À propos du gisement magdalénien d'Étiolles (Essonne) : réflexion sur la fonction d'un site paléolithique

Abstract

The function of prehistoric sites is a major topic of Palaeolithic research. Often opposed to the concept of culture (or style), function is considered as another key in the interpretation of prehistoric assemblages. In prehistoric archaeology, this notion involves setting the site with its components in a socio-economic system of the occupation and exploitation of a territory by hunter-gatherer societies. The model that is preferred refers to ethno- archaeological research regarding modern hunter-gatherers, in particular L. R. Binford's research. The focus of this article is to discuss this model and to question the relevance of criteria selected by archaeologists to identify the function of a Palaeolithic site. This discussion is based on the study of the Magdalenian open-air site of Étiolles that has now been excavated for more than thirty years. The characteristics of this site are discussed: duration and regularity of the occupation, seasonality, organisation of the camps, variability of the habitation structures, nature and importance of activities carried out on the site. The long duration of the excavations reveals the ambiguity of some data and the limits of a functional interpretation of the site. Furthermore, it is necessary to compare the site of Étiolles with other Magdalenian sites in the centre of the Paris Basin for the better understanding of this site and its integration into a territory. A first model of territory occupation was proposed during the late 1980s. It was based on the functional complementarity of Magdalenian sites that inferred a seasonal planning of activities. With the continuation of the excavations on several sites (Etiolles, Pincevent), and the discovery of new ones, the reality seems to be more complex. A new model is proposed. It focuses on similarities between sites. The economic exploitation of the Magdalenian territory in the centre of the Paris Basin seems to be less rigid, adapted to an area with diversified resources.