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International audience; In southern Africa, key technologies and symbolic behaviors develop as early as the later Middle Stone Age in MIS5. These innovations arise independently in various places, contexts and forms, until their full expression during the Still Bay and the Howiesons Poort. The Middle Stone Age sequence from Diepkloof Rock Shelter, on the West Coast of the region, preserves archaeological proxies that help unravelling the cultural processes at work. This unit yields one of the oldest abstract engraving so far discovered in Africa, in the form of a rhomboid marking on the cortical surface of an ungulate long bone shaft. The comprehensive analysis of the lithic artefacts and ochre pieces found in association with the engraved bone documents the transport of rocks over long distance (>20km), the heat treatment of silcrete, the coexistence of seven lithic reduction strategies (including the production of bladelets and the manufacture of unifacial and bifacial points), the use of adhesives and the processing of ochre. At Diepkloof, the appearance of engraving practices take place in a context that demonstrates a shift in rock procurement and a diversification in lithic reduction strategies, suggesting that these behavioral practices acted as a cultural answer to cope with new environmental and/or socioeconomic circumstances. We argue that the innovations later found during the Still Bay and the Howiesons Poort were already in the making during the MIS5 pre-Still Bay, though not all the benefits were yet taken advantage of by the populations.

The widespread use of ochre during Oxygen Isotope Stage 5 and 4 in South Africa has often been interpreted as reflecting complex behaviours amongst modern human populations. The Howiesons Poort is one of the most documented techno-complexes identified within this timeframe. It is associated with an intensification of a combination of innovative technical and symbolic behaviours. Despite the notable focus on ochre use, detailed analyses of Howiesons Poort assemblages in this respect are rare. New data on ochre exploitation from the Howiesons Poort of Klasies River main site are presented in this paper. We used non-destructive microscopic, colorimetric and chemical analyses ( SEM - EDS , XRD ) in order to describe the raw materials and the transformation of a selected sample from the Singer and Wymer ochre collection. This sample is composed of red and yellow ferruginous rocks (shale, ferricrete, siltstone and sandstone), along with whitish lumps (calcium phosphates). These lumps may have an anthropogenic origin and may be considered as pigments. Some of the red ochre pieces were probably deliberately heated. Our results enhance the impression of complexity emerging from the technical processes mastered by Howiesons Poort populations. Comparison with other Howiesons Poort ochre assemblages allows a discussion of regional variability and ‘connections’ between the sites. The scale and organization of social interactions in the Howiesons Poort are questioned.L’usage recurrent d’ocre rouge au cours des stades isotopiques 4 et 5 en Afrique du Sud a souvent ete interprete comme un temoin de comportements complexes chez les populations d’Homme moderne. L’Howiesons Poort est l’un des technocomplexes associes a ce territoire et cette periode parmi les mieux documentes. Malgre l’interet croissant porte aux vestiges d’ocre rouge dans ce contexte, l’analyse detaillee d’assemblages Howiesons Poort reste marginale. Nous presentons ici de nouvelles donnees sur l’exploitation de l’ocre rouge dans les niveaux Howiesons Poort de Klasies River main site. Les modalites de selection et de transformation des matieres premieres ont ete determinees a partir de l’analyse technologique (marques de percussion, traces d’usure), colorimetrique, et physico-chimique ( MEB-EDS , Difffraction de rayons X), d’un echantillon de la collection Singer et Wymer. Ce corpus est compose de roches ferrugineuses rouges et jaunes, ainsi que de fragments ou « boulettes » blanchâtres de phosphate de calcium. Ces objets pourraient avoir une origine anthropique et avoir ete utilises comme pigments. Plusieurs des objets rouges presentent des indices de chauffe, qui pourrait etre intentionnelle. Nos resultats renforcent l’idee de complexite dans les procedes techniques maitrises par les populations Howiesons Poort. Une comparaison avec d’autres collections d’ocre Howiesons Poort permet de discuter de l’existence de variations regionales mais egalement de « connexions » entre sites. Cette comparaison ouvre de nouvelles questions sur l’echelle et la nature des interactions sociales entre groupes Howiesons Poort.This article is in English.

