Antonin Tomasso | Service Départemental d'Archéologie du Var (original) (raw)

Papers by Antonin Tomasso

Porraz G., Tomasso A, Purdue L., 2014

En 2014, les résultats scientifiques obtenus débouchent sur une amélioration significative par ra... more En 2014, les résultats scientifiques obtenus débouchent sur une amélioration significative par rapport aux pratiques couramment utilisées. Avec la constitution d’un protocole d’analyse refondé et la mise en place d’un plan rationnel de numérisation des données géoréférencées, nous participons à la construction d’un outil plus approprié à l’étude des comportements humains face à la matière première siliceuse. Le projet est soutenu désormais par la Sous-direction de l’archéologie et deux Instituts du CNRS (INEE et INSHS). Il fédère les SRA de Rhône-Alpes, PACA, Corse, Aquitaine, Limousin, Poitou-Charentes, Picardie, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Bretagne, plusieurs laboratoires du CNRS (CEPAM, PACEA, TRACES, LAMPEA, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle), les universités (Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Aix), plusieurs Programmes collectifs de recherches (ETICALP : Evolutions, transferts, interculturalités dans l’arc liguro-provençal : matières premières, productions et usages, du Paléolithique supéri...

Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française, 2018

Dans le contexte du Paléolithique supérieur, la techno-économie des industries lithiques s’est co... more Dans le contexte du Paléolithique supérieur, la techno-économie des industries lithiques s’est concentrée sur l’étude des systèmes de mobilité. Les dimensions sociales et économiques des systèmes de production lithiques n’ont jusqu’ici été considérées qu’à la marge, ceci en raison d’une difficulté à discriminer les différentes modalités d’acquisition et de circulation des matériaux dans l’espace.
À partir de données issues de sites de l’Épigravettien récent de Provence, de Ligurie, de Toscane et des Marches et en fondant nos analyses sur un solide référentiel pétroarchéologique, nous esquissons la trame d’un modèle de structuration territoriale, pouvant être décrit par au moins deux niveaux distincts. Le niveau inférieur correspond à des circulations de matériaux intenses, multidirectionnelles et multipolaires, sur des distances pouvant atteindre 300 km. Il définit deux unités : l’arc liguro-provençal et la Toscane. Le niveau supérieur est défini par une circulation unidirectionnelle depuis l’Italie centrale vers les deux unités précitées.
À partir d’une analyse techno-économique des assemblages nous proposons d’interpréter le premier niveau d’organisation comme la matérialisation de territoires étendus (espaces de mobilité) et le second comme la trace d’une fraction d’un territoire social à plus large échelle. La mise en regard de ce territoire – ou réseau – social et de l’espace épigravettien italique conduit à s’interroger sur les relations entre réseaux de transferts matériels et diffusions de normes et traditions techniques aboutissant à la définition des entités chronoculturelles en préhistoire.

Understanding hunting technology is pivotal in the study of adaptive and innovative forces that i... more Understanding hunting technology is pivotal in the study of adaptive and innovative forces that influenced the evolution of prehistoric societies. The manufacture, design and use of hunting weapons involve technical processes such as those of tool miniaturization, blank standardization and projection modes, but also influence broader demographic structures such as human subsistence strategies, territorial organization and socio-economic structures. Here we present a unique discovery from a newly discovered site at Les Prés de Laure (Var, France). Excavations revealed a multi-stratified open-air site with archaeological units that were rapidly buried by the alluvium of the Jabron River. In a Gravettian layer dated between 25 and 23.5 ka cal BP, within an area apparently dedicated to horse carcasses processing and consumption, 11 backed points were discovered in direct association with altered bone remains. Wear and residue analysis of the lithic backed points in combination with complementary experimental data converge to indicate that the find represents a bone point armed with lithic barbs and used as hunting weapon. This discovery provides new evidence for the manufacture and use of hunting weaponry in a Gravettian context and stimulates discussion on Paleolithic weapon function and design, offering a unique window into the characterization of prehistoric hunting strategies.

