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Emilie s’est éteinte le 8 mars 2019 après plusieurs années de combat acharné contre le cancer. Cette fichue maladie nous a enlevé une collègue archéozoologue dont la jeune carrière était déjà foisonnante et avec qui il était passionnant et stimulant de travailler, mais elle nous a aussi privées d’une amie, d’une jeune femme dont la joie de vivre restera à tout jamais dans notre cœur. Émilie a débuté son cursus universitaire à Bordeaux. Elle rencontre en 2004 Véronique Laroulandie et Cédric Be...

Sex identification from fragmentary archeozoological assemblages is particularly challenging in the Equid family, including for horses, donkeys and their hybrids. This limitation has precluded in-depth investigations of sex-ratio variation in various temporal, geographic and social contexts. Recently, shallow DNA sequencing has offered an economical solution to equine sex determination, even in environments where DNA preservation conditions is not optimal. In this study, we applied state-of-the-art methods in ancient DNA-based equine sex determination to 897 osseous remains in order to assess whether equal proportions of males and females could be found in a range of archeological contexts in France. We found Magdalenian horse hunt not focused on isolated bachelors, and Upper Paleolithic habitats and natural traps equally balancing sex ratios. In contrast, Iron Age sacrificial rituals appeared to have been preferentially oriented to male horses and this practice extended into the Roman Period. During Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Modern Period, cities emerged as environments largely dominated by horse males. This strong sex-bias was considerably reduced, and sometimes even absent, in various rural contexts. Combined with previous archaeozoological work and textual evidence, our results portray an urban economy fueled by adult, often old, males, and rural environments where females and subadults of both sexes were maintained to sustain production demands., We thank Agnès Orsoni, Michela Leonardi, and Stefanie Wagner for lab assistance and all members of the AGES research team at CAGT for fruitful discussions. We also thank all archaeologists, curators and staff in charge of archaeological warehouses, who have facilitated access to the material analyzed in this study. Pierre Clavel’s PhD position is funded by the CNRS MITI interdisciplinary programme (‘Mission pour les Initiatives Transverses et Interdisciplinaires’). Xuexue Liu was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and Innovation pro- gramme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement 101027750. This work was supported by the France G ́enomique Appel `a Grand Projet (ANR-10-INBS-09-08, BUCEPHALE project); the Initiative d’Excellence Chaires d’attractivit ́e, Universit ́e de Toulouse (OURASI) and the Villum Fonden miGENEPI research project. Andaine Seguin- Orlando acknowledges IAST for funding from ANR (France) under grant ANR-17-EURE-0010 (‘Investissements d’Avenir’ programme). This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 681605).

Donkeys, horses and their mule hybrids have had a far-reaching impact on human history since they have been domesticated several millennia ago. These animals have indeed provided many economic, social and cultural resources that fueled both agricultural and economic development, war making and cultural exchange. Gaining a full understanding of the respective contributions of the different equine species to past societies remains, however, difficult due to limitations in our capacity to proper...

International audience; In a recent article in this journal, Galeta et al., (2020) discussed eight Pleistocene “protodogs” and seven Pleistocene wolves. Those “protodogs” had been diagnosed in earlier publications, based on skull morphology. We re-examined the Galeta et al. paper to offer comments on their observed outcomes, and the conclusion of presumed domestication. Of seven metrics that the authors used, five differed statistically between their two groups. However, from more elaborate studies, some of those same metrics had been rejected previously as not valid species-distinguishing traits. In this respect, we do accept cranium size and wider palate as species-distinguishing metrics. The physical size of their specimens was much larger than other archaeological specimens that have been accepted as dogs. Additionally, their sample size was small, compared to the number of available specimens, as shown from previous publications by the same group. Thus, we considered statistical differences that were found between groups in their study, and assessed whether the outcomes could have resulted from natural morphological variation. We examined a group of 73 dire wolves ((Aenocyon [Canis] dirus; Perri et al., 2021), using the same methods as used by Galeta et al., (2020). We could segregate two distinct morphological groups in our study, one having outcomes that were identical to the “protodogs” in Galeta et al. (2020). For the specimens of extinct dire wolves to segregate in the same way as the subjects from Galeta et al. indicates that natural variation probably was the driver of their observed outcomes, domestication being an unlikely assumption.

International audience; Prassack et al. (2020) analyzed dental microwear in a sample of canids from the Gravettian site of Předmostí that had been identified as either Paleolithic dogs or Pleistocene wolves (n = 10 in each group), accepting that the morphological differences between the groups validly distinguished the (self-domesticating) protodogs from wolves. The authors then concluded that differences in one m2 microwear pattern separated those groups and indicated enhanced anthropogenic based durophagy in the putative protodogs. The study also inferred protodog diets from another isotope study.We disagree with this report for several reasons. First morphological criteria (skull and mandible) accepted here to distinguish the groups have been challenged based on robust research and can be explained by variability within wolves. Thus, we reject that one of the groups represents protodogs. We also question why only ten specimens were examined in each group, while about 130 were available in the original study, and why no specimen-selection criteria were reported. The study accepts the self-domestication hypothesis, which we reject based on solid knowledge of wolf behavior and inferences about what prey remains would be available, and where, in a hunter-gatherer setting. In summary, we can neither accept the existence of protodogs, nor the proposed difference in m2 microwear as being related to anthropogenic durophagy.

Domestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare. However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 bc3. Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia and Anatolia, have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 bc, synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots. We find that equestrianism involved strong selection for critical locomotor and behavioural adaptations at the GSDMC and ZFPM1 genes. Our results reject the commonly held association between horseback riding and the massive expansion of Yamnaya steppe pastoralists into Europe around 3000 bc driving the spread of Indo-European languages. This contrasts with the scenario in Asia where Indo-Iranian languages, chariots and horses spread together, following the early second millennium bc Sintashta culture., The work by G. Boeskorov is done on state assignment of DPMGI SB RAS. This project was supported by the University Paul Sabatier IDEX Chaire d’Excellence (OURASI); Villum Funden miGENEPI research programme; the CNRS ‘Programme de Recherche Conjoint’ (PRC); the CNRS International Research Project (IRP AMADEUS); the France Génomique Appel à Grand Projet (ANR-10-INBS-09-08, BUCEPHALE project); IB10131 and IB18060, both funded by Junta de Extremadura (Spain) and European Regional Development Fund; Czech Academy of Sciences (RVO:67985912); the Zoological Institute ZIN RAS (АААА-А19-119032590102-7); and King Saud University Researchers Supporting Project (NSRSP–2020/2). The research was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (19-59-15001 and 20-04-00213), the Russian Science Foundation (16-18-10265, 20-78-10151, and 21-18-00457), the Government of the Russian Federation (FENU-2020-0021), the Estonian Research Council (PRG29), the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (PRG1209), the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (Project NF 104792), the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Momentum Mobility Research Project of the Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities); and the Polish National Science Centre (2013/11/B/HS3/03822). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (grant agreement 797449). This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreements 681605, 716732 and 834616).

AvertissementA la demande des Nouvelles de l’archeologie, quelques archeologues investi(e)s dans la lutte contre la Loi de programmation de la recherche (Lpr) 2021-2030 ont redige, dans une certaine urgence, un texte critique et engage. D’exhaustivite, il ne sera donc ici nullement question, ni meme d’une presentation strictement equilibree des grands points developpes. Au terme d’une presentation generale des enjeux de la LPR (qui concernent l’ensemble des acteurs de l’Enseignement superieur...

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International audience; It is now largely accepted that the wolf was the first animal to be domesticated during Pleistocene time. Although the exact timing of this event is still the subject of considerable debate, it is generally agreed upon that dogs lived side‐by‐side with humans for at least the last 15,000 years. Recent discoveries from the “Grotte‐abri du Moulin” (Troubat, France) provide crucial new information as to our understanding of the relationships between humans and dogs during prehistory. The site produced a deep stratigraphic sequence demonstrating that the cave was occupied from the Middle Magdalenian (ca. 17.5 ky cal BP) to the Sauveterrian period (ca. 9.5 ky cal BP). Faunal remains from layer 6, attributed to the Azilian culture, included a small Canis. The biometric study of these remains is fully consistent with their attribution to the dog (Canis familiaris). A total of 147 dog remains were isolated and represent a minimum of two individuals. These remains were recovered from a restricted space, and several skeletal elements remained in anatomical connection or in loose connection. The most labile elements were only slightly dispersed, and there is no evidence of human or carnivore modification on these bones. Direct radiocarbon dates obtained from a complete tibia demonstrate the dog remains to be contemporaneous with the Azilian occupation of the cave. The Grotte‐abri du Moulin evidence represents, therefore, the earliest known occurrence of an intentional double dog deposit and evidence for a particularly close relationship between Azilian groups and their dogs.

International audience; This contribution presents a general account and summary of the research carried out over the past decades on the Quaternary faunas of France. This country is located in the center of Western Europe, and presents distinct topographical features and very varied climatic influences. This paper is the result of collaborative work between French teams and different researchers specialized in the paleontology of large mammals. Over a hundred paleontological or archaeological sites are mentioned in this review, which covers a broad chronological period, ranging from the Early (including the end of Pliocene/Gelasien) and Middle Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene. One of the aims of this work is to present studies of the main families or subfamilies of herbivores (Equidae, Rhinocerotidae, Bovidae [Bovines, Caprines, Antilopines, and Rupicaprines], Cervidae, Proboscid) and carnivores (Canidae, Ursidae, Mustelidae, Hyenidae, Felidae). It is not exhaustive at the generic and specific level, but details on the taxonomic status, evolutionary levels and biochronological importance of the most important taxa are given alongside an extensive and up-to-date bibliography of French works.; Cette contribution expose un bilan général et synthétique des recherches menées ces dernières décades en France sur les faunes Quaternaires de ce pays situé au centre de l’Europe de l’Ouest, avec une topographie et des influences climatiques très variées. Cet article est le résultat d’un travail collectif entre différents spécialistes et équipes françaises en Paléontologie des grands mammifères. Près d’une centaine de gisements, paléontologiques ou archéologiques sont concernés et couvrent une large période, depuis la fin du Pliocène, le Pléistocène inférieur et moyen jusqu’au Pléistocène supérieur. Un des buts du travail est de présenter les études réalisées sur les principales familles ou sous-familles d’herbivores (Équidés, Rhinocérotidés Bovidés [Bovinés, Caprinés, Antilopinés, Rupicaprinés] Cervidés, Proboscidiens) et de carnivores (Canidés, Ursidés, Mustélidés, Hyénidés, Félidés). Sans être exhaustif au niveau générique et spécifique, des précisions sur le statut taxonomique, les degrés évolutifs et l’importance biochronologique des taxons sont présentées, accompagnées d’une bibliographie abondante et à jour des travaux français.

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International audience; Because of its rich record of Magdalenian sites, the Arudy Basin is a key case for the study of resettlement dynamics in the Pyrenean valleys after the Last Glacial Maximum. Interpretations are, however, hampered by the ancient age of many excavations. The recently acquired data from Laa 2 cave contribute to filling this gap, although the excavation of the Paleolithic layers was restricted to a very small surface. Layer C5 documents a very early – but still poorly defined – reoccupation of the cave (20000-19500 cal BP) that probably took place shortly after the deglaciation of the lower valley. Layers C4 to C2 (18500-15000 cal BP) document the evolution of the Middle and Upper Magdalenian in a cool, humid and open landscape, although evidence of reforestation appears in layer C2. The species hunted include a large proportion of mountain ungulates in the earlier layers, but horse and reindeer increase in proportion in the later layers. Birds and foxes are also exploited, and the question of the presence of dogs is raised, although not conclusively. Lithic sources seem to diversify in the Upper Magdalenian, along with an evolution in the dimensions of lithic armatures. The osseous industry also shows evidence of changes in the design of armatures (presence of forked implements) and includes a single evidence of portable art (an engraved scapula).; Par sa richesse en sites magdaléniens, le bassin d’Arudy est un lieu privilégié pour étudier les dynamiques de repeuplement des vallées pyrénéennes après le Dernier Maximum glaciaire, mais les interprétations sont limitées par l’ancienneté de nombreux travaux de terrain. La grotte de Laa 2 contribue à combler cette lacune, même si la fouille des niveaux paléolithiques a dû se limiter à une surface très réduite. La couche C5 montre une réoccupation précoce (20000-19500 cal BP), mal caractérisée, suivant sans doute de peu la déglaciation de la vallée. Les couches C4 à C2 (18500-15000 cal BP) documentent l’évolution du Magdalénien moyen et supérieur, dans un milieu frais, humide et découvert (bien que des signes de fermeture du paysage apparaissent en couche C2). D’abord marqué par une présence importante des ongulés de montagne, le tableau de chasse donne ensuite plus de place au cheval et au renne. Oiseaux et renards sont aussi exploités, et la question de la présence de chiens est posée. Les sources de matières lithiques semblent se diversifier dans le Magdalénien supérieur, en parallèle avec une évolution du gabarit des armatures. L’industrie osseuse aussi montre des indices de transformation du design des armatures (avec notamment des éléments fourchus), à côté d’un unique témoignage d’art mobilier (une scapula gravée).

À côté d’abondants indices d’occupation par l’Ours des cavernes (ossements, griffades, bauges), la grotte de Bourdette a livré les restes d’une vingtaine d’autres espèces ainsi que quelques vestiges lithiques. Une telle association de vestiges est a priori incompatible avec un fonctionnement seul de la grotte comme tanière d’Ours. Pour parvenir à distinguer les différentes occupations de Bourdette, et pour en établir la chronologie, une approche interdisciplinaire est ici développée en incluant l’étude taphonomique des restes osseux, l’analyse typotechnologique des pièces lithiques et la confrontation des différents éléments de chronologie disponibles (biochronologie, datations radiocarbone, attribution chronoculturelle des industries lithiques). À Bourdette se sont succédé ours et hyènes qui ont utilisé la grotte comme tanière et repaire, les dernières y ayant ramené les ossements de leurs proies (essentiellement bovinés et chevaux). Les vestiges lithiques semblent eux provenir de remaniements depuis le plateau, sans qu’aucune réelle occupation humaine du site ne puisse être démontrée. Les éléments de biochronologie et les datations radiocarbone disponibles s’accordent pour placer les occupations du site aux alentours de 40 ka cal. BP. La présence d’ossements d’Ours rongés par les hyènes permet d’affirmer qu’au moins une partie des occupations de la grotte par les ours et les hyènes a été pseudo-contemporaine. À Bourdette, les os sont particulièrement émoussés, possiblement à la suite des circulations ursines (« charriage à sec ») : cette atteinte est si omniprésente qu’elle a considérablement restreint l’étude taphonomique, obligeant à reconsidérer les critères classiquement utilisés en taphonomie osseuse. In Bourdette, if evidences of cave bear occupation are omnipresent (in the form of bones, claw marks and beds), the cave also delivered remains of more than a dozen other species as well as some lithic artifacts. Such a combination of different materials cannot be fully explained by the sole function of the cave as a bear den. In order to distinguish the different types of occupations in Bourdette and to establish their chronology, this paper proposes an interdisciplinary study that brings together data from faunal taphonomy, lithic typotechnology, biochronology and radiocarbon dating. Both Cave bear and Hyena used Bourdette as a den, the latter bringing remains of its preys in the cave (mostly Bovines and Horse). The presence of lithic artifacts in Bourdette seems only to be the result of post-depositional transport, so that men probably never occupied the cave themselves. Biochronological data and radiocarbon dates both date the deposits around 40 ka cal. BP. Some bear bones were gnawed by hyenas, thus indicating that occupations of the cave by the two carnivores were, at least in part, broadly contemporaneous. The intensity of polishing is particularly intense on Bourdette bones, probably due to bear circulations in the cave (“charriage à sec”), to the point that procedures used commonly in bone taphonomy were severely undermined.

We present in this paper new remains and direct radiocarbon dates of small canids from Le Morin rock shelter (Gironde, France) which constitute a major discovery with respect to the question of wolf domestication during the European Palaeolithic.In this study a multi-proxy approach has been employed, including species identification and a consideration of the archaeological and chronological context. The canids’ remains have all been studied regarding their morphology, biometry and surface attributes. All dental and postcranial remains of canids were attributed to a species by using a thorough biometric database built from fossil and modern data from Europe. The morphometry of seven remains is outside the size range variability of wolves and therefore can be securely attributed to dog (Canis familiaris). Nineteen are attributed to wolf (Canis lupus) and six could not not be securely attributed to one sub-species or the other (Canis sp.). More than 50 % of these Canisremains bear anthropogenic marks that demonstrate the utilization of both wolves and dogs by late glacial human groups. Two of the dog remains from Le Morin rock shelter were directly dated and indicate that Magdalenian groups lived with dogs. A discussion is therefore developed in this article regarding the development of this domestication through time and space.

International audience; During the Tardiglacial, the significant changes in plant communities relating to climate changes were responsible for faunal recompositions perceptible throughout Europe. In this article, by comparing all the AMS radiocarbon dates obtained on reindeer bone and the faunal communities derived from bone assemblages dated between ca. 19,000 cal BP and 11,700 cal BP, we examine the disappearance of reindeer from the southwest of France. The new dating shows that the species disappeared slightly earlier in the Pyrenees, at ca. 14,000 cal BP, than in the northern Aquitaine where reindeer remained until ca. 13,800 cal BP. In the southwest of France, the natural range of reindeer began to fragment very early, from the Bølling period, and by the end of the GI-1e only residual reindeer populations remained in the Dordogne. These results are consistent with those observed throughout the rest of France and Switzerland, where reindeer also disappeared at the GI-1e/GI-1ca transition. Further north (Belgium, Germany, and Denmark), the species found favourable conditions for its development throughout the GS-1. In England, reindeer remained present until the beginning of the Holocene at very low latitudes compared to what has been observed on the continent. These results clearly illustrate the gradual withdrawal of reindeer towards the north and east of Europe and probably the local extinction of reindeer in Britain.