International audience

International audience; Neanderthal material culture patterning in Western Europe has been primarily approached from retouched stone tools and associated flake production methods. While considerable effort has been devoted over the past decade to better characterize Middle Palaeolithic lithic techno-complexes (LTCs) in this region, the extent to which they reflect cultural groups still remains unclear. In this respect, integrating other forms of archaeological evidence could provide valuable insights on the cultural significance of late Middle Palaeolithic industrial variability. The site of Combe-Grenal (Dordogne, France) has yielded consistent evidence of mineral pigment use throughout the upper part of the sequence. Here we explore whether mineral pigments might be embedded with an indexical meaning and if changes in pigment exploitation potentially reflect cultural changes. We combined a microscopic use-wear approach with SEM-EDS, pXRF, and XRD analyses of 73 pigment fragments from layers 26 to 11 in order to reconstruct the different stages of their acquisition and use (provenance, selection, processing, function). Our results show manganese oxides to have been used in the lower layers of the Quina LTC, while red and/or yellow iron oxide pieces were employed during the Discoid and Discoid/Levallois LTCs. This decrease in manganese oxide use correlates with a change in lithic technology and may represent some form of cultural change.

Naturally occurring and deeply coloured iron-bearing materials were exploited very early on by human populations. The characterization of these materials has proven useful for addressing several archaeological issues, such as the study of technical behaviors, group mobility, and the reconstruction of cultural dynamics. However, this work poses some critical methodological questions. In this paper, we will review ochre studies by focusing on the analytical methods employed, the limits of non-invasive methods, as well as examples of some quality research addressing specific issues (raw material selection and provenience, heat treatment). We will then present a methodological approach that aims to identify the instrumental limits and the post-depositional alterations that significantly impact the results of the non-invasive analysis of cohesive ochre fragments from Diepkloof rock Shelter, South Africa. We used ochre materials recuperated in both archaeological and geological contexts, and we compared non-invasive surface analyses by XRD, scanning electron microscopy coupled with dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDXS), and particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) with invasive analysis of powder pellets and sections from the same samples. We conclude that non-invasive SEM-EDXS and PIXE analyses provide non-representative results when the number of measurements is too low and that post-depositional alterations cause significant changes in the mineralogical and major element composition at the surface of archaeological pieces. Such biases, now identified, must be taken into account in future studies in order to propose a rigorous framework for developing archaeological inferences.

As an unambiguous indication of complex cognitive capacity, representational art presents explicit evidence for modern and symbolic human behaviour. The only examples of African figurative art dating to the Late Pleistocene comprise seven stone plaques recovered from Apollo 11 Cave in the Huns Mountains, southern Namibia. The plaques derive from a single anthropogenic layer dated by radiocarbon ( 14 C) accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and optically simulated luminescence (OSL) methods to c. 30 000 years ago. We present the results of digital (CIE) L*a*b* colourimetric and portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), Raman spectroscopic and Fourier transform infrared reflectance (FT-IR) analyses of the pigments present on the plaques. These results provide the earliest direct evidence, in Africa, for the preparation of pigment-based paint-like mixtures and their application to create prehistoric art. Our research shows that in the creation of the depictions on the plaques, the artists used black pigments derived from manganese and charcoal, red pigments likely derived from ocherous shale and white pigments possibly derived from ostrich eggshell. Additionally, these plaques provide unique evidence for the combined use of mineral- and carbon-based pigment ‘crayons’ during the African Middle Stone Age.