This paper builds on recent research on the abrupt cooling event known as GS1 (Younger Dryas) fro... more This paper builds on recent research on the abrupt cooling event known as GS1 (Younger Dryas) from ca. 12.9 to 11.7 ka cal. BP. These studies have indicated the diversity of local responses to this period between different regions across Europe. Research has indicated both responses and lack of responses of humans to this event in different regions. In accordance with this research, this paper argues that it is necessary to move away from global models of human responses to the analysis of regional scales. We argue that it is necessary to consider the evolutionary dynamics that predated the GS1 cooling event before identifying its potential impact. This paper focuses on this aspect of the problem by considering evidence from three mountainous areas: the Pyrenees, the northern French Alps and Jura, and lastly southern and Apuan Alps. Recently studied sites are considered with specific attention to lithic industries. Our analysis focuses on (1) the identifiable changes in each industry and (2) the relationship with pre-existing cultural and technological dynamics. The analysis has produced two main results. First, there was a tendency towards a decrease in the standardization of blanks, especially in blades, which was common to the different areas. This change, however, predated GS1 and can therefore not be associated with cooling at the start of GS1. Second, the Northern Alps and Jura, in contrast to the two other areas, seems to reveal a break from the lithic technological traditions that occurred around 12.9 ka cal BP or the early stages of GS1. These results enable a discussion of the different mechanisms that can explain differential regional responses to GS1.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2017

Understanding details of stone tool procurementand transfers is for a major research avenue in im... more Understanding details of stone tool procurementand transfers is for a major research avenue in improvingour knowledge about prehistoric societies. The accuracy ofthe provisioning sources identifications is based on the estab-lishment of large regional repositories. Recent studies showthat specific investigations on the evolution of cherts wereeffective in distinguishing primary sources from the varioussecondary sources of a raw material. In this paper, we focus onanother difficulty that is the distinction between different pri-mary sources of the same geological layers.We consider the specific case of the Bedoulian cherts fromsoutheastern France. This chert was exploited and circulatedover large distances during the whole prehistoric record. It isparticularl y k nown to have been heat-treated during LateChassey culture (Neolithic). We show in this paper that paleo-geographical variability exists due to variations in thebioclastic and detrital components. With the support of fora-minifera data, the granulometry of detrital quartz grain pro-vides the possibility to distinguish between different primarysources. A first test in archeological contexts illustrates theefficiency of the method as well as indicates major changes in provisioning practices between upper Paleolithic andNeolithic groups.

mots-clés.– Paléolithique moyen, technologie lithique, techno-économie, moyenne montagne, Sud-Est... more mots-clés.– Paléolithique moyen, technologie lithique, techno-économie, moyenne montagne, Sud-Est, France.

L'étude du site de surface de la Chapelle Sainte-Pétronille se situe dans le contexte d'une recherche large qui porte sur les modalités d'occupations de l'Arc Liguro-Provençal (ALP) au cours du Paléolithique moyen. Sur ce site, la découverte de matériel lithique en surface, appuyée par des observations stratigraphiques et une première étude géoarchéologique, renseigne le premier témoin direct d'une occupation moustérienne dans la région des Préalpes nord-varoises. L'étude de la collection montre une exploitation de matières premières essentiellement locales, dans le cadre d'une production dominée par un concept Levallois dans une modalité unipolaire. L'ouverture vers les sites du littoral, au sein desquels les silex nord-varois sont régulièrement retrouvés, ouvre finalement une discussion sur la nature des organisations territoriales et des structures techno-économiques au Paléolithique moyen dans cette région.

The site of « Chapelle Sainte-Pétronille » (Bargème, France), presence of a mousterian settlement within the north-Var Prealps abstract.– This study is part of a broader research perspective dealing with the question of Middle Palaeolithic settlement patterns within the Liguro-Provençal Arc. The discovery of surface lithic material at the site of La Chapelle Sainte-Pétronille (Bargème, Var), together with in situ artefacts and a preliminary geoarchaeological study, provide first direct evidences of Mousterian occupations within the north-Var Prealps. The study of the lithic collection shows that Mousterian groups mostly exploited local flints following an unipolar Levallois reduction sequence. The integration of coastal sites, wherein north-Var flints are regularly found, opens a broader discussion on the nature of the territorial organization and of the techno-economic structures during the Middle Palaeolithic in this region.

During the LGM, Europe starts being split in two main large cultural entities: the Epigravettian ... more During the LGM, Europe starts being split in two main large cultural entities: the Epigravettian complex and the Western Europe sequence. In this paper, we focus on the end of the Upper Palaeolithic and more precisely on the period between the Allerød and the beginning of the Holocene. This period is particularly marked by several climatic changes and is thus a perfect “laboratory” to study the interactions between societies and paleoenvironment. Our paper essentially focuses on lithics. This material allows to study the socio-economic system of a society by analyzing an assemblage in a globalDuring the LGM, Europe starts being split in two main large cultural entities: the Epigravettian complex and the Western Europe sequence. In this paper, we focus on the end of the Upper Palaeolithic and more precisely on the period between the Allerød and the beginning of the Holocene. This period is particularly marked by several climatic changes and is thus a perfect “laboratory” to study the...

