Socio-economic dynamics of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers: Functional perspective.

The beginning of the Middle Magdalenian is marked by an increase in the density and geographic extension of evidences of human occupation across western Europe. The Early Middle Magdalenian (19,5-17,5 ka cal. BP) thereby extends from Poland to Spain, and the sharing of the flint-knapping concepts an...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Eugénie Gauvrit Roux
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2022-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274819
_version_ 1811339122991693824
author Eugénie Gauvrit Roux
author_facet Eugénie Gauvrit Roux
author_sort Eugénie Gauvrit Roux
collection DOAJ
description The beginning of the Middle Magdalenian is marked by an increase in the density and geographic extension of evidences of human occupation across western Europe. The Early Middle Magdalenian (19,5-17,5 ka cal. BP) thereby extends from Poland to Spain, and the sharing of the flint-knapping concepts and the circulation of raw materials show the existence of networks active over this wide area. In parallel, part of the production of art, ornaments, microliths, bone industry, and the proportions of hunted ungulates vary regionally and allow to identify distinct technical traditions. Departing from a palethnographic approach at a regional scale, this paper aims at participating in renewing our understanding of the mechanisms of regionalisation during the period, and among past societies of hunter-gatherers. The reflection is based on the techno-functional analysis of stone tools from two cave sites of west-central France that are at the heart of the definition of two technical traditions: La Marche (Magdalenian with Lussac-Angles points) and the Blanchard cave (Magdalenian with navettes). Inter-site comparisons of the functioning and management of stone tools, and of subsistence strategies show the sharing of techno-economical norms, expressing the adhesion to a wider community of practice. The long-term occupation of at least part of the caves and the high density of sites in the Vienne, the Creuse, the Gartempe, and the Charente Valleys, indicate the strong regional implantation of human societies. This strong territoriality (effective and symbolic) is likely a major factor to understand the specificity of the EMM expressions in the area, as well as the sharing, in the same economic territory, of technical norms and of part of the system of symbolic representation.
first_indexed 2024-04-13T18:20:37Z
format Article
id doaj.art-49eb8a42da0f49fca22480bb8856e3de
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-13T18:20:37Z
publishDate 2022-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-49eb8a42da0f49fca22480bb8856e3de2022-12-22T02:35:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-011710e027481910.1371/journal.pone.0274819Socio-economic dynamics of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers: Functional perspective.Eugénie Gauvrit RouxThe beginning of the Middle Magdalenian is marked by an increase in the density and geographic extension of evidences of human occupation across western Europe. The Early Middle Magdalenian (19,5-17,5 ka cal. BP) thereby extends from Poland to Spain, and the sharing of the flint-knapping concepts and the circulation of raw materials show the existence of networks active over this wide area. In parallel, part of the production of art, ornaments, microliths, bone industry, and the proportions of hunted ungulates vary regionally and allow to identify distinct technical traditions. Departing from a palethnographic approach at a regional scale, this paper aims at participating in renewing our understanding of the mechanisms of regionalisation during the period, and among past societies of hunter-gatherers. The reflection is based on the techno-functional analysis of stone tools from two cave sites of west-central France that are at the heart of the definition of two technical traditions: La Marche (Magdalenian with Lussac-Angles points) and the Blanchard cave (Magdalenian with navettes). Inter-site comparisons of the functioning and management of stone tools, and of subsistence strategies show the sharing of techno-economical norms, expressing the adhesion to a wider community of practice. The long-term occupation of at least part of the caves and the high density of sites in the Vienne, the Creuse, the Gartempe, and the Charente Valleys, indicate the strong regional implantation of human societies. This strong territoriality (effective and symbolic) is likely a major factor to understand the specificity of the EMM expressions in the area, as well as the sharing, in the same economic territory, of technical norms and of part of the system of symbolic representation.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274819
spellingShingle Eugénie Gauvrit Roux
Socio-economic dynamics of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers: Functional perspective.
PLoS ONE
title Socio-economic dynamics of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers: Functional perspective.
title_full Socio-economic dynamics of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers: Functional perspective.
title_fullStr Socio-economic dynamics of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers: Functional perspective.
title_full_unstemmed Socio-economic dynamics of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers: Functional perspective.
title_short Socio-economic dynamics of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers: Functional perspective.
title_sort socio economic dynamics of magdalenian hunter gatherers functional perspective
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274819
work_keys_str_mv AT eugeniegauvritroux socioeconomicdynamicsofmagdalenianhuntergatherersfunctionalperspective