Découverte en 1990, la grotte-abri de Peyrazet (Creysse, Lot, France) se situe dans le Haut-Quercy en bordure du causse de Martel, à quelques centaines de mètres du cours actuel de la Dordogne. Les fouilles menées depuis 2008 livrent une archéoséquence du Tardiglaciaire qui permet de combler certaines lacunes documentaires régionales et plus largement du Sud-Ouest de la France. Au Magdalénien supérieur succède un niveau ayant donné des indices d’un Azilien sensu lato stratigraphiquement séparé du Laborien, ensemble supérieur qui fait l’objet de cet article. Jusqu’alors ce technocomplexe de la fin du Pléistocène et des débuts de l’Holocène demeurait mal connu dans la région. En effet, seuls des travaux anciens menés dans deux gisements permettaient de noter sa présence en Quercy. La découverte d’un ensemble laborien récent (ou Épilaborien) à Peyrazet est l’occasion de conduire une étude collective des divers vestiges dans un cadre archéostratigraphique mieux maîtrisé. L’analyse géoarchéologique met en évidence l’action conjointe du ruissellement et de l’éboulisation comme principaux responsables de la mise en place des dépôts. Dans la partie S-O du site, un lithofaciès de remaniement indique une bioturbation importante en lien avec le creusement de terriers. Bien que leur origine ne soit pas liée aux activités humaines, les rongeurs, les oiseaux, les poissons et les mésomammifères (excepté le lièvre) apportent des données concernant l’environnement des chasseurs-cueilleurs. La grande faune est dominée par le cerf dont les carcasses pourraient avoir été introduites incomplètes sur le site puis traitées pour en extraire la viande et la moelle. Nous avons bénéficié d’une analyse fonctionnelle croisée à l’étude typo-technologique des vestiges lithiques composés pour l’essentiel de silex locaux et régionaux. Ce double regard a permis de mettre en évidence une diversité d’activités mise en œuvre dans la cavité. Une pièce d’ocre rouge, quelques vestiges d’industrie osseuse et des éléments de parure participent également à la description d’une large gamme de tâches effectuées lors d’un séjour prolongé ou de plusieurs occupations successives. La comparaison des pointes de chasse microlithiques avec d’autres gisements sur une vaste échelle géographique conduit à discuter l’attribution de cet ensemble supérieur à différentes phases du Laborien. L’hypothèse d’un Laborien récent (ou Épilaborien) conduit à réfléchir à une perduration de morphotypes ancestraux parallèlement à de nouveaux types d’armatures, observation déjà réalisée notamment à La Borie del Rey dans le Haut-Agenais mais qui demande encore des précisions et de nouvelles découvertes. Discovered in 1990, Peyrazet cave-rock shelter (Creysse, Lot) lies in the Haut-Quercy region at the limits of the Martel limestone plateau, several hundred meters from the current Dordogne River valley. Excavations begun in 2008 produced a Late Glacial archaeo-sequence that sheds new light on several still poorly understood aspects of the archeological record in both the Haut-Quercy region and southwestern France in general. The level overlying the Late Magdalenian occupation produced limited evidence for the Azilian and is stratigraphically separated from the Laborian. This latter techno-complex, dated to the end of the Pleistocene and early Holocene, remains poorly documented in the region, having only been previously identified from two sites in the Quercy. The discovery of a recent Laborian (Epilaborian) occupation at Peyrazet presented the ideal occasion for a collaborative study of the diverse archaeological material recovered from this well-understood archaeo-stratigraphic context. A geoarchaeological analysis produced evidence for both surface runoff and the accumulation of coarse deposits (éboulis) as the principal site formation processes. In the southwest area of the site, a reworked lithofacies demonstrates substantial bioturbation in connection with animal burrowing. Although the presence of rodent, bird, fish, and medium-sized mammals (except hare) cannot be definitively connected to human activity, they nevertheless provide important information concerning the environments exploited by hunter-gatherer groups. Larger species are dominated by red deer whose carcasses were partially processed before being introduced to the site, where meat was subsequently removed and marrow consumed. A functional analysis combined with a typo-technological study of the primarily locally- and regionally-procured lithic material revealed evidence for diverse activities having taken place on-site. An ochre fragment, several bone tools and ornaments equally indicate a large variety of tasks to have been carried out during a single, long occupation or several successive visits. A typo-technological comparison of hunting weaponry (microliths) from sites across a substantial area suggests the assemblage to represent either a Laborian/Epilaborian mix or a unique Epilaborian occupation. This latter case would indicate the persistence of older morphotypes alongside the development of new tools forms, a situation already identified at Borie del Rey in the Haut-Agenais but which requires more detailed study supported by new discoveries.

