Here we report the recent archaeological survey we have conducted around Lake Beseka (Northern Ma... more Here we report the recent archaeological survey we have conducted around Lake Beseka (Northern Main Ethiopian Rift) between 18th -24th December 2018. The survey is initiated, in the framework of the doctoral research of the first author (BH), to retrace the previous Later StoneAge sites, notably FeJx4, and to help document new archaeological context in the surroundings.FeJx4 is one of the earliest Later Stone Age sites in Ethiopia and the Horn which was excavated under the direction of Desmond Clark and Steven Brandt in 1970s (University of California, Berkeley). This survey work has thus brought renewed data on the archaeological and geological contexts of Lake Beseka area, more significantly by relocating the geological fault where the proverbial FeJx4 was excavated. Particularly, we are lucky enough to find this area remained unflooded considering the magnitude of the lake expansion since 1970s. Furthermore, the exploration around eastern Lake Beseka and Fentale areas has provide...
La grotte du Mas d’Azil est un phenomene geologique imposant par ses dimensions et la complexite ... more La grotte du Mas d’Azil est un phenomene geologique imposant par ses dimensions et la complexite de son reseau ; elle est aussi un haut-lieu de la Prehistoire. Sous le porche sud, en rive gauche de la riviere, une terrasse recele encore plusieurs niveaux d’occupation de la fin de la derniere periode glaciaire jusqu’a l’âge du Bronze intercales avec des limons d’inondation. Le reseau karstique qui se developpe en rive droite, quant a lui, etait repute vide de son contenu archeologique. En complement d’une serie d’interventions d’archeologie preventive, un programme de recherche destine a faire un etat des lieux cartographique et archeologique de la cavite est en cours depuis 2013. L’etude des vestiges de coupes stratigraphiques en place permet de proposer une nouvelle histoire de la grotte en lien avec les occupations humaines, notamment pendant la derniere glaciation. En effet, des sediments d’origine fluviatile couvrent les niveaux aurignaciens sur plusieurs metres d’epaisseur. Les...
The remains of 61 individuals buried in the cemetery of Jebel Sahaba (site 117) offer unique and ... more The remains of 61 individuals buried in the cemetery of Jebel Sahaba (site 117) offer unique and substantial evidence to the emergence of violence in the Nile Valley at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Excavated and assessed in the 1960s, some of the original findings and interpretations are disputed. A full reanalysis of the timing, nature and extent of the violence was conducted through the microscopic characterization of the nature of each osseous lesion, and the reassessment of the archaeological data. Over 100 previously undocumented healed and unhealed lesions were identified on both new and/or previously identified victims, including several embedded lithic artefacts. Most trauma appears to be the result of projectile weapons and new analyses confirm for the first time the repetitive nature of the interpersonal acts of violence. Indeed, a quarter of the skeletons with lesions exhibit both healed and unhealed trauma. We dismiss the hypothesis that Jebel Sahaba reflects a singl...
L’exploitation des materiaux colorants au Paleolithique superieur. Quelles strategies d’approvisi... more L’exploitation des materiaux colorants au Paleolithique superieur. Quelles strategies d’approvisionnement, quelles transformations, pour quelles utilisations ?
Here we report the recent archaeological survey we have conducted around Lake Beseka (Northern Ma... more Here we report the recent archaeological survey we have conducted around Lake Beseka (Northern Main Ethiopian Rift) between 18th -24th December 2018. The survey is initiated, in the framework of the doctoral research of the first author (BH), to retrace the previous Later StoneAge sites, notably FeJx4, and to help document new archaeological context in the surroundings.FeJx4 is one of the earliest Later Stone Age sites in Ethiopia and the Horn which was excavated under the direction of Desmond Clark and Steven Brandt in 1970s (University of California, Berkeley). This survey work has thus brought renewed data on the archaeological and geological contexts of Lake Beseka area, more significantly by relocating the geological fault where the proverbial FeJx4 was excavated. Particularly, we are lucky enough to find this area remained unflooded considering the magnitude of the lake expansion since 1970s. Furthermore, the exploration around eastern Lake Beseka and Fentale areas has provide...
