From the flake to the blade: the technological evolution of the Middle Paleolithic blade phenomenon

Identificador:  TDX:2559

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX2559

Autors:  Leonardo, Carmignani

Resum:
The European Middle Paleolithic technocomplex shows some large chronological trends in the lithic industry changes, and also an internal technical diversity which is difficult to explain in a homogeneous framework. We introduce a technological perspective to go through this technical diversity, based on the comparison of four Mousterian sequences: Bau de l’Aubesier and Payre in southern-east France, Riparo Tagliente in northern Italy and Grotta del Cavallo in southern Italy. In the technological mosaic, which is the peculiarity of the European Middle Paleolithic, blade production assumes a unclear role. Technical analyses show a discontinuity of blade reduction strategies, shared by the industries of the four sites. In a comparative perspective, technical changes don’t appear at the same rhythm in the four sequences: in Bau de l’Aubesier and Payre different technological features has been recognized. At Payre dominance of production of flakes contrast with the association of blade and flakes end-products recognized at Bau de l’Aubesier. This variability does not seem to be linked to external factors such as the raw materials or other activities. Riparo Tagliente and Grotta del Cavallo share a combination of Levallois and laminar production aimed to produce distinct end products. Finally, a bladelets production recognized at Bau de l’Aubesier during the MIS 5 and later on at Grotta del Cavallo during the MIS 4-3 display a non-linear technological evolution through time and space. We suggest that these different change modalities are the result of a deeper techno-cultural diversity of human groups populating the southern Europe during the Middle Paleolithic.