Abstract
In this paper, we explore the social motivations underlying the settlement pattern of the foraging communities 15,000 years ago in the southwest of France. We report on a significant collection of several tens of teeth and shell beads from the Upper Magdalenian site of Peyrazet (Lot, France) and perform a detailed microscopic analysis of this assemblage. We explore which species were selected, examine technological and taphonomic modifications of the material, and compare this collection with the use of similar personal ornaments in Western Europe. Bone industry and zooarchaeological data also provide additional information to discuss and contextualize the bead assemblage. Our results indicate a complex economy dedicated to the accumulation of shells, reindeer skins, and teeth off-site. Peyrazet is identified as a location dedicated to the sewing and decoration of reindeer skins and is an isolated case in the region so far. We conclude that foragers created their personal ornamentation at specific sites in the region and that symbolic productions played a role in the mobility strategies of the communities during the Upper Magdalenian.
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