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The narrow-headed vole, collared lemming and common vole were the most abundant small mammal species across the Eurasian Late Pleistocene steppe-tundra environment. Previous ancient DNA studies of the collared lemming and common vole have revealed dynamic population histories shaped by climatic fluctuations. To investigate the extent to which species with similar adaptations share common evolutionary histories, we generated a dataset comprised the mitochondrial genomes of 139 ancient and 6 modern narrow-headed voles from several sites across Europe and northwestern Asia covering approximately the last 100 thousand years (kyr). We inferred Bayesian time-aware phylogenies using 11 radiocarbon-dated samples to calibrate the molecular clock. Divergence of the main mtDNA lineages across the three species occurred during marine isotope stages (MIS) 7 and MIS 5, suggesting a common response of species adapted to open habitat during interglacials. We identified several time-structured mtDNA lineages in European narrow-headed vole, suggesting lineage turnover. The timing of some of these turnovers was synchronous across the three species, allowing us to identify the main drivers of the Late Pleistocene dynamics of steppe- and cold-adapted species.

Aim Many species experienced population turnover and local extinction during the Late Pleistocene. In the case of megafauna, it remains challenging to disentangle climate change and the activities of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers as the main cause. In contrast, the impact of humans on rodent populations is likely to be negligible. This study investigated which climatic and/or environmental factors affect the population dynamics of the common vole. This temperate rodent is widespread across Europe and was one of the most abundant small mammal species throughout the Late Pleistocene. Location Europe. Taxon Common vole (Microtus arvalis). Methods We generated a dataset comprised of 4.2 kb long fragment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 148 ancient and 51 modern specimens sampled from multiple localities across Europe and covering the last 60 thousand years (ka). We used Bayesian inference to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and to estimate the age of the specimens that were not directly dated. Results We estimated the time to the most recent common ancestor of all last glacial and extant common vole lineages to be 90 ka ago and the divergence of the main mtDNA lineages present in extant populations to between 55 and 40 ka ago, which is earlier than most previous estimates. We detected several lineage turnovers in Europe during the period of high climate variability at the end of Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3; 57-29 ka ago) in addition to those found previously around the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. In contrast, data from the Western Carpathians suggest continuity throughout the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) even at high latitudes. Main Conclusions The main factor affecting the common vole populations during the last glacial period was the decrease in open habitat during the interstadials, whereas climate deterioration during the LGM had little impact on population dynamics. This suggests that the rapid environmental change rather than other factors was the major force shaping the histories of the Late Pleistocene faunas. IT1602-22 CGL2011-30274 CGL2015-71255-P PCCF16/2016 126/2018 PCE2282/2020 RYC-2016-19386 31003A_176209 2017/25/B/NZ8/02005 2015/19/D/NZ8/03878 ESP1209403HFST-P info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

1AbstractAimThe common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most abundant small mammal species throughout the Late Pleistocene. Phylogeographic studies of its extant populations suggested the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5–19 ka ago) as one of the main drivers of the species’ population dynamics. However, analyses based solely on extant genetic diversity may not recover the full complexity of past population history. The main aim of this study was to investigate the evolutionary history and identify the main drivers of the common vole population dynamics during the Late Pleistocene.LocationEuropeTaxonCommon vole (Microtus arvalis)MethodsWe generated a dataset comprising 4.2 kb-long fragment of mitochondrial DNA from 148 ancient and 51 modern specimens sampled from multiple localities across Europe and covering the last 60 thousand years (ka). We used Bayesian inference to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and to estimate the age of specimens that were not directly dated.ResultsWe estimate the time to the most recent common ancestor of all Last Glacial and extant common vole lineages to 90 ka ago and the divergence of the main mtDNA lineages present in extant populations to between 55 and 40 ka ago, earlier than previous estimates. We find multiple lineage turnovers in Europe in the period of high climate variability at the end of Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3; 57–29 ka ago) in addition to those found previously around the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Conversely, data from the Western Carpathians suggest continuity throughout the LGM even at high latitudes.Main conclusionsOur results suggest that the main factor affecting the common vole populations during the last glacial period was the reduction of open habitats during the interstadial periods while the climate deterioration during the LGM had little impact on species’ population dynamics.