La grotte du Mas d’Azil est un phenomene geologique imposant par ses dimensions et la complexite ... more La grotte du Mas d’Azil est un phenomene geologique imposant par ses dimensions et la complexite de son reseau ; elle est aussi un haut-lieu de la Prehistoire. Sous le porche sud, en rive gauche de la riviere, une terrasse recele encore plusieurs niveaux d’occupation de la fin de la derniere periode glaciaire jusqu’a l’âge du Bronze intercales avec des limons d’inondation. Le reseau karstique qui se developpe en rive droite, quant a lui, etait repute vide de son contenu archeologique. En complement d’une serie d’interventions d’archeologie preventive, un programme de recherche destine a faire un etat des lieux cartographique et archeologique de la cavite est en cours depuis 2013. L’etude des vestiges de coupes stratigraphiques en place permet de proposer une nouvelle histoire de la grotte en lien avec les occupations humaines, notamment pendant la derniere glaciation. En effet, des sediments d’origine fluviatile couvrent les niveaux aurignaciens sur plusieurs metres d’epaisseur. Les...
The remains of 61 individuals buried in the cemetery of Jebel Sahaba (site 117) offer unique and ... more The remains of 61 individuals buried in the cemetery of Jebel Sahaba (site 117) offer unique and substantial evidence to the emergence of violence in the Nile Valley at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Excavated and assessed in the 1960s, some of the original findings and interpretations are disputed. A full reanalysis of the timing, nature and extent of the violence was conducted through the microscopic characterization of the nature of each osseous lesion, and the reassessment of the archaeological data. Over 100 previously undocumented healed and unhealed lesions were identified on both new and/or previously identified victims, including several embedded lithic artefacts. Most trauma appears to be the result of projectile weapons and new analyses confirm for the first time the repetitive nature of the interpersonal acts of violence. Indeed, a quarter of the skeletons with lesions exhibit both healed and unhealed trauma. We dismiss the hypothesis that Jebel Sahaba reflects a singl...
L’exploitation des materiaux colorants au Paleolithique superieur. Quelles strategies d’approvisi... more L’exploitation des materiaux colorants au Paleolithique superieur. Quelles strategies d’approvisionnement, quelles transformations, pour quelles utilisations ?
A better understanding of the operation and use of prehistoric fires is fundamental to interpreti... more A better understanding of the operation and use of prehistoric fires is fundamental to interpreting the organization of living spaces. Following a previous study that focused on the organic signatures of fireplaces fueled with wood and/or bones, this study targeted the completion of an experimental reference database through the addition of a wood-fueled fireplace dedicated to the cooking of meat. Different sedimentary features of this experimental fireplace were visually identified (e.g. darkening, reddening), sampled, and subjected to geochemical analysis. Corg and N contents were quantified, samples were extracted with organic solvents and analyzed through GC-MS and bulk organic matter was characterized through py(TMAH)-GC-MS. Five different samples were studied and compared with a control sample, representative of the local background. A significant increase of Corg and N contents was measured for the three samples presenting darkened or charred caracteristics. The meat-cooking fireplace seems to be characterized by the strong contribution of nitrogen, which was visible in elementary analyses as well as in the molecular composition of solvent extracts, and bulk organic matter. More specifically, compounds containing nitrile functions, amides, N-heterocyclic and N-aromatic compounds could be detected in solvent extracts. Amines, amides, N-heterocyclic and Naromatic compounds could be identified in py(TMAH)-GC-MS. Some of these compounds present a relative stability in soils and could therefore aid in our comprehension and functional interpretations of archaeological fireplaces, and may, more particularly, make it possible to highlight the use of fireplaces for the cooking of meat.
