A Technological and Functional Analysis of Carinates from Le Flageolet I, Dordogne, France

Abstract

This paper addresses a common theme in lithic studies: are certain pieces cores, tools, or both? Common in lithic assemblages are pieces that have debatable typological and technological designations. Some would interpret them as cores for the production of microdebitage, while others would identify them as tools in their own right. While this study addresses this question utilizing an assemblage from a specific site during a specific time period, the results and the methods used have broader implications worldwide.Technology and function of scrapers and burins from the Aurignacian period dating to approximately 27,000 years ago have long been debated. It has been assumed, based on their typological form, that they were used to scrape or engrave. We investigate these scrapers and burins from the French Palaeolithic site Le Flageolet I (Dordogne, France) to propose an alternative hypothesis: these pieces were, in fact, cores. These cores were used for the production of bladelets with specific morphology (curved and twisted) that is required for the fabrication of “Dufour bladelets.” Technological and microwear analyses investigated the role of these scrapers and burins in a complex reduction sequence.