Levallois points and triangular flakes during the Middle Palaeolithic in northwestern Europe: Considerations on the status of these pieces in the Neanderthal hunting toolkit in northern France

Abstract

Over the past twenty years, during the course of programmed and particularly rescue archaeological operations, prehistorians in northern France have identified numerous sites attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic. Over twenty of these have been excavated and are part of one of the most reliable chronostratigraphic frameworks known in Western Europe. Northern France thus acts as a sort of test laboratory where the fusion of abundant archaeological and palaeoenvironmental data can now culminate in a general synthesis. The point is omnipresent in small numbers in these lithic assemblages, and is a universal element of the Neanderthal toolkit. Levallois points are often associated with triangular flake production. In this article we use various lithic assemblages come from 26 excavations represented 35 human occupation levels located in a geographic area covering the northeast quarter of France, from Normandy to the Flemish plains. Levallois points and triangular flakes are compared according to different disciplines: technology and use wear analysis. Chronology and environmental reconstruction allowed a better understanding of the Neanderthal subsistence behaviour. This article aims to provide new and original insights into point and triangular flake production, their functions and their mobility during the Middle Palaeolithic.