A georeferenced database of the main flint-bearing formations of Southern France is currently bei... more A georeferenced database of the main flint-bearing formations of Southern France is currently being finalised. It offers a tool
to all prehistorians that is essential for the development of studies regarding raw material circulation and selection criteria. This database
results from the collaborative work of various actors involved in the optimisation of flint source determination. It groups together
the results of their surveys — whether these are systematic or targeted — carried out in six regions (Aquitaine, Auvergne, Languedoc-
Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Rhône-Alpes). This database also incorporates recent studies on registering
the properties of palaeoenvironmental changes recognisable on flints. Each of the registered formations is catalogued in a simplified
note describing the country rock and the flint type(s) present. These descriptive and explanatory notes also contain photographs taken
on all scales ranging from the geological formation to the microfacies of the sample. Each note is completed by geological and archaeological
bibliographic references. This approach extends beyond data compilation and can be positioned within cognitive approaches
of human/environmental interaction in the dynamic field related to the collection and distribution of the flint “geomaterial”. We have
opted for a dynamic representation of each primary formation with regard to all the superficial formations which it provides. This new
mapping shows the main primary and secondary flint-bearing formations not in the form of distinct unities but as stages of a palaeogeographic evolution. These successive states of residence of a same type of flint represent as many potential sources for raw-material
collection. They make it possible to define dynamic polarities with regard to the distribution of genetic types (primary and subprimary
sources) and of types of deposits (secondary sources). This approach requires partial reorganisation of the lithothecae. Indeed, once the
distribution areas of each genetic type and its derivative have been mapped, the existing samples have to be attributed to the various
routes that were evidenced. It is then possible to identify the domain exploited by prehistoric men by recognising on the archaeological
flint objects the associations of characteristic stigmata stemming from the different stages of distribution routes of each geomaterial.

TOMASSO A. et al. (2016) ‒ Le référentiel Matières Premières de l’Arc Liguro-Provençal (MP-ALP) :... more TOMASSO A. et al. (2016) ‒ Le référentiel Matières Premières de l’Arc Liguro-Provençal (MP-ALP) : ressources siliceuses entre Vallée du Rhône et Apennins, in A. Tomasso et al. dir, Ressources lithiques, productions et transferts entre Alpes et Méditerranée, les séances de la SPF, Nice, Société Préhistorique Française, p.11‑44.

TOMASSO A., PORRAZ G. (2016) ‒ Hunter-gatherers’ mobility and embedded raw material procurement s... more TOMASSO A., PORRAZ G. (2016) ‒ Hunter-gatherers’ mobility and embedded raw material procurement strategies: a critical view from the Mediterranean Upper Paleolithic, Evolutionary Anthropology, 25, 3, p.p. 164‑174.

TOMASSO A. (2016) ‒ Une unité de façade. Évolution des systèmes techniques tardiglaciaires entre ... more TOMASSO A. (2016) ‒ Une unité de façade. Évolution des systèmes techniques tardiglaciaires entre l’Allerød et le Dryas récent en Europe méditerranéenne, Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, 113, 2, p.p. 241‑264.

Une synthèse sur les paléoenvironnements de l’abri Pié Lombard et les climats ayant régné vers le... more Une synthèse sur les paléoenvironnements de l’abri Pié Lombard et les climats ayant régné vers le milieu du Pléistocène supérieur et du Tardiglaciaire est proposée à partir de données inédites issues d’études anciennes ou récentes, calées sur une archéoséquence originale. Un panel d’informations nouvelles en provenance de la palynologie, de la malacologie, de l’étude des micromammifères et de l’avifaune, auquel vient s'ajouter la description de restes dentaires néandertaliens, est ainsi mis à la disposition de la communauté scientifique 40 années après le début des fouilles de ce site du Paléolithique moyen implanté à l’interface des Alpes les plus méridionales et de l’étroite bande côtière liguroprovençale. A synthesis on the paleoenvironments of Pié Lombard rock shelter and the related climates during the middle of the Upper Pleistocene and the late Glacial is suggested from unpublished data originating from ancient or new studies in line with an original archaeosequence. A pa...

