Provenance, modification and use of manganese-rich rocks at Le Moustier (Dordogne, France).

ABSTRACT: The use of colouring materials by Neanderthals has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. Here we present a taphonomic, technological, chemical-mineralogical and functional analysis of fifty-four manganese rich lumps recovered during past and on-going excavations at the lower rockshelter of Le Moustier (Dordogne, France). We compare compositional data for archaeological specimens with the same information for twelve potential geological sources. Morphometric analysis shows that material from Peyrony's excavations before the First World War provides a highly biased picture of the importance of these materials for Mousterian groups. These early excavations almost exclusively recovered large modified pieces, while Mn-rich lumps from the on-going excavations predominantly consist

SUBMITTER: Pitarch Marti A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6636720 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature