Bois-de-Riquet (Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault): A late Early Pleistocene archeological occurrence in southern France

Bourguignon, Laurence; Crochet, Jean-Yves; Capdevila, Ramon Buxó i; Ivorra, Jérôme; Antoine, Pierre‐Olivier; Agustı́, Jordi; Barsky, Déborah; Blain, Hugues‐Alexandre; Boulbes, Nicolas; Bruxelles, Laurent; Julien, Claude; Cochard, David; Filoux, Arnaud; Firmat, Cyril; Lózano-Fernández, Iván; Magniez, Pierre; Pelletier, Maxime; Garaizar, Joseba Ríos; Testu, Agnès; Valensi, Patricia; Weyer, Louis de

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2015.06.037

Cited by 61 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 102 publications

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“…However, as no published photographs of the p3 from Lower Pleistocene specimens were available, this sample essentially informed the osteometric and morphological analysis to ensure reliability in species identification. Finally, prior to the palaeontological analysis and in order to better understand the leporid population represented in the Bois-de-Riquet assemblage, it was important to identify the origin of the accumulation and any taphonomic factors affecting its integrity (Bourguignon et al, 2012;Pelletier, 2013).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…and Praemegaceros sp. (Bourguignon et al, 2012, submitted for publication), species that first appear in Europe during the Plio-Pleistocene around 1 Ma (Guérin and Patou-Mathis, 1996). Overall, the Bois-de-Riquet assemblage has not been affected by bioturbation and the leporid accumulation can be securely associated with the Pleistocene fauna present in the deposit.…”

Section: Taphonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lower Pleistocene leporids (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) in Western Europe: New data from the Bois-de-Riquet (Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault, France)

Pelletier

Cochard

Boudadi‐Maligne

et al. 2015

Comptes Rendus Palevol

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a b s t r a c tPlio-Pleistocene climate oscillations in the different regions of Western Europe substantially influenced the evolutionary history of European leporids. Distinguishing rabbits (Oryctolagus) from hares (Lepus) in the archeological and palaeontological record of Pleistocene Europe is complicated due to the variability of their size and morphology. Here, we present the first description of two Pleistocene leporid species from Bois-de-Riquet (Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault) in southern France. The first, Oryctolagus cf. giberti, exhibits similar characteristics to rabbit species documented in Spain and, thus, for the first time is recorded outside the Iberian Peninsula. The second leporid is a hare represented by very limited number of non-diagnostic remains, which, unfortunately, precludes an exact species identification. Already known from Lower Pleistocene deposits in Central Europe and Spain, the presence of Lepus sp. in southern France sheds new light on the geographic extension of these species. In this respect, Bois-de-Riquet is an important paleontological site that can further our understanding of the evolutionary history and expansion of European leporids. Mots clés : Évolution Biochronologie Systématique Oryctolagus cf. giberti Lepus sp. Morphométrie géométrique 2D r é s u m é L'histoire évolutive des léporidés européens actuels dans les différentes régions de l'Europe occidentale a été fortement dépendante des oscillations climatiques du Plio-Pléistocène. La distinction entre les différentes espèces de lapins (Oryctolagus) et de lièvres (Lepus) dans les gisements archéologiques et paléontologiques pléistocènes constitue une tâche délicate, tant leurs morphologies et leurs tailles demeurent très variables. Dans ce travail, deux espèces de léporidés du Pléistocène inférieur ont été décrites, pour la première fois en France, à partir du matériel du Bois-de-Riquet (Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault). La première est G Model PALEVO-847; No. of Pages 15 2 M. Pelletier et al. / C. R. Palevol xxx (2015) xxx-xxx une espèce de lapin, décrite comme Oryctolagus cf. giberti, présentant les caractères similaires à celle retrouvée en Espagne. Cela permet de mettre en évidence sa présence au-delà de la péninsule Ibérique à cette époque. Le second léporidé est un lièvre, dont la détermi-nation spécifique n'a pas pu être effectuée en raison du très faible nombre de restes qui s'y rapportent et de leur caractère non diagnostique. Enregistré dans des gisements du Pléis-tocène inférieur d'Espagne et d'Europe centrale, la présence de Lepus sp. dans le Sud de la France permet de renouveler nos connaissances concernant leur extension géographique. À cet égard, le Bois-de-Riquet est un site paléontologique de première importance, permettant de discuter de l'histoire évolutive et de l'expansion des léporidés en Europe.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Taphonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower Pleistocene leporids (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) in Western Europe: New data from the Bois-de-Riquet (Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault, France)

Pelletier

Cochard

Boudadi‐Maligne

et al. 2015

Comptes Rendus Palevol

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“…• In the stratigraphical unit 2 (archeological level within a basalt interstice) of the Bois-de-Riquet site (1.3-1.1 Mya, Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault, France, Bourguignon et al, 2016aBourguignon et al, , 2016b, 10 non-modified basalt spherical cobbles were discovered (Bourguignon et al, 2016b). While they do not present marked percussion damage (after comparing with cobbles affected by marine erosion from 25 km from the site), some of the cobbles show microscopic percussion marks on their extremities.…”

