Flint economy in the Pyrenees: A general view of siliceous raw material sources and their use in the Pyrenean Gravettian

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present a very general view of siliceous raw material sources in the central Pyrenees, with support from recent bibliographic references. To illustrate the use of these materials in the Upper Paleolithic, we chose the example of the Gravettian occupation of Gargas Cave (Hautes-Pyrénées, France). Finally, we describe a few economic characteristics of the Pyrenean region, which are distinct from the Perigordian context in several ways.

Keywords

• gravettian
• flint economy
• pyrenees
• raw material sources
• lepidorbitoide flints
• lithic industries