Search for early traces of fire in the Caune de l’Arago at Tautavel (Eastern Pyrenees, France), combining magnetic susceptibility measurements, microscopic observations, and Raman analysis

Abstract

The Caune de l’Arago is an important Middle Pleistocene archaeological site, consisting of a cave with a sedimentary infilling deposited between 700 and 100 ka. Excavations have revealed traces of the use of fire in the layers formed between 400 and 100 ka, but no earlier traces have been recorded in the underlying levels. These potential older traces may have undergone various processes of weathering, and could have been degraded or considered nonexistent. This study combines magnetic susceptibility measurements, microscopic examination, Raman analyses, and elemental analyses by scanning electron microscopy to look for traces of fire activity such as combustion residues preserved among the sediments. This approach has led to the discovery of a zone in the Q4 level, whose age is estimated at 560 ka, which is rich in magnetic minerals and charcoal. The anthropic or natural origin of these materials is discussed.

Keywords

• Middle Pleistocene
• Caune de l’Arago cave
• Fire
• Charcoal
• Magnetic susceptibility
• Raman spectroscopy
• Magnetic minerals
• Middle Pleistocene