Petro-archaeological analysis of the lithic industry of the Lower Paleolithic of La Belle-Roche cave (Sprimont, Belgium), according to the grids developed in recent years by various research programs in France, allows a new reading of this industry. Although the anthropic character of certain objects seems well-estabilished, their accumulation in the deposit remains problematic. In this respect, the taphonomic and weathering analysis of the industry raises questions about the origin of the deposit, the age of the industry and the notion of “site”: is the “La Belle-Roche site” as a prehistorian or prehistoric construction?

Une relecture de l’ensemble lithique de La Belle-Roche (Sprimont, Belgique), attribué au Paléolithique inférieur, est proposée à travers son étude pétroarchéologique. Cette étude a été conduite selon les grilles d’analyse développées ces dernières années en France. Si le caractère anthropique de certains objets ne laisse pas grand place au doute, leur mise en place dans le gisement demeure problématique. La lecture taphonomique des objets permet de s’interroger sur l’origine géologique de l’ensemble archéologique, l’âge de cette série et au-delà, de questionner la notion même de site : activités des préhistoriques ou construction de préhistorien ?

Background Ancient DNA studies suggest that Late Pleistocene climatic changes had a significant effect on population dynamics in Arctic species. The Eurasian collared lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus) is a keystone species in the Arctic ecosystem. Earlier studies have indicated that past climatic fluctuations were important drivers of past population dynamics in this species. Results Here, we analysed 59 ancient and 54 modern mitogenomes from across Eurasia, along with one modern nuclear genome. Our results suggest population growth and genetic diversification during the early Late Pleistocene, implying that collared lemmings may have experienced a genetic bottleneck during the warm Eemian interglacial. Furthermore, we find multiple temporally structured mitogenome clades during the Late Pleistocene, consistent with earlier results suggesting a dynamic late glacial population history. Finally, we identify a population in northeastern Siberia that maintained genetic diversity and a constant population size at the end of the Pleistocene, suggesting suitable conditions for collared lemmings in this region during the increasing temperatures associated with the onset of the Holocene. Conclusions This study highlights an influence of past warming, in particular the Eemian interglacial, on the evolutionary history of the collared lemming, along with spatiotemporal population structuring throughout the Late Pleistocene.

Long‐distance raw material transfers across Romania prior to the Last Glacial Maximum have previously been inferred from either visual and/or petrographic observations of East Carpathian sites. We investigated the potential to ‘fingerprint’ flint from archaeological sites at Mitoc‐Malu Galben and Bistricioara–Lutărie III in Eastern Romania, using in situ high‐precision analyses of 28 major, minor and trace elements determined by laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) in combination with multivariate statistical analysis. Our results suggest that geochemical analyses have the ability to distinguish between different geographical sources but are unable to positively associate flint artefacts from archaeological contexts to these geochemical groups. The mismatches of signatures between artefacts and geological materials, however, raise new questions and open unforeseen perspectives.