This article presents the methods and results regarding the radiocarbon (AMS) dating of the site ... more This article presents the methods and results regarding the radiocarbon (AMS) dating of the site of Régismont-le-Haut. This site is one of the very few well-preserved Aurignacian open-air sites in southern France. It is also one of the only Aurignacian sites in France and Europe, more generally, to have conserved evident features, including many in situ firerelated structures. We selected charcoal and bone from all the major occupation sectors excavated so far, as well as from others which were important for understanding site formation. Considering difficulties faced when comparing the lithic industry of a site located in a poorly documented area with those belonging to the Aquitaine basin, where the "classical" definition of the Aurignacian was outlined, dating was conducted to accurately place the site within this technocomplex's internal chronology. In total, 19 charcoals (identified to Pinus sp. or gymnosperm) and 3 bones were submitted for AMS radiocarbon dating, each to one of three laboratories. We implemented a strict charcoal screening protocol for radiometric dating that required genus-identified individual charcoals that were well-associated with the fire-related structures. Despite this careful selection, most of the charcoals and all of the bones contained insufficient carbon for dating. Of the 19 charcoal dates attempted, 5 produced dates, from two loci. All fall in the span between the Middle Aurignacian and the Recent Aurignacian (between around 32,500 and 28,000 uncalibrated 14 C BP). An older subset of the dates (32.5-32 ka BP, ca. 37.5-35.5 ka cal BP) appears to be the most reliable. These results represent the first AMS dates ever performed on an Aurignacian open-air site in the Mediterranean area. The dates are compared to other recently dated southwestern France sites to establish which ones might be useful for future detailed archaeological comparisons. They are also instructive from a methodological point of view, in order to better appreciate the resolution of radiocarbon in this context. The focus of this article is on presenting the dating work, especially the protocol used in the selection of samples, the laboratory methods used for obtaining the dates and the challenges faced at this site. Among these, the divergence of dates between loci contrasted with geomorphological and archaeological evidence, with the latter two strongly pointing to one living floor, and either a single occupation or a few very close in time. This forced a reassessment of the chronological dating evidence. This article serves to show the importance of multi-prong approaches to archaeological dating, comparing and contrasting both contextual evidence and actual dates.
Régismont-le-Haut, an Aurignacian open-air campsite, provides an occasion to investigate aspects ... more Régismont-le-Haut, an Aurignacian open-air campsite, provides an occasion to investigate aspects of Aurignacian site variability that are rarely broached: (1) the relatively poorly known area connecting the Aquitaine and Mediterranean Basins, and (2) the highresolution spatial organization of an Early Upper Palaeolithic campsite. While more difficult to integrate directly into chronological models of Aurignacian evolution, mostly derived from stratified rock-shelter and cave sites from the northern Aquitaine Basin, it is argued that studying open-air sites like Régismont-le-Haut can furnish detailed information that rock shelter/cave sites cannot, therefore providing critical building blocks and possible reading keys to help reconstruct prehistoric circulation systems and marry synchronic and diachronic perspectives on variability. A detailed description of the geomorphological and sedimentary context, as well as the differing materials and activities (lithic industry and use-wear, faunal remains, mineral colouring materials, personal ornamentation, limestone blocks, fireplaces) that occur on-site, is provided. A summary of activities occurring in two complementary loci ensues, followed by a preliminary spatial reading of one of the primary domestic units. The contemporaneity of the two loci is then treated, and the article finishes with a discussion regarding how Régismont-le-Haut fits both diachronically and synchronically within the Aurignacian.
Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, 2014
Régismont-le-Haut (Poilhes, Hérault, France) est une des rares stations de plein air du début du ... more Régismont-le-Haut (Poilhes, Hérault, France) est une des rares stations de plein air du début du Paléolithique supérieur connues à ce jour dans le Sud de la France et présentant des conditions tapho nomiques ayant permis la conservation d'aménagements et d'aires d'activité bien circonscrites. Ce campement aurignacien est implanté dans deux dépressions héritées de paléochenaux perpendiculaires asséchés et progressivement comblés par l'érosion d'une colline voisine, aujourd'hui arasée, selon une dynamique colluviale se mêlant à des apports éoliens. Cette configuration a conduit à une préservation exceptionnelle de l'installation humaine à l'intérieur de ces deux paléochenaux, laquelle consiste en une unique surface d'occupation très peu perturbée, formant deux principales aires bien dissociées dans l'espace. Une vingtaine de structures de combustion