Section: -Earliest African Late Lower Pleistocene Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their formal attributes and their high density are suggestive of hominin raw material selection processes. (Change this paragraph in this way: In the stratigraphical unit 2 (archeological level within a basalt interstice) of the Bois-de-Riquet site (1.3-1.1 Mya, Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault, France, Bourguignon et al, 2016aBourguignon et al, , 2016b, around 20 non-modified basalt spherical cobbles were discovered (Bourguignon et al, 2016b). Some of them present marked percussion damage, and show microscopic percussion marks on their extremities.…”

Section: -Earliest African Late Lower Pleistocene Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active percussion tools from the Oldowan site of Barranco León (Orce, Andalusia, Spain): The fundamental role of pounding activities in hominin lifeways

Titton

Barsky

Bargalló

et al. 2018

Journal of Archaeological Science

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Dated to 1.4 Mya, the Barranco León site (Orce, Andalusia, Spain) is currently the oldest and richest late Lower Pleistocene stone tool assemblage discovered so far in Europe. Archeological and paleontological remains are found clearly associated in lacustrine deposits traversed by a small channel. This paper provides new data about the lithic assemblage from level D, focusing on the abundant active percussion implements that form a part of the highly divers set of limestone macro-tools unique to this assemblage. Morpho-technological and experimental analysis of these tools allows us to hypothesize about the kinds of activities that might have been carried out by hominins at this site. Experimental work allows us to define percussive trace morphologies Percussion implements form a part of the basic toolkit in Prehistoric stone tool assemblages in the most varied chronologies. These tools, though they do not always play a prominent role in the industries, provide essential clues for understanding what kinds of activities were performed by hominins at prehistoric archeological sites. In the framework of the Oldowan techno-complex, where they are often found in abundance (Chavaillon, 1979), the so-called 'macro tool' assemblages provide us with an assortment of study materials from which to obtain information about hominin activity. Beyond butchery, an activity deduced mainly from macro traces on bones (Dominguez-Rodrigo and Alcalá, 2016), and sparse evidence for woodworking (Keeley and Toth, 1981), little is known about the kinds of activities that were carried out by Oldowan hominins. In fact, from the range of possible or probable activities, there is no reason to exclude the likelihood that actions such as working plant materials, digging, chopping wood, modifying animal skins and soft tissues, were within the range of cognitive and technical skills of these hominins.Percussion tools have been identified in earliest African Oldowan sites: Lomekwi 3 (3.3 Mya, Harmand et al.

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“…The first arrival of hominins on the southwestern margins of the European subcontinent has up to now been documented at around 1.4 myr (Figure 1; Oms et al 2000Oms et al , 2011Agustí and Madurell 2003;Toro-Moyano et al 2011Arzarello et al 2009Arzarello et al , 2012Crochet et al 2009;Bourguignon et al 2016). Although paleoanthropological data point to the first peopling of Europe coming from the East (Carbonell et al 2008;de Castro and Martinón-Torres 2013), migration into the European continent is considered to have taken place on two major geographical routes: either along the northern shores of the continent is considered to have taken place on two major geographical routes: either along the northern shores of the Black Sea across the Anatolian plateau using the Bosporus land bridge (Peri-Pontic, Trans-Marmaran, and coastal/Trans-Aegean pathways), or by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar (Straus 2001;Sahnouni et al 2002Sahnouni et al , 2010Derricourt 2005;Kuhn 2010;Gibert et al 2016;Spassov 2016;Strait et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Several Lower Palaeolithic Sites along the Rhine Rift Valley, Dated from 1.3 to 0.6 Million Years

Fiedler¹,

Humburg²,

Klingelhöfer³

et al. 2019

Humanities

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The important discoveries of Lower Palaeolithic artefacts in stratigraphical context within Lower and early Middle Pleistocene deposits in the western continental part of Europe along the rift systeme of the Rhine Valley are pointing at the possible continuous presence of hominins since the Lower Pleistocene. This paper reports on lithic industry from its early appearance at around 1.3 million years (Ma) at the site of Münster-Sarmsheim to the latest pre-Elsterian period at around 0.6 Ma at Mauer, Mosbach, and Miesenheim.

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Bois-de-Riquet (Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault): A late Early Pleistocene archeological occurrence in southern France

Cited by 61 publications

References 102 publications

Lower Pleistocene leporids (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) in Western Europe: New data from the Bois-de-Riquet (Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault, France)

Lower Pleistocene leporids (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) in Western Europe: New data from the Bois-de-Riquet (Lézignan-la-Cèbe, Hérault, France)

Active percussion tools from the Oldowan site of Barranco León (Orce, Andalusia, Spain): The fundamental role of pounding activities in hominin lifeways

Several Lower Palaeolithic Sites along the Rhine Rift Valley, Dated from 1.3 to 0.6 Million Years

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