Mitoc-Malu Galben (Romania) is one of the key-sites for the Upper Palaeolithic in Eastern Europe, with abundant Upper Palaeolithic archaeological layers embedded in a similar to 14 meters long loess-palaeosol sequence. The excavations in 1978-1990 yielded rich remains of Aurignacian and Gravettian workshops. From 1992 to 1995, an international collaboration helped better define their stratigraphical position, age, and typological characteristics. Since 2013, our team has conducted new fieldwork focusing on interdisciplinary study of site formation processes and a detailed technological study of the lithic artefacts. These different excavation phases have employed quite substantially different fieldwork methodologies. Here, we explore the impact of the changing excavation methodologies on the comparability of the generated assemblages by analyzing the frequency of bladelets among the elongated blanks as well as the length distribution of elongated blanks. Our preliminary study allows us to suggest that some of the assemblages seem to be influenced by the fieldwork methodology employed by each excavation phase, but more studies are needed to start to understand how the assemblages are biased. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The Upper Pleniglacial, between 23 000–20 000 BP, is characterized by the intensification of cold climate and is followed by the maximum extent of ice sheets. There is a little bit information about the human activities during this period. New archaeological excavations in Ukraine permit to evidence data about behavioural human adaptations. These open air sites are on the one hand Pushkari 1 (excavation VII), Pogon (excavation VII) and Obollonia in the Desna valley and on the other hand Dorochivtsy III in the Dniester valley. These sites are characterised by atypical lithic industries made on local flint relied to the Gravettian but containing Epigravettian or Aurignacoid elements. In order to better understand the subsistence strategy we carried out zooarchaeological and taphonomical studies, which allow us to reveal the strategy of fauna exploitation by the human groups. We highlighted that all these sites are characterized by a restricted faunal spectrum with the presence of mammoth, reindeer, horse and carnivores (mainly fox [Vulpes vulpes and Alopex lagopus] and wolf). In the Dniester valley the reindeer was the most exploited, whereas the mammoth is the most exploited in the Desna valley. Indeed, it was probably hunt in Pushkari 1, maybe in Pogon and Obollonia. It was exploited as combustible, food resources and bones as raw material. In Dorochivtsy III/6 ivory was used to make tools and as artistic support. Indeed this site and Obollonia present grooved ivory points, this is the oldest occurrence of this kind of artefacts in the both regions. Moreover two engraved tusks presenting more or less figurative pictures were found in Dorochivtsy III/l.6 and Obollonia. The other large herbivores were also consumed and carnivores were exploited for their pelts in all these sites. The settlements are recurrent camps with little development occupied during varied seasons oriented to hunting and butchering activities linked with exploitation of local flint. These sites demonstrate the continuity of human occupations within the Eastern European plain, with the persistence of hunting methods and the relative diversity of animal exploitation, during the Upper Pleniglacial. These sites are really important for the understanding of cultural processes in the Eastern European Upper Palaeolithic, and particularly for the understanding of Epigravettian origin.

En Moldavie, trois séquences de référence permettent de fixer le cadre chronologique dans lequel ont pris place les occupations gravettiennes (et épigravettiennes). Deux stades techniques ont été reconnus, montrant un développement autonome, très constant dans ses manifestations techniques et typologiques. Il s’agit d’un Gravettien à grandes lames retouchées puis à pointes à cran (29 500 - 23 000 BP), qui seront suivis d’un Épigravettien ancien (20 000 – 17 000 BP), puis d’un Épigravettien récent (13 500-11 000 BP). In Moldavia, three sequences serve as the basis for the chronological context for Gravettian (and Epigravettian) occupations. Two technological phases have been identified, showing independent development, homogenous in both technological and typological attributes. The Gravettian (20,000-17,000 BP) is characterized by large retouched blades, followed by shouldered points (29,500-23,000 BP), succeeded by the Early Epigravettian (20,000-17,000 BP) then by the Late Epigravettian (13,500-11,000 BP).

Resume Les industries lithiques du Paleolithique superieur en Moldavie appartiennent principalement a des traditions culturelles connues dans toute l’Europe (Aurignacien, Gravettien, puis Epigravettien). Cependant, elles coexistent avec d’autres industries marquees par la presence d’outils amenages par retouche bifaciale, dans des contextes reputes anciens, mais qui sont mal datees et souvent peu homogenes. Ces industries, considerees dans la litterature comme appartenant a trois ou quatre traditions culturelles aux definitions vagues, relevent le plus probablement d’une unique entite culturelle, la Culture du Prut. Les principales occupations peuvent, dans l’etat actuel de nos connaissances, etre classees dans un schema chrono-stratigraphique regional bien assure et bien date ; elles appartiennent a l’Aurignacien typique (33 000–29 000 BP), au Gravettien (29 500–23 000 BP), a la Culture du Prut (27 000–26 000 BP), a l’Aurignacien tardif (vers 25 000 puis 20 000 BP), a l’Epigravettien ancien (20 000–17 000 BP), puis a l’Epigravettien recent (13 500–11 000 BP). Les donnees moldaves se rapportent egalement a quelques phenomenes culturels larges : l’exploration par les Aurignaciens d’un territoire s’etendant jusqu’au centre de la Plaine russe et jusqu’aux contreforts septentrionaux de l’Oural (des 33 000 BP), les origines geographiques multiples du Gravettien (vers 30 000 BP), la presence d’industries lithiques non-aurignaciennes et non-gravettiennes (a pieces bifaciales, sans doute autour de 27 000–26 000 BP), la resurgence de traits techniques d’allure « aurignacoide » (des 21 000 BP), et le retour massif de la tradition des outils a dos (a partir de 20 000 BP). Ainsi, les donnees moldaves s’inscrivent-elles logiquement dans une paleohistoire large, a l’echelle de l’ensemble du continent.