ont été mises au jour. Elles constituent autant de pôles d'activité, autour desquels le matériel archéologique se concentre en un semis plus ou moins diffus : silex et quartzite, macrooutillage en calcaire, charbons, os mal conservé, malacofaune et matières colorantes. Les matières colorantes se présentent sous des formes diverses : blocs de matière première bruts ou semi-transformés (majoritairement rouges, mais aussi jaunes et noirs), mottes friables résultant vraisemblablement d'une préparation (rouges), résidus de poudre rouge sur des éléments lithiques et en particulier des grattoirs en matières siliceuses, résidus de poudre rouge sur des pièces de parure en coquillage, imprégnations rouges dans les sédiments. Nous avons focalisé notre attention sur les blocs de matière première pour 1) caractériser les géomatières introduites sur le site et leurs propriétés (pouvoir colorant, dureté, etc.), 2) décrire les chaînes opératoires de préparation et de transformation de ces matériaux, 3) initier une réflexion sur les modalités d'utilisation et les fonctions dévolues aux matières colorantes à Régismont-le-Haut. L'ensemble du corpus a fait l'objet d'observations à l'oeil nu et sous loupe binoculaire et d'une classification par gamme pétrologique. Un échantillonnage des différentes classes a été caractérisé par observations à fort grossissement, analyses élémentaires (microscopie électronique à balayage avec analyse en énergie dispersive : MEB-EDS) et structurales (diffraction des rayons X : DRX). Ces résultats ont ensuite été interprétés au regard de la répartition spatiale des vestiges. Sept classes ont été mises en évidence, suivant plusieurs critères pétrographiques (texture du ciment, nature des inclusions, structure des minéraux). Certaines fonctionnent par paires et peuvent provenir d'un même faciès géologique. Le principal géomatériau introduit est hétérogène, majoritairement composé d'hématite, parfois de goethite, associées à du quartz, de la calcite et de la muscovite ; il peut présenter une dureté importante, qui implique de faire appel à des outils pour le transformer en poudre. La deuxième grande gamme de matière rouge est constituée de blocs tendres riches en hématite, kaolinite et calcite, avec de petits grains de muscovite. Beaucoup moins nombreux, la goethite, des composés plombifères (cérusite et galène) et de la kaolinite ou de la dolomite ont été identifiés dans les fragments jaunes. Les rares blocs noirs sont quant à eux composés d'oxydes de manganèse. Les caractéristiques pétrographiques, élémentaires et minéralogiques de l'assemblage de matières colorantes témoignent d'un approvisionnement à large spectre de matières premières qui reflètent les ressources minérales régionales, ainsi que l'ont montré nos premières prospections gîtologiques. Les transformations correspondent essentiellement à des opérations mécaniques requérant broyage-concassage tandis que les blocs tendres riches en hématite et kaolinite ont pu être traités par simple frottement sur support souple. La préparation de poudre par raclage ou abrasion n'est pas attestée en l'état actuel des connaissances. Les fonctions des matières colorantes et les modalités de leur utilisation, bien que difficiles à appréhender, semblent recouvrir des activités diversifiées, bien individualisées dans l'espace du site. En particulier, l'association entre des activités de travail des peaux et des matières à fort pouvoir colorant a pu être mise en évidence sur l'un des locus du site de Régismont-le-Haut (S56). La présence de matières colorantes est également attestée dans un autre locus (S72), vraisemblablement davantage lié au traitement primaire des carcasses. Dans les deux cas, les préhistoriques ont pu exploiter l'hématite pour son intense pouvoir colorant à des fins qu'il n'est pas possible de restituer précisément, compte tenu de Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française Tome 111, numéro 4, octobre-décembre 2014, p.
Le Late Stone Age (LSA) d'Afrique orientale est une vaste periode debutant entre 40.000 et 20... more Le Late Stone Age (LSA) d'Afrique orientale est une vaste periode debutant entre 40.000 et 20.000 BP, caracterisee par une premiere phase marquee par la mise en place des derniere societes de chasseurs-cueilleurs nomades, puis par l'introduction d'une economie de production entre 7.000 et 5.000 BP. La documentation de cette tranche chronologique revet une importance majeure, liee aux problematiques de la transition entre les societes du Middle Stone Age (MSA) et du LSA et de la neolithisation de l'Afrique orientale. La mission de prospection dont rend compte le present article est destinee a localiser des sequences attribuables au LSA. ; La region de reconnaissance est celle des « lacs Galla » situee a environ 150km au sud de la capitale. Cinq sites ont ete examines, guides par les donnees archeologiques (notamment pour Waso Hill et Macho Hill) et par les donnees geologiques abondantes pour ce secteur. Differentes periodes sont documentees : MSA, LSA, occupation medievale et/ ou moderne, mais egalement l'Acheuleen pour Bole. ; Les premieres analyses du materiel indiquent que le mobilier de Waso pourrait appartenir a une phase posterieure a 10.000 BP, si l'on se base sur la presence de nombreux microlithes geometriques (lunates), et anterieure a 2.000 ou 3.000 BP, du fait de la domination des productions laminaires et lamellaires.
