Abstract
AbstractIn the lower Rhône Valley, many sites are attributed to the Early Neolithic and dated between 5600 and 4800 cal. BC. According to their ceramic production, they are associated with two cultural facies: the Cardial and the Epicardial. The relation between these two entities is still under debate (chronological, cultural or functional distinctions?). However, little is known about the lithic production of the region since the chipped stone industries are rarely evoked in the socioeconomic and cultural understanding of these first agropastoral societies. The objective of this paper is to propose a regional synthesis regarding Early Neolithic lithic industries, based on typo-technological studies of several assemblages in the Rhône Valley: The Montclus rockshelter (layers 5 to 2), the Baume de Ronze rockshelter, Le Taï and the Aigle cave. These sites are considered to be the key sites for understanding the Cardial/Epicardial complex in this area, but their lithic assemblages have never been thoroughly studied. Special attention will be given to the factors of variability or, on the contrary, to the permanence in the “schema opératoire”and we will propose explanations related to geological, functional, chronological and cultural constraints. We will also focus on lithic blade production made from honey flint and the spacialisation of “chaine opératoire” which could highlight circulation of this raw material and specialised distribution network. Finally, this synthesis is based on a renewed corpus of radiocarbon dates in order to understand this evolutionary dynamic as finely as possible.
Highlights
The Cardial and EpicardialThe first manifestations of the Neolithic in the Southern part of France can be divided into two distinct cultural entities: the Impressa and the Cardial sphere
The Cardial in the broad sense, i.e. Cardial and Epicardial, which is the focus of this study, shows a significantly increased territorial hold and corresponds to a phase of expansion of Neolithic lifestyles that gradually affected the whole territory of the South of France
On the right bank of the Rhône, this stage is only associated with the Epicardial pottery facies
Summary
The first manifestations of the Neolithic in the Southern part of France can be divided into two distinct cultural entities: the Impressa and the Cardial sphere (in the broadest sense of the term: Cardial, Epicardial and their epigones). Studies dealing with these productions are rarer (Binder, 1987; Briois, 2005; Perrin, 2014) and are not often addressed through the lens of the Cardial/Epicardial dichotomy. In this perspective, we wish to question here the variability of lithic productions and to compare the results with other elements of material culture, in particular pottery, in order to reach a better understanding of these historical processes
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