During the second half of the Upper Paleolithic, Europe seems to have been divided in two vast te... more During the second half of the Upper Paleolithic, Europe seems to have been divided in two vast
techno-cultural entities with their particular chronological sequence: the Western Europe “classical
sequence” and the Epigravettian sequence in the South. Essentially because of an imbalance of data
and differences in methodologies between these two regions, their Upper Paleolithic sequences have
rarely been compared. Thanks to the development of lithic technology in Europe and a recent active
research about the Late-Glacial, it is today possible to attempt such a challenging exercise of
comparing these two long sequences. In this paper, we solely focus on the Late Glacial. If the rare
existing attempts of comparison focused on typology of lithic assemblages, our paper aims for a more
global approach of lithic industries, based on recent technological studies. This approach allows
highlighting key elements in term of human behaviors. Our data suggest a similar process of change
between Western Europe and the Epigravettian during GI-1 (BøllingeAllerød). All the criteria of the
so called “azilianization process” are actually present in the Epigravettian evolution sequence. This
similar trend within both evolution sequences stopped abruptly, during the GS-1 (Younger Dryas).
During this period and the very beginning of the Holocene (Preboreal), a massive return of blades and
bladelets with high qualitative standards occurred in Western Europe while the simplification process
is still in course in the Epigravettian region. In this paper, we attempt to compare the various
responses of vegetation to the major climatic instability of the Late Glacial across Europe using a
critical survey of the available environmental data. Considering the boundary that could have represented
the Alps between Epigravettian and the Western Europe sequence, two high-resolution
environmental sequences from north and south of the Alps are especially examined. Are the differences
in terms of environmental changes between these two areas significant? Did they play a role in
human behaviors and motivate technological changes? The comparison of palaeoenvironmental data
with archaeological results tends to comfort some hypothesis of environmental determinism proposed
by scholars, but also provide new elements moderating regional models that cannot really be
applied at a continental scale. Climatic correlations with socioeconomic changes highlighted in this
paper are no more than one possible way of investigation that will need to be tested and discussed in
further research.

Porraz G., Tomasso A, Purdue L., 2014

En 2014, les résultats scientifiques obtenus débouchent sur une amélioration significative par ra... more En 2014, les résultats scientifiques obtenus débouchent sur une amélioration significative par rapport aux pratiques couramment utilisées. Avec la constitution d’un protocole d’analyse refondé et la mise en place d’un plan rationnel de numérisation des données géoréférencées, nous participons à la construction d’un outil plus approprié à l’étude des comportements humains face à la matière première siliceuse. Le projet est soutenu désormais par la Sous-direction de l’archéologie et deux Instituts du CNRS (INEE et INSHS). Il fédère les SRA de Rhône-Alpes, PACA, Corse, Aquitaine, Limousin, Poitou-Charentes, Picardie, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Bretagne, plusieurs laboratoires du CNRS (CEPAM, PACEA, TRACES, LAMPEA, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle), les universités (Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Aix), plusieurs Programmes collectifs de recherches (ETICALP : Evolutions, transferts, interculturalités dans l’arc liguro-provençal : matières premières, productions et usages, du Paléolithique supéri...

Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française, 2018

Dans le contexte du Paléolithique supérieur, la techno-économie des industries lithiques s’est co... more Dans le contexte du Paléolithique supérieur, la techno-économie des industries lithiques s’est concentrée sur l’étude des systèmes de mobilité. Les dimensions sociales et économiques des systèmes de production lithiques n’ont jusqu’ici été considérées qu’à la marge, ceci en raison d’une difficulté à discriminer les différentes modalités d’acquisition et de circulation des matériaux dans l’espace.
À partir de données issues de sites de l’Épigravettien récent de Provence, de Ligurie, de Toscane et des Marches et en fondant nos analyses sur un solide référentiel pétroarchéologique, nous esquissons la trame d’un modèle de structuration territoriale, pouvant être décrit par au moins deux niveaux distincts. Le niveau inférieur correspond à des circulations de matériaux intenses, multidirectionnelles et multipolaires, sur des distances pouvant atteindre 300 km. Il définit deux unités : l’arc liguro-provençal et la Toscane. Le niveau supérieur est défini par une circulation unidirectionnelle depuis l’Italie centrale vers les deux unités précitées.
À partir d’une analyse techno-économique des assemblages nous proposons d’interpréter le premier niveau d’organisation comme la matérialisation de territoires étendus (espaces de mobilité) et le second comme la trace d’une fraction d’un territoire social à plus large échelle. La mise en regard de ce territoire – ou réseau – social et de l’espace épigravettien italique conduit à s’interroger sur les relations entre réseaux de transferts matériels et diffusions de normes et traditions techniques aboutissant à la définition des entités chronoculturelles en préhistoire.