International audience; In this paper we present all the AMS radiocarbon dates obtained for the 19 sites of the MAGDATIS project (69 results, including 4 human remains) and the approach we took to do this. This large-scale project involved a substantial multidisciplinary re-assessment of the Middle and Upper Magdalenian of the western Aquitaine/Pyrenean region of France. Our principal questions in this project regarding this period and region related to the renewal (i.e. expansion and disappearance) of the ungulate community and the timing of major techno-economical innovations. Dating sites was a key aspect of this project. Many of these sites were excavated a long time ago, often without the benefit of taphonomic assessment at the time. As a result, careful selection of artifacts for dating was key to obtaining accurate and reliable results and thus our methodology is emphasized in this paper. Among specific results obtained through this project are that (1) based on a re-analysis of the techno-typology of the lithic and osseous industries, in conjunction with the new dates done, the Magdatis project is proposing a new finer subdivision of the Middle and Upper Magdalenian into 4 phases (early and late sub-phases in each) using Bayesian modelling to determine boundaries; (2) that the Middle Magdalenian began earlier than previously suspected (ca 18 800 vs 18 300 cal BP); (3) that there is a hiatus in occupation in the northern Aquitaine during the Late Middle Magdalenian whereas occupation is continuous closer to the Pyrenees. (4) We will also be presenting briefly in this paper the theory behind, approach to, and results of, the dating of Magdalenian human remains done in this project.

National audience; Le processus de domestication du loup vraisemblablement initié au cours du Paléolithique supérieur, pose aujourd’hui encore de nombreuses questions en termes notamment d’ancienneté du phénomène et de sa diffusion au sein des différents groupes de chasseurs-cueilleurs se succédant au cours de cette période. Pour tenter d’apporter de nouveaux éléments de discussion, de nouvelles analyses pluridisciplinaires ont récemment été entreprises sur la Grotte Maldidier, l’Abri Pataud, l’Abri du Morin, l’Abri Mège, Rochereil, la Grotte-Abri du Moulin à Troubat et le Pont d’Ambon. Ce travail, à visée diachronique, permet de lancer une discussion concernant le statut sauvage ou domestique des grands Canidés dans ces contextes et plus généralement dans les séries du Paléolithique supérieur du Sud-Ouest de la France. Pour cette analyse, nous avons notamment croisé biométrie et archéozoologie. Les données biométriques obtenues à partir des restes de Canidés participent à la diagnose taxinomique. Les études archéozoologique et taphonomique de l’ensemble des vestiges fauniques associés à ces restes permettent quant à elle de documenter la prédation humaine et animale. L’ensemble de ces données nous permet donc de contextualiser la mise en place de cette innovation zootechnique majeure qu’est la domestication ; et plus globalement, de questionner l’évolution des relations Hommes-Canidés à travers les différents techno-complexes du Paléolithique supérieur.

National audience

Pit cave 6 on Pointe Gros Rempart (Baie-Mahault, La Désirade, French West Indies) is a stratified fossil-bearing site. While the archaeological material and faunal remains from the oldest assemblage demonstrate it to have formed during the Amerindian period, the second assemblage dates to the first one-hundred years of the island's colonial period (mid-18th to mid-19th centuries). Faunal analysis revealed the presence of 4 now locally extinct or extinct species, three of which have never before been documented on La Désirade (Ameivasp.,Leiocephaluscf.cuneusandAlsophissp.). Changing faunal spectrums (invertebrates and vertebrates) due to environmental destabilisation combined with aspects of the island's colonial economy demonstrate habitat degradation and over-grazing to be the principal causes of extinctions and or extirpations.

Plio-Pleistocene climate oscillations in the different regions of Western Europe substantially influenced the evolutionary history of European leporids. Distinguishing rabbits (Oryctolagus) from hares (Lepus) in the archeological and palaeontological record of Pleistocene Europe is complicated due to the variability of their size and morphology. Here, we present the first description of two Pleistocene leporid species from Bois-de-Riquet (Lezignan-la-Cebe, Herault) in southern France. The first, Oryctolagus cf. giberti, exhibits similar characteristics to rabbit species documented in Spain and, thus, for the first time is recorded outside the Iberian Peninsula. The second leporid is a hare represented by very limited number of non-diagnostic remains, which, unfortunately, precludes an exact species identification. Already known from Lower Pleistocene deposits in Central Europe and Spain, the presence of Lepus sp. in southern France sheds new light on the geographic extension of these species. In this respect, Bois-de-Riquet is an important paleontological site that can further our understanding of the evolutionary history and expansion of European leporids.

