Abstract
PALæOLITHIC SITE AT ROCHETTES, DORDOGNE,—In 1925, Mm.Counter and Emetaz gave an account at the Congress at Grenôble of the excavation a rock-shelter at Rochettes, immediately to the south of that explored by Hauser, which revealed a series of stratificatione extending from the Lower Mousterian to the Upper Aurignacian, entirely undisturbed. In the Bulletin de la Société d'Anthropo logie de Paris, 7me érie, t. 7, fase. 4-5-6, the authors describe further investigations on the site which have produced evidence of importance on three points. First, on the transition from Mouterian to Aurignacian. The lowest stratum (No. 6), of dark yellow sandy soil, contained implements including racloir of La Quina type belonging to Early Mousterian. Above this was a stratum, also of a sandy soil, lighter in colour, with coups de poing, oblong racloirs, and bones of developed Mousterian type. Above, in the fourth stratum, characterised by hearths with carbonised bone, was an industry much less highly developed than that of the stratum below, with numerous flakes, which in character are comparable to the industry of the Early Aurignacian rock-shelter at Audi. That is, the fully developed Mousterian is here followed immediately by an undeveloped industry of an entirely different technique, which is to be regarded as Aurignacian. The site, therefore, gives indubitable evidence of the sequence of one industry to the other. The second point upon which the excavation furnished evideiice is the occurrence of red ochre on a Mousterian site; a piece of this material showing two grooves made by a flint implement was found in the lowest stratum, which is taken to indicate that this material, used by the Aurignacians as pigment, was also employed by the Mousterians, though for what purpose 15 not known. In the fifth or upper Mousterian stratum was found bear's tooth, grooved for suspension as an amulet. This also is unique in Mousterian culture, and must be added to the small number of objects of amuletic purpose belonging to this culture already known.
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Research Items. Nature 120, 528–529 (1927). https://doi.org/10.1038/120528a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/120528a0