Usually referred to in archaeological contexts simply as ‘ochre’, ferruginous rocks were commonly used during the Middle Stone Age (MSA) in South Africa. While ochre use by early modern humans has often been interpreted as reflecting complex behaviours, related procurement strategies and selection criteria remain poorly documented. Eight ochre sources from the surroundings of Diepkloof rock shelter in South Africa and 28 ochre pieces from the site's MSA levels were studied by XRD, ICP–OES and ICP–MS. Mineralogical and geochemical data demonstrate that ochre was both locally procured and transported to the site from more distant sources. Here, we investigate the reasons underlying the choice of particular local and non-local ochre sources exploited at Diepkloof, emphasizing differences in their physico-chemical properties. Regardless of the motivations behind ochre selection, our data shed new light on the behavioural complexity of MSA societies and suggest that ochre procurement strategies may be independent of subsistence concerns.

Depictive and abstract representations produced by drawing-known from Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia after 40,000 years ago-are a prime indicator of modern cognition and behaviour

International audience; Abstract and depictive representations produced by drawing—known from Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia after 40,000 years ago—are a prime indicator of modern cognition and behaviour1. Here we report a cross-hatched pattern drawn with an ochre crayon on a ground silcrete flake recovered from approximately 73,000-year-old Middle Stone Age levels at Blombos Cave, South Africa. Our microscopic and chemical analyses of the pattern confirm that red ochre pigment was intentionally applied to the flake with an ochre crayon. The object comes from a level associated with stone tools of the Still Bay techno-complex that has previously yielded shell beads, cross-hatched engravings on ochre pieces and a variety of innovative technologies2,3,4,5. This notable discovery pre-dates the earliest previously known abstract and figurative drawings by at least 30,000 years. This drawing demonstrates the ability of early Homo sapiens in southern Africa to produce graphic designs on various media using different techniques.

Beads and pigments represent compelling evidence that humans decorated their bodies and used them to convey complex social messages. While the manufacturing process of ostrich eggshell and marine shell beads is firmly established, their common association with pigment residues still remains poorly understood. Here, we focus on various types of beads from the early Holocene of Bushman Rock Shelter (Limpopo, South Africa), namely ostrich eggshell, giant land snail ( Achatina sp.) shell and marine shell ( Nassarius kraussianus ) beads. We propose a new approach combining a technological and use-wear study of the beads with chemical analyses (SEM-EDS and Raman analyses) of the coloured residues they bear. Together with the discovery of marine beads, of particular interest since they originate more than 240 km away from the site, our detailed study of the beads and associated pigment residues demonstrates a complex system of ornamental representation. We identified a minimum of two types of red compound ‘recipes’, with evidence that one was employed as adhesive while the other one might be consistent with the production of a pigment. Non-local minerals were recognised in adhesive recipes, namely chromite and ilmenite in one case, and graphite in the other. We further discuss ornamental traditions, their social implications and their increasing importance at the onset of the Holocene in southern Africa.

Evidence supporting the hypothesis that Neanderthals developed cultural adaptations comparable to those associated with the Upper Palaeolithic is controversial, and come from a handful of sites, mainly attributed to the Châtelperronian. Pigments play a growing role in this debate. We present a critical review of available information on Châtelperronian pigment use, and submit pigment lumps from three Châtelperronian sites, Roc-de-Combe (Lot), Le Baste, and Bidart (Pyrenees Atlantiques) to a microscopic, elemental and mineralogical analysis using multifocus optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, XRF, Raman, and μXRD techniques. The thirty-nine pigment lumps from Roc-de-Combe consist of a great variety of red and black iron and manganese oxide rich rocks, probably collected at close and relatively distant sources. A third of the pieces from Roc-de-Combe and one piece from Bidart and Le Baste bear percussion marks and facets produced by grinding. Our results demonstrate that a consistent use of pigments, interpreted as reflecting site function, occurs at sites located in the South-western area of the known distribution of the Châtelperronian. Considering that this area is distant from the location of the earliest Proto-Aurignacian and Early Aurignacian sites from Germany and Austria, and that available radiocarbon dating indicate a chronological anteriority of Roc-de-Combe Châtelperronian, we argue that the hypothesis that Châtelperronian pigment use results from Neanderthal ‘acculturation’ is improbable.