Theoretical isochore equation of state and electrical conductivity of hot expanded plasmas of aluminum (p = 0.3 g/cm 3 ) and copper (p = 0.5 g/cm 3 ) are presented for temperatures 5000 < T < 30000 K. Our calculations are carried out in the framework of density functional theory and the local density approximation. Ionic configurations and equation of state are determined by quantum molecular dynamics simulations, from which the conductivity was computed using the Kubo-Greenwood formula [1, 2]. Theoretical calculations are compared with experimental results obtained in an isochoric plasma closed-vessel designed to confine electrical plasma discharges up to 1.5 GPa [3].

We present theoretical estimations of the electrical conductivity of a warm expanded aluminium plasma (ρ = 0.3 g cm−3). Our calculations are carried out in the framework of density functional theory and the local density approximation. Ionic configurations were determined by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, from which the conductivity was computed using the Kubo–Greenwood formula. Theoretical results were validated in the dense coupled regime (ρ = 2 g cm−3) against previously published experimental results. For the low-density regime, the result is compared to experiments obtained in our laboratory in an isochoric closed-vessel designed to confine electrical plasma discharges up to 1.5 GPa. In this regime we show that the usual Drude model is no longer relevant and that the electrical conductivity is driven by the optical properties.

A series of radiocarbon dates systematically obtained from bone and charcoal samples from the stratigraphic sequence of Okuzini Cave has been analyzed in conjunction with stratigraphic and archaeological data to interpret the rates and processes of deposition and human occupation of the cave during the Epipaleolithic of southwest Turkey. AMS dates obtained on the charcoal series reveal the existence of three stratigraphic gaps. Sedimentation rates for the deposits are evaluated in relation to radiometric determinations, the nature and origin of sediment accumulation, the structure of the faunal and lithic assemblages and the changing nature of human occupation of the cave. A hypothesis is proposed to explain the processes and rates of sedimentation, including the three gaps revealed by the radiometric series. One of our aims is to caution against interpretations of cultural evolution directly linked to sedimentary rates for which the variation is not immediately evident during excavation, but which requires a more critical analysis, as we have had the opportunity to do at Okuzini.

Resume Le Rubane apparait comme une acculturation des Mesolithiques locaux, amorcee dans le Bassin Pannonien a la suite d'une colonisation trans-balkanique. L'economie, l'architecture et la ceramique procedent d'une adaptation aux moyens locaux, ce qui explique le decalage chronologique entre l'acculturation et l'expansion geographique. L'ensemble se place a l'interieur d'un milieu deja indo-europeen, depuis le Paleolithique recent.

Cavalli-Sforza, L.L., P. Menozzi, and A. Piazza, 1994, The History and Geography of Human Genes. Princeton, NJ.: Princeton University Press. Jackes, M., D. Lubell, and C. Meiklejohn, 1997, On Physical Anthropological Aspects of the Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition in the Iberian Peninsula. Current Anthropology 38:839-46. Krings, M., A. Stone, R. Schmitz, H. Krainitzki, M. Stoneking, and S. Piibo, 1997, Neandertal DNA Sequences and the Origin of Modern Humans. Cell 90:1-20. Lalueza Fox, C., 1996, Physical Anthropological Aspects of the Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition in the Iberian Peninsula. Current Anthropology 37:689-95. Mellars, P., 1996, The Neanderthal Legacy. Princeton, NJ.: Princeton University Press. Renfrew, C., 1987, Archaeology and Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins. London: Jonathan Cape. Renfrew, C., 1992, Archaeology, Genetics and Linguistic Diversity. Man 27:445-78. Stringer, C., 1994, Out of Africa: A Personal History. Pp. 149-72 in Origins of Anatomically Modern Humans (ed. by M. Nitecki and D. Nitecki). New York: Plenum Publishing Corp.

