THE LITHIC INDUSTRIES FROM BLANCHARD
AND CASTANET ROCK SHELTERS (DORDOGNE, FRANCE):

Data from the 2005-2012 Excavations

Laurent CHIOTTI, Catherine CRETIN, André MORALA

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Abstract

Renewed excavations directed by R. White in two Aurignacian rock shelters in the Vallon des Roches (Sergeac, Dordogne, France), Castanet (2005-2012) and Blanchard (2011-2012), have yielded reliable new series, and have improved our knowledge and reflections of the Aurignacian from these two reference sites.

Castanet Rock shelter was excavated over a surface of several square meters and yielded a single level, lying directly on the rocky substratum. Blanchard Rock shelter had been practically emptied by early excavations, but nonetheless contained two relatively rich archaeological vestigial deposits, without stratigraphic overlap. Excavations in these two contiguous rock shelters, at the foot of the same cliff, yielded sufficient collections for a reliable typo-technological analysis and an updated cultural attribution.

Consequently, one of the series from Blanchard and the series from Castanet can be attributed to an Early Aurignacian, whereas the second series from Blanchard corresponds to a Recent Aurignacian. This provides us with a number of new observations concerning technical behaviors, raw material procurement and chronocultural informations that were not possible to affirm on the older collections.

To cite this article

Chiotti L., Cretin C., Morala A., 2015 – The Lithic Industries from Blanchard and Castanet Rock Shelters (Dordogne, France): Data from the 2005-2012 Excavations, in White R., Bourrillon R. (eds.) with the collaboration of Bon F., Aurignacian Genius: Art, Technology and Society of the First Modern Humans in Europe, Proceedings of the International Symposium, April 08-10 2013, New York University, P@lethnology, 7, 76-97.