular and cortical flakes and blades.
Tested cores
W
Gerland (Gresse-en-Vercors) and La Mare in Pas de l’Aiguille (Chichilianne), both excavated in
1999 and 2005 by R. Picavet and S. Bernard-Guelle were chosen for this study and delivered no
less than 2000 lithic artifacts.
36'66')
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Figure 1 – The plateau of Vercors (Western French Alps).
Picture:C. Bernard
As we said before (Cf. Introduction), human occupations at
high altitude in Vercors were mostly attributed to a Middle
Mesolithic. The complete Middle Mesolithic’s chaîne opératoire identified in Gerland confirms this data. The comparison
with other settlements in the area, such as Pré Peyret
(excavations R. Picavet), tells us that this assemblage can
be culturally referred to an Early and/or Middle Sauveterrian.
Nevertheless, the thirty geometrical arrowheads identified
along with a complete chaîne opératoire linked to it, show
contacts with Mediterranean Neolithic or very Late Mesolithic groups, themselves (perhaps) in contact with “farmers”.
Compared to La Grande Rivoire (excavations P.-Y. Nicod
and R. Picavet), this set can be attributed to an Early Neolithic period and most probably referred to the Epicardial culture.
The assemblage from La Mare, however, with the absence
of a complete chaîne opératoire, cannot be linked to a specific chronological period or culture. It is what we call, in
these contexts, a “mixed set”, typical from this Meso-Neolithic transition.
Further research and excavations in the plateau of Vercors are necessary to improve our knowledge of prehistoric
occupations in altitude. However, in these open-air contexts, a very specific culture cannot be identified until a very
well stratified rock shelter site is completely studied. It is only then that further investigations could be pursued as
well as an extensive study on the characterization and function of high altitude settlements.
1
2
3
0
4
5
5cm
6
7
8
Figure 6 – Lithic materials from La Mare. 1. Blade core. 2-3. Blades with irregular
direct and inverse side removals. 4-6. Geometrical arrowheads (4. Alterne bitruncations and direct low angles retouches, 5. Inverse bitruncation and direct low angles retouches, 6. Direct bitruncation). 7-8. Montbani’s blades. (Drawings 1-3, 7-8 : R.
Picavet).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
This work is part of a Master 2 research performed at the University of Toulouse 2-Le Mirail under the
direction of Thomas Perrin (CNRS – UMR 5608 TRACES). I’d like to thank him as well as Régis
Picavet (Paleotime/UMR 6636 LAMPEA) for all their advices and the loan of the collections.