International audience; This paper presents the first multidisciplinary synthesis of the Middle Stone Age sequence of Diepkloof Rock Shelter (South Africa). We explore the main cultural changes that characterized southern African hunter-gatherer societies from OIS 5 to the beginning of OIS 3. We discuss the tempo of these changes, test the current interpretative hypotheses and explore an empirical model to explain the early appearance of symbolic marking within the Pleistocene hunter-gather societies of southern Africa. Major technological and cultural innovations appear in one form or another during OIS 5 in southern Africa, a period characterized by the coexistence of multiple, distinct technological traditions. We argue that the formation of regional identities in southern Africa would have favoured and increased cultural interactions between groups at a local scale, providing a favourable context for the development and diffusion of innovations. In the West Coast of South Africa, the main cultural innovations appear within the Howiesons Poort. It is within this context that we postulate a change in regional networks and population dynamics, leading to the success of the HP technology across southern Africa. The southern African data suggest that the history of modern humans has been characterized by multiple and independent evolutionary trajectories and that different paths and scenarios existed towards the adoption of 'modern' hunter-gatherer lifestyles.

Although no paintings are associated with archaeological contexts before the end of the Middle Stone Age, hundreds of ochre pieces were discovered on numerous southern African sites suggesting a lasting tradition of ochre use. The variability and the significance of ochre exploitation remain however poorly documented. The MSA site of Diepkloof Rock Shelter (Western Cape Province, South Africa) offers an ideal opportunity to discuss questions of ochre procurement, processing, and use over a long sequence. This study develops an original methodology based on observations on one hand, and SEM-EDS, XRD and Raman spectrometry analyses on the other hand. By comparing raw materials with our geological database, we show that some iron-rich raw materials were collected more than 20 km from the site. Such long-distance procurement combined with other elements of the overall context suggests a planning of procurement. One main chaine operatoire based on grinding was identified at Diepkloof. In comparison with other South African sites, we observed no evidence for use as loading agent in adhesives. We conclude that ochre use may follow regional cultural patterns.