National audience; Dans le cadre du projet Magdatis, nous avons pu réévaluer la série emblématique de l'abri Morin (Gironde). Ce gisement, fouillé dans les années 1950 par R. Deffarge, est célèbre pour sa richesse en oeuvres d'art mais aussi pour ses industries lithique et osseuse et sa faune aussi abondante que diversifiée. La séquence archéologique du Morin semblait accréditer le modèle d'azilianisation progressive des populations humaines du Tardiglaciaire dans la vallée de la Dordogne proposé par F. Bordes et D. de Sonneville-Bordes. Ces auteurs privilégiaient en effet l'hypothèse d'un enrichissement en éléments aziliens au sein d'industries attribuées au Magdalénien final. Ce paradigme d'une azilianisation interne au Magdalénien s'oppose à celui défendu aujourd'hui grâce aux données acquises par G. Célérier lors de ses travaux au Pont-d'Ambon et confirmées par les fouilles menées au Bois-Ragot sur la base de la caractérisation d'une phase ancienne de l'Azilien, dépourvue d'éléments magdaléniens. La réévaluation des faunes et du matériel lithique et la réalisation de datations radiocarbone sur vestiges fauniques déterminés et industrie osseuse nous permettent de proposer une critique du scénario établi il y plus de trente ans pour ce site. Nos résultats montrent ainsi que les subdivisions stratigraphiques établies par R. Deffarge ne peuvent être retenues et que, dès lors, l'enrichissement progressif du Magdalénien en éléments aziliens relèverait plus de facteurs taphonomiques que de facteurs culturels. Jusqu'alors considérée comme appartenant à un Magdalénien final, l'archéostratigraphie supérieure du Morin devait être beaucoup plus dilatée, renfermant non seulement des occupations de différentes phases de l'Azilien mais aussi du Laborien.; What about Bordes and de Sonneville-Bordes' Azilianisation model after thirty years of archaeology? At the end of the 1970's F. Bordes and D. de Sonneville Bordes proposed the progressive Azilianisation model for Tardiglacial human populations in Dordogne Valley based on the sites of Morin and Gare-de-Couze. More recent excavations of key series such as Pont d'Ambon by Guy Cé lé rier or Bois Ragot by Andre Chollet contrasted with this paradigm by characterizing an internal Azilian phasing with no Magdalenian elements. As part of the ANR Magdatis project, we reassessed the emblematic series of Morin in order to test the model advanced by F. Bordes and D. de Sonneville-Bordes in 1979. Abri Morin (Gironde, France) was excavated by Deffarge at the end of the 1950s. The site stratigraphy proposed by Deffarge consists of two main units (A and B). The lower unit B is divided into two levels, BII and BI. Unit A is divided into four levels (AIV at the base to AI at the top). The site yielded a large collection of lithic objects attributed to the Upper and Final Magdalenian (Magdalenian V and VI), as well as many faunal remains (Delpech, 1983), a large quantity of worked bone and antler (Deffarge et al. 1974 a-b) and/or engraved objects (Deffarge et al. 1975; Guy 1993; Paillet and Man-Estier 2014). Prior to our work, only one radiocarbon date was available (Delibrias et al. 1974; Delibrias et Evin 1974). This date (Gif-2105 10 480 ± 200 years BP) appeared to be very recent in comparison to the chronology of archaeological complexes related to the end of the Magdalenian. The reassessment of the lithic material focuses on the armatures. More than 2,000 remains were studied but our analysis is limited to the distribution of five morphotypes in the stratigraphic sequence proposed by Deffarge (Figure 2). Unit B can be attributed to an early phase of the Upper Magdalenian (Figure 4), but unit A contains unprecedented morphotype associations, comprising typically Magdalenian elements (shouldered point, Laugerie Basse type point) with elements characterizing the early Azilian (backed bi-point), the recent Azilian (backed point with tapered base) and the Laborian (backed Malaurie type point). The faunal remains were studied by Delpech (1983) and are mainly composed of reindeer remains associated with Bovine (Bison and/or Aurochs), horse, red deer, and to a lesser extent roe deer and wild boar remains. Avian remains are abundant and diversified (Mourer-Chauvire 1975; Delpech 1983; Gourichon 1994), with a predominance of snowy owl remains. The reassessment of the faunal material resulted in the identification of more than 5,000 remains (Table 1). The proportion of the different taxa is not significantly different from previous publications. Three additional taxa were identified from several remains. These are the dog (Canis familiaris, Boudadi-Maligne et al. 2012), and in lesser proportions, the mammoth and the chamois. Refits were carried out on the faunal material. Most of the associations were from objects from the same level but some of them concern objects found in different levels and in both units (A and B, Figures 5 and 6). In the light of these results, twenty-two faunal remains of known stratigraphic provenance were radiocarbon dated (Table 2). These dates enabled us to test the stratigraphy proposed by Deffarge, but also to document the different problems linked to the appearance or disappearance of different taxa from the region (Szmidt et al. 2009; Boudadi-Maligne et al. 2012; Costamagno et al. 2016), or the dates of the different technocomplexes from the end of the Tardiglacial (Barshay-Szmidt et al. 2016), or the evolution of armature elements made of antler (Pe tillon 2016). The dating results were calibrated with the OxCal software, version 4.3.2 (Bronk Ramsey 2009) with the IntCal13 curve (Reimer et al. 2013) (Figure 7). The cross-analysis of the dates obtained in relation to the stratigraphy proposed by Deffarge reveals numerous discrepancies. The organization of the dates by chronological order is not consistent with the stratigraphic order of the Deffarge levels (figure 7). However, two units can be observed. The first comprises dates between 16 ka calBP and 14 ka calBP. The second comprises four dates obtained on a barbed Azilian type point ("flat harpoon": Deffarge et al., 1974b, Fig. 6, n° 8), a rabbit remain and two wild boar remains. In comparison with the corpus of dates from the different technocomplexes from the end of the Paleolithic (Barshay-Szmidt et al. 2016; Fat Cheung et al. 2014; Langlais et al. 2012, 2014), these four dates can be excluded from what is usually found during the Upper Magdalenian. They correspond more to the early Azilian (wild rabbit), the recent Azilian (wild boar) and the Laborian (barbed Aziloid type point). These results imply that the Morin stratigraphy was not limited to an occupation by the last Magdalenians and must have been much more complex than previously thought. It is very probable that the site was occupied not only by the last Magdalenians, but also during an early and recent phase of the Azilian, and again by Laborian groups. We thus refute the Azilianization model proposed by Bordes and de Sonneville-Bordes and we support hypotheses of gradual evolution brought to light at well studied sequences such as Pont d'Ambon du Bois Ragot, Murat or Rochereil.

Apart from exceptional cases, such as Laetoli, Koobi Fora or Happisburgh hominin trackways ( Behrensmeyer and Laporte, 1981 , Bennett et al., 2009 , Raichlen et al., 2010 , Ashton et al., 2014 , Bennett and Morse, 2014 ), tracks are often underestimated in prehistoric research, particularly in cave contexts, despite their representing rich sources of behavioural and taphonomic information. The analysis of human and animal tracks in archaeological contexts can help to both untangle the chronology of cave occupations and identify the animal species who frequented different sites. Here we focus on differentiating large dog and wolf tracks that are very similar in both appearance and size. We use a large sample of 36 modern prints from two wolf subspecies (Canis lupus lupus and Canis lupus albus) and 106 dog tracks belonging to seven breeds (Beauceron, German Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, Great Dane, Siberian Husky and Rottweiler). This study uses an approach combining statistical analyses and geometric morphometrics ( Berge et al., 2006 , Bennett et al., 2009 ). Our results shed new light on the still unidentified canid tracks accompanying human footprints documented at Chauvet Cave in the Ardeche region of southern France ( Clottes, 2001 ) and have important implications for current debates surrounding the timing of wolf domestication in Western Europe and prehistoric ichnology in general.

