Trou du Renard and the Belgian Aurignacian

Abstract

A wealth of cave sites makes southern Belgium the most important area for understanding the north-western European Early Upper Palaeolithic. However, despite their abundance, the interpretation of many assemblages remains problematic. Here we present a new study of lithic material from layer B of Trou du Renard (Furfooz, Namur Province) and consider its place in the Belgian Aurignacian. The assemblage is typical of Late Aurignacian assemblages found across western Europe, underscoring the contrast between the Aurignacian and the periods that pre- and post-date it, when we instead see profound differences between north and south. The assemblage is apparently unmixed, distinguishing Trou du Renard from other key Belgian Aurignacian cave sites. A large proportion of the site’s lithic assemblage documents the production of small bladelets from carinated/busqué burin cores, suggesting that Trou du Renard served as a short-term hunting camp. Radiocarbon dating cannot pinpoint the assemblage’s age, though here it is argued to be c. 32–33,000 bp (c. 36–37,000 cal bp) on the basis of its similarity to the well-dated Aurignacian assemblage from Maisières Canal (Atelier de Taille de la Berge Nord-Est area). For the same reason a third assemblage – Trou Walou layer CI-1 – is also argued to be contemporaneous. Trou du Renard, Maisières Canal and Trou Walou may represent three points in the same Late Aurignacian landscape. Differences between their lithic assemblages can be explained by the acquisition and transport of flint, and by a desire to produce small bladelets of highly standardised form irrespective of the size and shape of available blanks.

Thoughts on the Structure of the European Aurignacian, with Particular Focus on Hohle Fels IV

“…They suggest that this differs from the Western European Late Aurignacian, where organic hammers were used (Bataille & Conard 2018, 35). In support they cite Dinnis and Flas’s (2016) study of Trou du Renard, which identified only evidence suggestive of organic hammers. In this regard Trou du Renard is like Late Aurignacian assemblages from Maisières Canal and Pataud 7 (Flas 2004; Chiotti 2005; Michel 2010).…”

“…Despite the antiquity of the excavations the lithic assemblage includes very small pieces (Van den Broeck 1901; Rahir 1914; Dinnis & Flas 2016). Correct radiocarbon dating of the assemblage has not proved possible (explained below), but available dates and the composition of the layer’s faunal assemblage are consistent with its position in Marine Isotope Stage 3 (Dinnis & Flas 2016). Based on descriptions of the assemblage’s discovery and its notably restricted technotypological profile it probably results from a single occupation or a few occupations over a brief period ( ibid .…”

“…2015; Chiotti et al . 2015; Dinnis & Flas 2016; Falcucci et al . 2017; 2018; Bataille & Conard 2018).…”

New data for the Early Upper Paleolithic of Kostenki (Russia)

“…We also undertook a new analysis of the Spitsynian lithic assemblage from Kostenki 17/II, to clarify its status as different from other known EUP assemblages. We focused particularly on the layer's retouched bladelets because these are the most diagnostic and chronoculturally sensitive aspect of EUP lithic assemblages (e.g., Bon, 2002;Bon and Bodu, 2002;Bordes, 2005;Le Brun-Ricalens et al, 2005;Demidenko and Noiret, 2012b;Nigst et al, 2014;Dinnis and Flas, 2016;Falcucci et al, 2017;Tafelmaier, 2017).…”

“…The similarity of the group of fox tooth pendants and their find locations suggest strongly that they constitute a single (contemporary) group of 20 artifacts (Boriskovskii, 1963), but the two dates produced are significantly different. More generally, the large spread of these five dates is contradicted by the technotypological coherence of the layer's lithic material, which indicates that the layer relates to activity over a short period of time (see, e.g., Chiotti, 2005;Michel, 2010;Dinnis and Flas, 2016).…”