Sequence and Development of Mousterian Traditions in South-western France

Abstract

THE cave and rock-shelter sites of south-western France have produced an exceptional wealth of cultural remains dating from the earlier part of the last glaciation. Much of the interest of these ‘Mousterian’ flint industries derives from the fact that they have frequently been found in association with neanderthal skeletal material, the evolutionary position of which is still far from settled. During the past fifteen years these assemblages have been the object of an intensive re-investigation by Prof. F. Bordes, and for this he has devised a standardized typological classification for comparing the numerous assemblages in quantitative terms. The statistical analyses provided by Bordes et al. have permitted the first detailed and objective comparison of French Mousterian industries, and as a result Bordes has identified five main groupings within the assemblages. These have been termed the ‘Mousterian of Acheulian tradition’, ‘Quina’, ‘Ferrassie’, ‘Typical’ and ‘Denticulate’ variants¹.