photo Bifaces acheuléens en obsidienne (station de Bole, lac Langano, Éthiopie). Une lente entrée... more photo Bifaces acheuléens en obsidienne (station de Bole, lac Langano, Éthiopie). Une lente entrée en matière Quel préhistorien, quel amateur de préhistoire n’a souhaité se pencher sur le berceau d’Ève ? L’Afrique de l’Est et, particulièrement, la région du Rift où reposent les ancêtres de l’Homme fait rêver. Depuis plusieurs décennies en effet, cette partie du monde s’est imposée comme une région clé, où se laisse observer une préhistoire qui se compte en millions d’années. L’Afrique n’est p..
“The first admirable contribution of this book is the quite masterful reconstruction of events th... more “The first admirable contribution of this book is the quite masterful reconstruction of events that led from the discovery of this panel in the late nineteenth century to the condition in which we find it today. I venture to say only French rock art specialists could have done this. There is not as pronounced a tradition of dealing so minutely with the detail at individual sites among South African rock art specialists. […] Not only, though, do Le Quellec and colleagues reconstruct the history of research, but they also construct a sequence of paintings to account for the array of different images on this rather amazing panel. The set of apparently colonial as well as precolonial subjects forms an important component of their main argument, which is not about the merits of removing images and transporting them to colonial museums, but about the subtle layers of preconceived beliefs and preoccupations that frame interpretations of apparently obvious content.” (John Parkington, Africa...
“The first admirable contribution of this book is the quite masterful reconstruction of events th... more “The first admirable contribution of this book is the quite masterful reconstruction of events that led from the discovery of this panel in the late nineteenth century to the condition in which we find it today. I venture to say only French rock art specialists could have done this. There is not as pronounced a tradition of dealing so minutely with the detail at individual sites among South African rock art specialists. […] Not only, though, do Le Quellec and colleagues reconstruct the history of research, but they also construct a sequence of paintings to account for the array of different images on this rather amazing panel. The set of apparently colonial as well as precolonial subjects forms an important component of their main argument, which is not about the merits of removing images and transporting them to colonial museums, but about the subtle layers of preconceived beliefs and preoccupations that frame interpretations of apparently obvious content.” (John Parkington, African Archaeological Review 29: 473-475).
The 23rd biennial SAfA meeting was held in Toulouse, France, from 26 June to 2 July 2016. This wa... more The 23rd biennial SAfA meeting was held in Toulouse, France, from 26 June to 2 July 2016. This was the first time since its creation that the Society of Africanist Archaeologists hold its meeting in France. The meeting took place at the University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Toulouse. The host institution was the TRACES Laboratory and the chair of the organizing committee was François-Xavier Fauvelle. The other members of the organizing committee were Caroline Robion-Brunner, François Bon, Laurent Bruxelles, Els Cornelissen, Alexandre Livingstone-Smith, Pierre de Maret, Anne Mayor, Benoît Chevrier and Eric Huysecom. The event was organized conjointly with Belgian (Royal Museum of Central Africa, Tervuren) and Swiss (Archaeology and Settlement in Africa Laboratory, University of Geneva) partners. This meeting brought together around 500 presenters specialized in African archaeology coming from more than 50 countries.
Every two years since 1970, the Society of Africanist Archaeologists (SAfA) has held its biennial meeting, occasions at which most of the Africanist archaeologist community has the opportunity to unite and present the most recent research developments. Preceding meetings were held in Dakar, Senegal, in 2010, Toronto, Canada, in 2012, and in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2014. In 2010 and 2014 this meeting was held conjointly with the PanAfrican Archaeological Association Congress.