Découverte en 1990, la grotte-abri de Peyrazet (Creysse, Lot, France) se situe dans le Haut-Quercy en bordure du causse de Martel, à quelques centaines de mètres du cours actuel de la Dordogne. Les fouilles menées depuis 2008 livrent une archéoséquence du Tardiglaciaire qui permet de combler certaines lacunes documentaires régionales et plus largement du Sud-Ouest de la France. Au Magdalénien supérieur succède un niveau ayant donné des indices d’un Azilien sensu lato stratigraphiquement séparé du Laborien, ensemble supérieur qui fait l’objet de cet article. Jusqu’alors ce technocomplexe de la fin du Pléistocène et des débuts de l’Holocène demeurait mal connu dans la région. En effet, seuls des travaux anciens menés dans deux gisements permettaient de noter sa présence en Quercy. La découverte d’un ensemble laborien récent (ou Épilaborien) à Peyrazet est l’occasion de conduire une étude collective des divers vestiges dans un cadre archéostratigraphique mieux maîtrisé. L’analyse géoarchéologique met en évidence l’action conjointe du ruissellement et de l’éboulisation comme principaux responsables de la mise en place des dépôts. Dans la partie S-O du site, un lithofaciès de remaniement indique une bioturbation importante en lien avec le creusement de terriers. Bien que leur origine ne soit pas liée aux activités humaines, les rongeurs, les oiseaux, les poissons et les mésomammifères (excepté le lièvre) apportent des données concernant l’environnement des chasseurs-cueilleurs. La grande faune est dominée par le cerf dont les carcasses pourraient avoir été introduites incomplètes sur le site puis traitées pour en extraire la viande et la moelle. Nous avons bénéficié d’une analyse fonctionnelle croisée à l’étude typo-technologique des vestiges lithiques composés pour l’essentiel de silex locaux et régionaux. Ce double regard a permis de mettre en évidence une diversité d’activités mise en œuvre dans la cavité. Une pièce d’ocre rouge, quelques vestiges d’industrie osseuse et des éléments de parure participent également à la description d’une large gamme de tâches effectuées lors d’un séjour prolongé ou de plusieurs occupations successives. La comparaison des pointes de chasse microlithiques avec d’autres gisements sur une vaste échelle géographique conduit à discuter l’attribution de cet ensemble supérieur à différentes phases du Laborien. L’hypothèse d’un Laborien récent (ou Épilaborien) conduit à réfléchir à une perduration de morphotypes ancestraux parallèlement à de nouveaux types d’armatures, observation déjà réalisée notamment à La Borie del Rey dans le Haut-Agenais mais qui demande encore des précisions et de nouvelles découvertes. Discovered in 1990, Peyrazet cave-rock shelter (Creysse, Lot) lies in the Haut-Quercy region at the limits of the Martel limestone plateau, several hundred meters from the current Dordogne River valley. Excavations begun in 2008 produced a Late Glacial archaeo-sequence that sheds new light on several still poorly understood aspects of the archeological record in both the Haut-Quercy region and southwestern France in general. The level overlying the Late Magdalenian occupation produced limited evidence for the Azilian and is stratigraphically separated from the Laborian. This latter techno-complex, dated to the end of the Pleistocene and early Holocene, remains poorly documented in the region, having only been previously identified from two sites in the Quercy. The discovery of a recent Laborian (Epilaborian) occupation at Peyrazet presented the ideal occasion for a collaborative study of the diverse archaeological material recovered from this well-understood archaeo-stratigraphic context. A geoarchaeological analysis produced evidence for both surface runoff and the accumulation of coarse deposits (éboulis) as the principal site formation processes. In the southwest area of the site, a reworked lithofacies demonstrates substantial bioturbation in connection with animal burrowing. Although the presence of rodent, bird, fish, and medium-sized mammals (except hare) cannot be definitively connected to human activity, they nevertheless provide important information concerning the environments exploited by hunter-gatherer groups. Larger species are dominated by red deer whose carcasses were partially processed before being introduced to the site, where meat was subsequently removed and marrow consumed. A functional analysis combined with a typo-technological study of the primarily locally- and regionally-procured lithic material revealed evidence for diverse activities having taken place on-site. An ochre fragment, several bone tools and ornaments equally indicate a large variety of tasks to have been carried out during a single, long occupation or several successive visits. A typo-technological comparison of hunting weaponry (microliths) from sites across a substantial area suggests the assemblage to represent either a Laborian/Epilaborian mix or a unique Epilaborian occupation. This latter case would indicate the persistence of older morphotypes alongside the development of new tools forms, a situation already identified at Borie del Rey in the Haut-Agenais but which requires more detailed study supported by new discoveries.

The red disks from El Castillo Cave are among the earliest known cave paintings. Here, we combine the morphometric and technological study of red disks from two areas located at the end of the cave with the microscopic, elemental, and mineralogical analysis of the pigment and compare the results obtained with observations derived from experimental replication. Ergonomic constraints imply that a number of disks were made by adults, and the differences in pigment texture and composition suggest that they correspond to an accumulation through time of panels made by different persons who shared neither the same technical know-how nor, very possibly, the same symbolic system.

