Inter-site Relationships at the End of the Early Neolithic in North-western Europe, Bartonian Flint Circulation and Macro-features Matching Method

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper demonstrates the potential of fine-grained technological analysis to provide new insights for a better anthropological understanding of raw material distribution. The spatial segmentation of the chaîne opératoire is demonstrated using an original method focusing on the matching of macro-features of tertiary Bartonian flint. The outcrops of this raw material occur in the Paris Basin and the distribution network for this type of flint at the end of the early Neolithic in north-western Europe is no longer in question. This study focuses on its circulation toward the Blicquian sites, located some 150 km from the outcrops. The analysis of levels of skill and technical traditions of the production show a very rapid switch in the modalities of distribution indicating that the same culture and “network” probably involved different social interactions between groups over time.