The aims of this report are threefold: (1) to provide new information concerning the Lower and Middle Paleolithic of southern Turkey, (2) to present the shifts in lithic techniques evident in the sequence of Karain Cave during these periods, and (3) to demonstrate the significance of the new information for interpreting long-distance relations between Western Asia and Europe. In fact, in spite of the crucial geographic situation of Anatolia between the Near East and Europe, it has rarely been the subject of intensive excavations and publications concerning the Paleolithic periods. Recently obtained data are therefore of significant interest.

We present experimental results on pressure and resistivity on expanded nickel at a density of $0.1\text{ }\text{g}/{\text{cm}}^{3}$ and temperature of a few eV. These data, corresponding to the warm dense matter regime, are used to benchmark different theoretical approaches. A comparison is presented between fully three-dimensional quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) methods, based on density functional theory, with average atom methods, that are essentially one dimensional. In this regime the evaluation of the thermodynamic properties as well as electrical properties is difficult due to the concurrence of density and thermal effects which directly drive the metal-nonmetal transition. Experimental pressures and resistivities are given in a tabular form with temperatures deduced from QMD simulations.

Une petite trentaine de gisements ont livré des artefacts gravettiens en Belgique. Attesté assez anciennement (28 000 BP), le Gravettien apparaît sous la forme de trois faciès distincts. Le plus ancien comporte de grandes lames appointées et des outils pédonculés ; le plus récent est marqué par les éléments microlithiques à dos (éléments tronqués, micro-gravettes). Ces faciès correspondent sans doute à des groupes régionaux, dont le premier peut être retrouvé assez clairement dans quelques sites des régions voisines, Angleterre, Pays de Galles et nord de la France. En Rhénanie, une quinzaine de sites correspondent à deux faciès (à pointes de La Font-Robert et à micro-gravettes), proches des faciès belges mais non-identiques à ceux-ci. Around thirty sites have yielded Gravettian assemblages in Belgium. Present fairly early (28,000 BP), the Gravettian appears in three distinct facies. The earliest one includes large pointed blades and tanged tools; the most recent one is marked by microlithic backed elements (truncated elements, microgravettes). These facies likely correspond to regional groups of which the first can also be found fairly easily in neighbouring regions (England, Wales and northern France). In Rhenania, some fifteen sites correspond to two facies (with Font Robert points and with microgravettes), similar but not identical to the Belgian facies.

We have performed direct measurements and quantum molecular-dynamics simulations for expanded aluminum at densities two to nine times lower than the normal solid density and internal energies ranging from 7 to 70 kJ/g. The simulation results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data and reproduce well the main trends observed in the measured dependencies of the electrical resistivity and pressure versus internal energy along isochores. A systematic study of the optical conductivity spectra, one-particle density of states, and the distributions of the electronic charge over supercell shows that the transition of expanded aluminum to a nonmetallic state takes place close to the density at which the constant volume derivative of the electrical resistivity on internal energy becomes negative.

We measured the thermodynamical and transport properties of boron in the warm dense matter regime ($15\text{ }000\text{ }\text{K}lTl25\text{ }000\text{ }\text{K}$ and $\ensuremath{\rho}=0.094\text{ }\text{g}/{\text{cm}}^{3}$). Experimental data are compared with quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations. We find a very good agreement between data and calculations, which permits us to transform experimental energies into temperatures, and allows us to compare conductivities with an average atom model coupled with a Kubo-Greenwood calculations. Contact is made between computationally intensive QMD simulation codes and fast average atom models.