Les peintures de la chapelle de l’ancien logis abbatial de Moissac ont été examinées in situ sous éclairage UV. La présence de fluorescences jaunes sur les auréoles de certains personnages s’est révélée être l’indicateur de l’existence d’une ancienne dorure. Des fluorescences de ce type, caractéristiques d’un liant organique, ont déjà été observées dans d’autres sites où des traces de dorure sont également présentes. Une étude par spectrofluorimétrie montre que les spectres de fluorescence des deux types chimiques de liants les plus couramment employés dans la technique de la dorure sont différents. Pour se rapprocher de l’état d’altération des liants anciens, une étude de l’évolution de la fluorescence après vieillissement accéléré, a également été conduite. Paintings of the vault of the old abbey home of Moissac were examined using a UV source. The presence of yellow fluorescence on the halos figures is an indicator of the presence of historical gilding. Fluorescence of this type, characteristic of an organic binder, was already observed in other sites where traces of gilding are also present. A spectrofluorimetric study shows that the fluorescence spectra of the two chemical types of binders most usually used in the technique of gilding are different. To better understand the condition of aged binders, a study of the fluorescence evolution following accelerated ageing was also carried out.

International audience

A number of ochre pieces were found from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) in southern Africa, leading to recent debates about the use of this material. The relevant question behind such a debate lies in the role of ochre in early modern human societies. Technical, socio-economical and symbolic aspects might be associated with ochre processing and use. Ochre pieces showing signs of use-wear found on MSA sites are the main witnesses of such activities. That is why our work has focused on the study of ochre pieces, especially on the issue of the raw material selection. The relevance of non-destructive methods in order to determine the mineralogical nature of ochre is discussed here. Scanning electron microscopyenergy- dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were used. Based on careful considerations of the association of different features, such as the elementary composition or the fabric, we showed that under certain conditions surface analyses are very useful to assign samples into mineralogical categories.

Two sites of the Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic of Iberia, dated to as early as approximately 50,000 years ago, yielded perforated and pigment-stained marine shells. At Cueva de los Aviones, three umbo-perforated valves of Acanthocardia and Glycymeris were found alongside lumps of yellow and red colorants, and residues preserved inside a Spondylus shell consist of a red lepidocrocite base mixed with ground, dark red-to-black fragments of hematite and pyrite. A perforated Pecten shell, painted on its external, white side with an orange mix of goethite and hematite, was abandoned after breakage at Cueva Antón, 60 km inland. Comparable early modern human-associated material from Africa and the Near East is widely accepted as evidence for body ornamentation, implying behavioral modernity. The Iberian finds show that European Neandertals were no different from coeval Africans in this regard, countering genetic/cognitive explanations for the emergence of symbolism and strengthening demographic/social ones.

International audience; Découverte en 1990, la grotte-abri de Peyrazet (Creysse, Lot, France) se situe dans le Haut-Quercy en bordure du causse de Martel, à quelques centaines de mètres du cours actuel de la Dordogne. Les fouilles menées depuis 2008 livrent une archéoséquence du Tardiglaciaire qui permet de combler certaines lacunes documentaires régionales et plus largement du Sud-Ouest de la France. Au Magdalénien supérieur succède un niveau ayant donné des indices d'un Azilien sensu lato stratigraphiquement séparé du Laborien, ensemble supérieur qui fait l'objet de cet article. Jusqu'alors ce technocomplexe de la fin du Pléistocène et des débuts de l'Holocène demeurait mal connu dans la région. En effet, seuls des travaux anciens menés dans deux gisements permettaient de noter sa présence en Quercy. La découverte d'un ensemble laborien récent (ou Épilaborien) à Peyrazet est l'occasion de conduire une étude collective des divers vestiges dans un cadre archéostratigraphique mieux maîtrisé. L'analyse géoarchéologique met en évidence l'action conjointe du ruissellement et de l'éboulisation comme principaux responsables de la mise en place des dépôts. Dans la partie SO du site, un lithofaciès de remaniement indique une bioturbation importante en lien avec le creusement de terriers. Bien que leur origine ne soit pas liée aux activités humaines, les rongeurs, les oiseaux, les poissons et les mésomammifères (excepté le lièvre) apportent des données concernant l'environnement des chasseurs-cueilleurs. La grande faune est dominée par le cerf dont les carcasses pourraient avoir été introduites incomplètes sur le site puis traitées pour en extraire la viande et la moelle. Nous avons bénéficié d'une analyse fonctionnelle croisée à l'étude typo-(a

National audience