The Magdalenian site of Saint-Germain-la-Rivière (Gironde, France) has often figured in debates and discussions about the Late Upper Palaeolithic of Western Europe. Most of the discussions are based on the material excavated by R. Blanchard — in particular the now well-known burial — as well as the more rigorous excavations by G. Trécolle in the slope deposits. After the detailed study of all this material by M. Lenoir, which allowed the material from the slope and terrace deposits to be attributed to the Lower and Middle Magdalenian, many other studies were carried out by various researchers on specific aspects of the collections (lithics, personal ornaments, fauna). It became clear, however, that the stratigraphic framework and chronology of the site needed to be reexamined. In order to understand the rise of the classic Magdalenian in Gironde, members of the Magdatis project reexamined many early Middle Magdalenian sites and collections of that area. The thorough work of Trécolle at Saint-Germain-la-Rivière was pivotal to this reas sessment. Initially, this involved the analysis of his fieldnotes which led to an archaeostratigraphic reattribution of most artefacts into two principal units, with a potentially problematic interface between these. Once these new archaeostratigraphic divisions had been determined, analysis of the artefacts could proceed. The comparison of the lithic and bone/ antler industries with those of other sites has afforded us new insights into the nature of the types of technical and economic behaviour of this initial Magdalenian in Western Europe. In terms of lithic and osseous raw material, we have found a good degree of continuity between the two units. The differing treatment of domestic versus hunting flint tools is also an important aspect to consider in the discussion of the changes that took place in huntergatherer societies at this time. The bone/ antler industry shows some continuity between units (for example the use of the groove and splinter technique), but also some differences (in the upper unit : less diversity in tools ; a higher frequency of decorated objects). The systematization of standardized blade production in the upper unit is accompanied by an increase in size of antler points. The production of different lithic projectile morphotypes (backed microbladelets versus scalene bladelets), in parallel with a change in base types within antler points, in addition to the presence or absence of grooves, demonstrate that changes occurred in the toolkits used. A reassessment of the faunal remains also helped to clarify the practices having occurred in each of the two principal stratigraphic units ; combined with a taphonomic analysis, the specific subsistence practices in each could be identified. Different hunting strategies were noticed regarding saiga antelope (hunting within female groups versus mixed herds) as well as differing carcass treatment (degree of intensity of marrow extraction, carcass processing techniques). Our analysis also revealed that small-game hunting (birds and small mammals) had already been practised in the earliest Magdalenian phases at the site, thus providing a more complete picture of these reindeer and saiga antelope hunters. Taking into account all of these data and practices allows us to be more specific about the type and pace of technical and subsistence changes having occurred during this period. New 14C dates taken directly from bones of identified species or characteristic organic artefacts also aid us in shedding new light on the two main phases of the Magdalenian. The Trécolle excavation and its collections can thus be placed within the overall Saint-Germain-la-Rivière site sequence and compared with other contemporaneous sites in Western Europe which have also benefited from a renewed stratigraphic, archaeological and chronological assessment and framework., Le site magdalénien de Saint-Germain-la-Rivière (Gironde, France) a régulièrement été sollicité dans le cadre de plusieurs débats concernant le Paléolithique supérieur récent d’Europe de l’Ouest. L’essentiel de ces travaux s’appuient sur l’analyse, d’une part, du matériel mis au jour par R. Blanchard – notamment la célèbre sépulture – et, d’autre part, de celui provenant des fouilles plus méthodiques conduites par G. Trécolle dans le talus. À la suite de l’étude de l’ensemble des collections menée par M. Lenoir qui a permis d’attribuer les différentes occupations du gisement (talus et terrasses) aux phases inférieure et moyenne du Magdalénien, plusieurs travaux individuels ont été réalisés sur différents registres (lithique, parure, ossements). Une réévaluation collective dans un cadre stratigraphique critiqué et chronologique renouvelé s’avérait néanmoins nécessaire. Afin de préciser le processus de mise en place du Magdalénien dans sa période «classique » (phases moyenne et supérieure), des membres du projet «Magdatis » ont analysé plusieurs gisements attribués au Magdalénien moyen ancien de Gironde. La séquence des fouilles Trécolle s’est naturellement placée au coeur de nos recherches. Dans un premier temps, un retour sur les archives de terrain laissées par ce fouilleur minutieux a été nécessaire. Cette révision archéostratigraphique a conduit à répartir une large part des vestiges en deux ensembles tout en pondérant certaines interfaces problématiques. Partant de cette nouvelle proposition de découpage de la séquence, une réévaluation du matériel archéologique a été entreprise. La comparaison des industries lithiques et osseuses apporte de nouvelles données concernant la nature des comportements techniques et économiques de ces premiers moments du Magdalénien en Europe de l’Ouest. Du côté des matières premières lithiques ou osseuses, on note une certaine continuité des deux ensembles. La gestion différentielle de l’outillage domestique et de l’équipement de chasse en silex s’avère également un levier dialectique efficace pour appréhender la transformation de ces sociétés de chasseurs-cueilleurs. L’industrie osseuse montre, entre les deux ensembles, des éléments de continuité (extraction de baguettes par double rainurage) et des différences (dans l’ensemble supérieur : outillage moins diversifié, objets décorés plus fréquents). La systématisation d’une production laminaire normée dans la seconde phase s’accompagwne d’une augmentation des gabarits des pointes osseuses. La confection de morphotypes différents d’armatures lithiques (microlamelles à dos vs lamelles scalènes) et l’évolution des types de base des pointes osseuses mais aussi la présence ou non de rainures illustrent une recomposition de l’armement. La révision de la faune a également permis de préciser chacun des ensembles et, grâce à l’étude taphonomique, les tableaux de chasse respectifs. Des différences dans les stratégies de chasse des saïgas (groupes de femelles ou hardes mixtes) et leur traitement (intensité de la recherche de moelle, techniques de fracturation) sont notées. La mise en évidence d’une exploitation de gibiers de petite taille (avifaune et mésofaune) dès les premières occupations magdaléniennes vient compléter l’image de ces chasseurs d’antilopes et de rennes. Le croisement des différentes données offre l’opportunité de préciser les processus et les rythmes des changements techniques et économiques qui marquent cette période. De nouvelles datations 14C directes sur espèces ou objets particuliers permettent en outre d’éclairer sous un nouveau jour deux étapes de mise en place du Magdalénien. La séquence des fouilles Trécolle peut ainsi être replacée dans l’ensemble du site de Saint-Germain-la-Rivière et comparée à d’autres gisements contemporains d’Europe de l’Ouest., Langlais Mathieu, Laroulandie Véronique, Costamagno Sandrine, Pétillon Jean-Marc, Mallye Jean-baptiste, Lacrampe-Cuyaubere François, Boudadi-Maligne Myriam, Barshay-Szmidt Carolyn, Masset Caroline, Pubert Eric, Rendu William, Lenoir Michel. Premiers temps du Magdalénien en Gironde : réévaluation des fouilles Trécolle à Saint-Germain-la-Rivière (France). In: Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, tome 112, n°1, 2015. pp. 5-58.

