Les sites acheuléens des grottes la Terrasse et du Coupe-Gorge, à Montmaurin, Haute Garonne, France

Abstract

The huge karstic network of Montmaurin is located at the western end of the chain of the Petites Pyrenées, and contained several caves escavated by Louis Méroc and his team to 1946 at 1961. Among the eight caves that have escaped the exploitation of quarrymen the richest in stone industry and fauna are the caves la Terrasse and le Coupe-Gorge which are Acheulean sites. The techno-typological and petro-archaeological study conducted during this research shows the specificities inherent to the Montmaurin caves. The lithological procession is composed of pebbles quartzite lydian quartz etc. that come from the tributaries of the Garonne and pre-Pyrenean flint. The acquisition territories of mineral resources are more or less vast, from a hundred meters to about 80 kilometers. The techno-typological characteristics of the Montmaurin cave's industries testify a technical and economic behavior oriented towards production and consumption activities in situ. Differential management of lithic resources is observed, which echoes both the technical requirements imposed by the debitage methods employed and the knapping skills.