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The first “Out of Africa” migrations represent a seminal event in the history of humankind. At the gates of Europe, the first appearance of Hominins is recorded in Georgia, 1.8 million years ago (Ma); however, the picture of migration across the continent remains incomplete. Vallonnet Cave (France) is a Lower Paleolithic prehistoric site with traces of hominin activities including lithic remains and cut-marks on mammal bones. Here, we apply the uranium-lead (U-Pb) methods to two flowstones to date the intervening archaeological levels. The U-Pb data, coupled with paleomagnetic constraints, provide an age range from 1.2 to 1.1 Ma. The results conclusively demonstrate that Vallonnet Cave is one of the oldest European prehistoric sites in France with early hominin occupations associated with an Epivillafranchian fauna. Combined with data from other archaeological sites, the new precise chronology suggests a widespread occupation the Northern Mediterranean to Southwestern Europe at ~1.2 Ma.

In the upper levels of Orgnac 3, fresh volcanic ashes trapped in burrows have been discovered allowing the fisson track method of dating to be used on the zircon crystals and which have given an absolute date of 298000 ± 55000 years. The mineralogy of the sediments of the archaeological levels 1 and 2 reveals a sedimentation without an interruption. The geochemical study has revealed a diagenesis of carbonates under the form of concretions and encrustations as well as a diagenesis of calcium phosphates, present in the form of apatite, from bone alteration. We have been able to put into evidence in the upper levels of the infill the formation of a palaeosoil which has resulted from an intense alteration of volcanic minerals.

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