International audience; The timing of wolf domestication remains a subject of intense debate, especially as recent genetic, morphological and radiometric analyses of relevant skeletal material apparently demonstrate the presence of canids on Eurasian Early Upper Palaeolithic sites to be more widespread than previously envisaged. However, numerous questions still surround wolf domestication, not least of which is satisfactorily explaining the process whereby this social carnivore progressively became a 'member' of human societies. The analysis presented here emphasises the substantial variability of both modern and Pleistocene wolf populations, and in doing so, further highlights the need for caution when considering species attributions and, more particularly, accurately identifying dog rather than wolf remains in archaeological assemblages. A combination of biometric and morphological data provides a reliable basis for critiquing a series of recent publications purportedly demonstrating the presence of dogs alongside humans during the Early Upper Palaeolithic.

International audience; Réévaluation des gisements de La Borie del Rey et de Port-de-Penne : quelles perspectives pour la transition Pléistocène - Holocène dans le sud-ouest de la France ?

De nouveaux restes d’un petit canidé, directement datés, provenant de l’abri du Morin (Gironde, France) sont ici présentés. Ils constituent des éléments essentiels pour discuter de la question de la domestication au cours du Paléolithique en Europe.Dans cette étude, une approche pluridisciplinaire est mise en œuvre en confrontant l’analyse des restes fauniques, des armatures lithiques de chasse et du cadre chronologique. Les restes de canidés ont été analysés d’un point de vue morphologique, métrique et archéozoologique. Les restes dentaires et post-crâniens ont été spécifiquement identifiés en utilisant un référentiel biométrique regroupant des données concernant des populations de loups et de chiens actuels et fossiles européens. Sept des restes analysés, par leurs dimensions, sortent nettement de la variabilité des loups et peuvent de fait être clairement rapportés au chien (Canis familiaris). Dix-neuf restes sont attribués au loup (Canis lupus) et six restes ne peuvent pas être rapportés à l’une ou à l’autre des espèces (Canis sp.). Plus de 50 % des restes de canidés portent des traces d’origine anthropique attestant de l’exploitation tant du loup que du chien par les groupes humains du Tardiglaciaire. Les deux restes de chien datés indiquent que les groupes de chasseurs-cueilleurs magdaléniens vivaient avec des chiens. Une discussion est de fait initiée autour de la question de la diffusion du processus de domestication dans l’espace et dans le temps. We present in this paper new remains and direct radiocarbon dates of small canids from Le Morin rock shelter (Gironde, France) which constitute a major discovery with respect to the question of wolf domestication during the European Palaeolithic.In this study a multi-proxy approach has been employed, including species identification and a consideration of the archaeological and chronological context. The canids’ remains have all been studied regarding their morphology, biometry and surface attributes. All dental and postcranial remains of canids were attributed to a species by using a thorough biometric database built from fossil and modern data from Europe. The morphometry of seven remains is outside the size range variability of wolves and therefore can be securely attributed to dog (Canis familiaris). Nineteen are attributed to wolf (Canis lupus) and six could not not be securely attributed to one sub-species or the other (Canis sp.). More than 50 % of these Canisremains bear anthropogenic marks that demonstrate the utilization of both wolves and dogs by late glacial human groups. Two of the dog remains from Le Morin rock shelter were directly dated and indicate that Magdalenian groups lived with dogs. A discussion is therefore developed in this article regarding the development of this domestication through time and space.

International audience; Noisetier Cave (French Pyrenees) has yielded Mousterian artefacts associated with numerous faunal remains. The faunal spectrum is dominated by chamois and ibex followed by red deer and bovids. A previous taphonomic analysis underlined the occurrence of two distinct types of bone accumulations. The red deer, bovid and a part of the ibex remains have been accumulated by Neanderthal. We suspected that the bearded vultures were responsible for the chamois and some of the ibex remains. The study of the carnivore remains illustrated the abundance of teeth and to a lesser extent bones attributed to both young and adult Cuon alpinus individuals. The identification of shed milk teeth demonstrates that this carnivore used the cave as a nursery den. According to several authors dholes never bring back carcasses to their dens in order to protect their offspring from other carnivores. However they tend to select an area inside their den to defecate. We analysed modern scats of wolf in order to constitute a taphonomic referential. Our results strongly suggest that most of the digested remains from the Noisetier Cave come from dhole scats. This carnivore can be considered, as Binford previously suggested, as a bone accumulator and consequently as a new taphonomic agent. Given the numerous sites where the fossil remains of this carnivore were identified we argue that the dholes could have biased the composition of faunal spectrums and maybe our understanding on human subsistence.

International audience; The evolutionary history of the extant wolf (Canis lupus sensu largo) and its ancestors is characterised by changes in body size. A chronocline has been established based on these changes, but its temporal resolution is poorly defined. New morphometric analyses conducted on Late Pleistocene remains from southern France have permitted the diagnosis of a new subspecies of wolf, Canis lupus maximus nov. subsp. This new subspecies is statistically larger than all other known fossil and extant wolves from Western Europe. The diagnosis is based on biometric data collected on wolf remains from Jaurens cave (Nespouls, Corrèze, France). The paleoenvironmental context of the biogeographic range of this subspecies is discussed.; L'histoire évolutive de la lignée menant aux loups actuels (Canis lupus sensu largo) est caractérisée par des changements dans la taille corporelle des individus. Ces modifications avaient contribué à la reconnaissance d'un chronocline utilisé en biochronologie, mais dont la résolution chronologique demeurait imprécise. De nouvelles analyses morphométriques conduites sur les restes d'individus pléistocènes du Sud de la France, ont abouti à la définition d'une nouvelle sous-espèce de loup, Canis lupus maximus nov. subsp. présente en Europe occidentale à la fin du Pléistocène supérieur. Cette nouvelle sous-espèce se caractérise par des individus de stature nettement plus imposante que celle de l'ensemble des individus fossiles et actuels. La diagnose est fondée sur les données biométriques recueillies sur les restes de loups de la grotte de Jaurens (Nespouls, Corrèze). Une discussion d'ordre paléoenvironnemental concernant la dispersion de cette sous-espèce est également proposée.

National audience

International audience; Projet monographique d’une série éponyme et perspectives pour le Laborien du sud-ouest français

National audience; The pit-fall of Pras de Marrou (Durbans, Lot, France) - a natural trap of the very end of the Pleistocene. Discovered after intense ground modifications by speleologists, it was excavated in 2003 and 2004. The best preserved faunal assemblage was dated to the extreme end of the Pleistocene. The main species are the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), horse (Equus caballus), bovines (Bison bison), wolf (Canis lupus), hare (Lepus sp.), and chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus). Biometric analyses on this material contribute to assess the chronological attribution. Based on morphometry, the reindeers of Pras-de-Marrou are very similar to those of the Igue du Gral, a trap with Pleniglacial and Late glacial levels. The majority of the wolf bones correspond to a single very big individual typical of the end of the Pleistocene. The large number of anatomical connections and paired bones indicates a low redistribution of skeletal remains of a few individuals, except for reindeers, which are represented by at least seven individuals. Several fragments of pottery, an antler modified as a punch, and one human clavicle attest a frequentation during Neolithic or protohistoric times, but the corresponding levels are mostly destroyed now.; L'Igue du Pras de Marrou est un aven peu profond qui s'ouvre à la surface des causses au coeur du Quercy. Il donne accès à une petite salle présentant une structuration sédimentaire complexe, prolongée par un boyau long de six mètres. Découvert grâce à d'intenses remaniements à l'extérieur, il a fait l'objet d'une intervention archéologique en 2003 et en 2004. Cet article a pour objet de présenter une première synthèse concernant les vestiges découverts, afin de discuter de leur attribution chronologique et des processus ayant abouti à leur mise en place et à leur dispersion. Bien que, pour une part des vestiges, il soit difficile de déterminer s'ils résultent d'une accumulation pléistocène ou plus récente, les données issues de l'analyse des vertébrés apportent des éléments de diagnose qui contribuent à mieux comprendre la dynamique du gisement. Plusieurs datations directes réalisées sur le corpus attribué au Pléistocène participent pleinement à la discussion concernant l'âge des dépôts et leur contemporanéité respective. Dans la partie basse, en dessous d'un plancher stalagmitique partiellement démantelé par un soutirage et des activités clandestines, apparaît un remplissage paléontologique relativement riche. Les principales espèces sont le renne (Rangifer tarandus), le cheval (Equus caballus), les bovinés (Bison bison), le loup (Canis lupus), le lièvre (Lepus sp.) et le chocard (Pyrrhocorax graculus). Le matériel est bien conservé et il a été daté au radiocarbone de l'extrême fin du Pléistocène. Les analyses biométriques réalisées contribuent à établir un âge relatif du remplissage. Les rennes du Pras de Marrou diffèrent assez peu, d'un point de vue morphométrique, de ceux du gisement pléniglaciaire et tardiglaciaire de l'Igue du Gral. Une majorité des os de loup se rapporte à un individu de taille remarquable, comparable à ceux décrits à la fin de l'OIS 3 et à l'OIS 2. La grande quantité de connexions anatomiques et d'appariements indique une faible dispersion d'individus peu nombreux, excepté pour le renne qui est représenté par au moins sept individus. Les os consommés par les carnivores sont très rares. La source d'approvisionnement de l'ensemble osseux n'est pas déterminée avec certitude mais il ne s'agit sans doute pas de l'entrée actuelle. Au sommet du remplissage, quelques fragments de poterie évoquent l'utilisation de la cavité lors du Néolithique ou de la Protohistoire. Quelques éléments osseux dont une clavicule humaine et un fragment de bois de cervidé qui semble avoir été aménagé se distinguent par leur patine de la faune pléistocène. Ils correspondent vraisemblablement à une seconde phase de remplissage au cours de laquelle les remaniements dus à la dynamique de la cavité sont importants.

The Caninae are especially abundant in the Plio-Pleistocene record of Western Europe where several genera, species and subspecies have been recognized, with some still under discussion about taxonomical attribution. They have important ecological roles among carnivoran guilds throughout the Quaternary, and some are high-level competitors. Their appearance and dispersal can be considered as major bioevents during different phases of the Quaternary. They therefore are relevant biochronological markers which can be correlated with main European faunal turnovers, from the ‘wolf-event’ at the end of the Pliocene, followed by high taxonomic diversity in Early to Middle Pleistocene and specific lineage with high size variation during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. As for many other mammals with very wide distribution, Canids demonstrate a relative high morphological and body-size (clinal) variability which in one sense are often underestimates and lead to creation of taxa from a geographical base, especially in southwestern Europe, characterized by high regional peculiarities (e.g. peninsular condition). This paper proposes a preliminary analysis, mostly based on teeth morphometry, of the taxonomy of wolf- and coyote/jackal-sized canids from distinct examples in southwestern Europe: small canids of Early Pleistocene age, discussion of genus Cuon and analysis of the etruscus-mosbachensis-lupus lineage. The contribution of Canids as biochronological taxa are discussed.