We measured the thermodynamical and transport properties of aluminum-gold mixtures in the warm dense matter regime and for various concentrations. We compare these measurements with quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations. We find that the calculated pressures and resistivities of both the mixtures and pure phases are in good agreement with the measurements. This further allows us to test the mixing rules usually employed to predict the properties of the mixed phases from the pure ones. We show, in this regime, that the partial densities mixing rule predicts the pressure of the mixture rather accurately but fails in its prediction of the optical conductivity. To improve this latter prediction, we find that we must invoke an isothermal-isobaric mixture rule to compute the pure phase contributions at the correct densities.

The lithic inventories from several sites excavated in Romania and in the Moldovan Republic suggest the existence of a Late Aurignacian around 27,500 BP, then of an Epi-Aurignacian, more recent, since 21,000 BP. If the first seems to be a late expression of the Typical Aurignacian, the second corresponds only to a resurgence of some aurignacian-like techniques, without any direct filiation. This phenomenon is, anyway, observable throughout Central and Eastern Europe and his connections with the Epigravettian are still barely known., Les industries lithiques de plusieurs sites fouillés en Roumanie et en République Moldave suggèrent l’existence d’un Aurignacien récent autour de 27.500 BP, puis d’un Épi-Aurignacien, plus récent, dès 21.000 BP. Si le premier semble une expression tardive de l’Aurignacien typique, le second ne correspond probablement qu’à la résurgence de certaines techniques d’allure aurignacienne, sans filiation directe. Le phénomène est néanmoins observable à l’échelle de l’Europe centrale et orientale et ses rapports à l’Épigravettien sont encore mal connus., Noiret Pierre. Les industries aurignaciennes et « aurignacoïdes »en Moldavie après 30.000BP. In: Annales d'Université "Valahia" Târgovişte. Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, Tome 8-9, 2006. pp. 88-102.

Equation of state data and electrical resistivity of warm dense gold were measured in the internal energy range 8 - 12 MJ/kg. Experimental results were compared with quantum molecular dynamics simulations. The theoretical results match well the experimental data, allowing a detailed interpretation of the theoretical thermodynamic properties and frequency-dependent conductivities.

Absolute measurements of the pressure and the electrical conductivity of expanded copper in the warm dense matter regime ({rho}=0.5-0.3 g/cm{sup 3} and 6000 K

In Eastern Europe, a few sites have yielded industries attributed to the Early Aurignacian between 33,000 and 29,000BP, characterized by bladelet production from bladelet cores and/or from carinated core-tools. These industries haveaffinities with other local industries south of the expansion zone of this Early Aurignacian, but problems with relativeand absolute chronologies currently prevent a satisfactory “historical” interpretation of the Aurignacian phenomenon.En Europe orientale, quelques sites ont livré des industries attribuées à l’Aurignacien ancien entre 33.000 et 29.000BP, et caractérisées par une production lamellaire à partir de nucléus à lamelles et/ou à partir de nucléus–outilscarénés. Ces industries présentent des affinités avec d’autres industries localisées au sud de la zone d’extension de cetAurignacien ancien, mais des problèmes de chronologie relative et absolue empêchent à l’heure actuelle uneinterprétation “historique » satisfaisante du phénomène., In Eastern Europe, a few sites have yielded industries attributed to the Early Aurignacian between 33,000 and 29,000 BP, characterized by bladelet production from bladelet cores and/or from carinated core-tools. These industries have affinities with other local industries south of the expansion zone of this Early Aurignacian, but problems with relative and absolute chronologies currently prevent a satisfactory “historical” interpretation of the Aurignacian phenomenon.En Europe orientale, quelques sites ont livré des industries attribuées à l’Aurignacien ancien entre 33.000 et 29.000BP, et caractérisées par une production lamellaire à partir de nucléus à lamelles et/ou à partir de nucléus–outilscarénés. Ces industries présentent des affinités avec d’autres industries localisées au sud de la zone d’extension de cetAurignacien ancien, mais des problèmes de chronologie relative et absolue empêchent à l’heure actuelle uneinterprétation “historique » satisfaisante du phénomène.

