Quelques éléments remarquables de la faune du Solutréen de Laugerie-Haute (Les-Eyzies-de-Tayac, Dordogne)

Laugerie-Haute is one of the most famous French Upper Paleolithic sites on which the concept of aggregation sites has been developped (Conkey 1980, 1992). The examination of collections from the site during the preparation of the new museography of the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies all...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Paléo
Main Authors: Castel, Jean-Christophe, Madelaine, Stéphane
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:French
Published: Musée national de Préhistoire 2009
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Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/paleo/258
Description
Summary:Laugerie-Haute is one of the most famous French Upper Paleolithic sites on which the concept of aggregation sites has been developped (Conkey 1980, 1992). The examination of collections from the site during the preparation of the new museography of the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies allowed us to rediscover some remarkable elements of the Solutrean fauna. We note the presence of the Muskox (Ovibos moschatus), previously known only in few sites. We also note the presence of Mammuth fragments such teeth described before by D. Peyrony, and especially long bone diaphyses. We also mention the presence of the saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) which is represented in several solutrean sites in the region. Finally, two horses lower teeth modified as “ retouchers ” were found. Such objects where until now only recovered in Aurignacian and Mousterian sites and should be searched in all Upper Paleolithic sites.The presence of these elements is not only due to the large size of the excavations since the middle of the 19th century. Actually, there are no such remarkable pieces in all remaining solutrean sites of the South-West of France. Laugerie-Haute est l’un des sites majeurs qui s’inscrivent dans le débat sur la présence et la caractérisation de sites d’agrégation (Conkey 1980, 1992). L’examen des collections de Laugerie-Haute dans le cadre de la préparation de la nouvelle muséographie du Musée national de Préhistoire des Eyzies, nous a permis de remettre au jour quelques éléments remarquables de la faune attribuée au Solutréen. Il s’agit de la présence exceptionnelle du bœuf musqué (Ovibos moschatus) signalée dans un nombre très limité de gisements en France et de l’importante récolte de vestiges de mammouth, qu’il s’agisse des vestiges dentaires déjà décrits par Peyrony mais aussi de quelques fragments de diaphyses d’os longs. En outre, nous mentionnons la présence d’antilope saïga (Saiga tatarica) qui est reconnue dans plusieurs sites solutréens du sud-ouest de la France.Enfin, deux retouchoirs réalisés ...