The 23rd biennial SAfA meeting was held in Toulouse, France, from 26 June to 2 July 2016. This wa... more The 23rd biennial SAfA meeting was held in Toulouse, France, from 26 June to 2 July 2016. This was the first time since its creation that the Society of Africanist Archaeologists hold its meeting in France. The meeting took place at the University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Toulouse. The host institution was the TRACES Laboratory and the chair of the organizing committee was François-Xavier Fauvelle. The other members of the organizing committee were Caroline Robion-Brunner, François Bon, Laurent Bruxelles, Els Cornelissen, Alexandre Livingstone-Smith, Pierre de Maret, Anne Mayor, Benoît Chevrier and Eric Huysecom. The event was organized conjointly with Belgian (Royal Museum of Central Africa, Tervuren) and Swiss (Archaeology and Settlement in Africa Laboratory, University of Geneva) partners. This meeting brought together around 500 presenters specialized in African archaeology coming from more than 50 countries.
Every two years since 1970, the Society of Africanist Archaeologists (SAfA) has held its biennial meeting, occasions at which most of the Africanist archaeologist community has the opportunity to unite and present the most recent research developments. Preceding meetings were held in Dakar, Senegal, in 2010, Toronto, Canada, in 2012, and in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2014. In 2010 and 2014 this meeting was held conjointly with the PanAfrican Archaeological Association Congress.
One could argue that an exploration of daily activities is a necessary step for the reconstructio... more One could argue that an exploration of daily activities is a necessary step for the reconstruction of past hunter-gatherer lifeways – the detail of the former constitutes essential building blocks for the latter. Most classic sites are, however, rock-shelters, whose palimpsestual nature impedes such high-resolution questioning, forcing us to think in terms of general trends during " time-averaged " slices. Open-air sites, whose assemblages can sometimes be narrowed down to one or a few occupations, offer a way to circumvent such resolution problems. Yet even in cases where such spatial analysis is possible (systematic piece plotting, presence of latent and/or apparent structures…), faunal remains are often absent or poorly preserved. Consequently, those that do exist are usually ignored in spatial studies, or treated summarily, despite the potential wealth of taphonomic and zooarchaeological information they could provide. Régismont-le-Haut is an Aurignacian open-air site situated in the Languedoc region of France. Its single archaeological level contains abundant materials (lithics, bones, colouring materials, shells…) and structural elements (combustion structures, limestone blocks), whose spatial organisation is very well preserved. The excavated area is divided into two loci, which seem to be contemporaneous-possibly related to a single occupation-and functionally complimentary: locus 1 appears to be a domestic area (multifunctional hearth-related areas) and locus 2 a task area (specialized activity areas, first stages of certain chaînes opératoires). Here we present the analysis of faunal remains from sector 56, placed in locus 1. In spite of the relatively poor faunal preservation, 799 bone remains were coordinated and recovered. These were analysed according to types of bone tissue and taphonomic alterations (both anthropogenical and natural), in addition to their identification. It was also possible, using detailed field data, to retrieve coordinates, dimensions and orientations of 930 bones that were too poorly preserved to be recovered. These data were used to conduct a complete spatial analysis, including archeostratigraphical and planimetric analysis (scatter plots, density maps and spatial grid analysis), as well as the application of geospatial statistics (Ripley's K and Kij functions, Besag's L function, k-means analysis…). The results will be compared with those obtained from other archaeological materials. Our main aim is to contribute to the general spatial interpretation of the site, at the moment developed primarily on lithics, hearths and colouring materials. In turn, this work will help us understand the important role faunal remains can play in the spatio-temporal study of open-air deposits.
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Every two years since 1970, the Society of Africanist Archaeologists (SAfA) has held its biennial meeting, occasions at which most of the Africanist archaeologist community has the opportunity to unite and present the most recent research developments. Preceding meetings were held in Dakar, Senegal, in 2010, Toronto, Canada, in 2012, and in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2014. In 2010 and 2014 this meeting was held conjointly with the PanAfrican Archaeological Association Congress.
Every two years since 1970, the Society of Africanist Archaeologists (SAfA) has held its biennial meeting, occasions at which most of the Africanist archaeologist community has the opportunity to unite and present the most recent research developments. Preceding meetings were held in Dakar, Senegal, in 2010, Toronto, Canada, in 2012, and in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2014. In 2010 and 2014 this meeting was held conjointly with the PanAfrican Archaeological Association Congress.