Experimental measurements and theoretical calculations of the electrical conductivity of aluminum are presented in the strongly coupled partially degenerate regime (rho=0.3 g/cm(3), 5000

Electrical resistivity, pressure, and internal energy variation of warm dense correlated titanium (density $0.2\mathrm{g}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$) and aluminum (density $0.1\mathrm{g}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$) plasmas are measured using a homogeneous and thermally equilibrated media produced inside an isochoric closed-vessel plasma. These data are compared to detailed calculations based on the density functional theory. In the studied temperature range (15 000--30 000 K), it appears that both exchange-correlation and ion-ion interaction treatments are of great importance to calculate accurate theoretical values.

The aim of this paper is to provide experimental data on various expanded elements in the warm dense matter regime. The experiments were done on the experimental facility “enceinte a plasma isochore” and are evaluated through a thorough comparison with ab initio calculations, average-atom codes, and chemical models. This comparison allows for the evaluation of the experimental temperatures that are not accessible to the measurements and permits the building of useful data tables gathering energy, pressure, conductivity, and temperatures. We summarize experiments performed on aluminum (0.1 and 0.3 g/cm3), nickel (0.2 g/cm3), titanium (0.1 g/cm3), copper (0.3 and 0.5 g/cm3), silver (0.43 g/cm3), gold (0.5 g/cm3), boron (0.094 g/cm3), and silicon (0.21 g/cm3) for temperatures ranging from 0.5 eV to 3-4 eV.

RésuméAu cours des phases anciennes du Paléolithique, les indices de préoccupations comportementales distinctes de la technicité, de la chasse ou de l’habitat sont d’interprétation délicate. Mais ils se multiplient du Paléolithique inférieur au Paléolithique moyen, lorsqu’apparaissent les premiers traitements incontestables de défunts et quelques manifestations symboliques, sous forme de coquilles et de colorants ramassés. Avec le Paléolithique supérieur, les documents archéologiques sont plus nombreux et permettent de cerner les considérations spirituelles. Il est alors possible d’approcher le domaine des préoccupations non techniques, extérieures à la subsistance, aux modalités de débitage ou aux systèmes d’emmanchement des armatures. Les œuvres figurées apparaissent, mobilières ou pariétales, dont l’iconographie et l’agencement sont structurés. Les grottes ornées semblent les lieux de pratiques rituelles au-delà du seul acte graphique. Des traces de fréquentation et des dépôts témoignent d’un espace d’échanges possibles entre le monde des hommes et celui des esprits, dans le cadre d’une conception animiste. Dans le domaine religieux, ces données permettent de restituer quelques éléments d’une pensée à caractère mythique, analogues à ceux décrits par les ethnologues et les historiens des religions dans d’autres contextes. Leur étude ne permet pas de retrouver précisément les mythes eux-mêmes, mais d’envisager leur existence et leur fonction structurante dans leurs sociétés.AbstractDuring the oldest periods of the Palaeolithic, evidence of distinct behaviours related to technicity, hunting and settlement patterns is difficult to clearly interpret. Yet such evidence increases from the Lower to Middle Palaeolithic, with the appearance of the first incontestable burials and symbolic representations, in the form of collected shells and colorants. With the Upper Palaeolithic, the archaeological record is more abundant. It is then possible to address spiritual aspects, the component of non-technological human behaviour beyond subsistence, lithic reduction or hafting techniques. Figurative art appears, in both mobile and parietal form, the iconography and organisation of which are structured. Painted caves seem to have been places for ritual practices in addition to having been selected for art alone. Evidence of visits and archaeological deposits reflect a space for possible exchanges between the human and spirit worlds in the framework of an animist world view. In the religious domain, such data allow the reconstruction of some elements of mythical thought, analogous to that described by ethnologists and historians of religions in other contexts. Their study does not allow precise recovery of the myths themselves, but rather consideration of their existence and structuring function within these prehistoric societies.

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