Understanding hunting technology is pivotal in the study of adaptive and innovative forces that i... more Understanding hunting technology is pivotal in the study of adaptive and innovative forces that influenced the evolution of prehistoric societies. The manufacture, design and use of hunting weapons involve technical processes such as those of tool miniaturization, blank standardization and projection modes, but also influence broader demographic structures such as human subsistence strategies, territorial organization and socio-economic structures. Here we present a unique discovery from a newly discovered site at Les Prés de Laure (Var, France). Excavations revealed a multi-stratified open-air site with archaeological units that were rapidly buried by the alluvium of the Jabron River. In a Gravettian layer dated between 25 and 23.5 ka cal BP, within an area apparently dedicated to horse carcasses processing and consumption, 11 backed points were discovered in direct association with altered bone remains. Wear and residue analysis of the lithic backed points in combination with complementary experimental data converge to indicate that the find represents a bone point armed with lithic barbs and used as hunting weapon. This discovery provides new evidence for the manufacture and use of hunting weaponry in a Gravettian context and stimulates discussion on Paleolithic weapon function and design, offering a unique window into the characterization of prehistoric hunting strategies.

This paper builds on recent research on the abrupt cooling event known as GS1 (Younger Dryas) fro... more This paper builds on recent research on the abrupt cooling event known as GS1 (Younger Dryas) from ca. 12.9 to 11.7 ka cal. BP. These studies have indicated the diversity of local responses to this period between different regions across Europe. Research has indicated both responses and lack of responses of humans to this event in different regions. In accordance with this research, this paper argues that it is necessary to move away from global models of human responses to the analysis of regional scales. We argue that it is necessary to consider the evolutionary dynamics that predated the GS1 cooling event before identifying its potential impact. This paper focuses on this aspect of the problem by considering evidence from three mountainous areas: the Pyrenees, the northern French Alps and Jura, and lastly southern and Apuan Alps. Recently studied sites are considered with specific attention to lithic industries. Our analysis focuses on (1) the identifiable changes in each industry and (2) the relationship with pre-existing cultural and technological dynamics. The analysis has produced two main results. First, there was a tendency towards a decrease in the standardization of blanks, especially in blades, which was common to the different areas. This change, however, predated GS1 and can therefore not be associated with cooling at the start of GS1. Second, the Northern Alps and Jura, in contrast to the two other areas, seems to reveal a break from the lithic technological traditions that occurred around 12.9 ka cal BP or the early stages of GS1. These results enable a discussion of the different mechanisms that can explain differential regional responses to GS1.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2017

Understanding details of stone tool procurementand transfers is for a major research avenue in im... more Understanding details of stone tool procurementand transfers is for a major research avenue in improvingour knowledge about prehistoric societies. The accuracy ofthe provisioning sources identifications is based on the estab-lishment of large regional repositories. Recent studies showthat specific investigations on the evolution of cherts wereeffective in distinguishing primary sources from the varioussecondary sources of a raw material. In this paper, we focus onanother difficulty that is the distinction between different pri-mary sources of the same geological layers.We consider the specific case of the Bedoulian cherts fromsoutheastern France. This chert was exploited and circulatedover large distances during the whole prehistoric record. It isparticularl y k nown to have been heat-treated during LateChassey culture (Neolithic). We show in this paper that paleo-geographical variability exists due to variations in thebioclastic and detrital components. With the support of fora-minifera data, the granulometry of detrital quartz grain pro-vides the possibility to distinguish between different primarysources. A first test in archeological contexts illustrates theefficiency of the method as well as indicates major changes in provisioning practices between upper Paleolithic andNeolithic groups.

mots-clés.– Paléolithique moyen, technologie lithique, techno-économie, moyenne montagne, Sud-Est... more mots-clés.– Paléolithique moyen, technologie lithique, techno-économie, moyenne montagne, Sud-Est, France.

L'étude du site de surface de la Chapelle Sainte-Pétronille se situe dans le contexte d'une recherche large qui porte sur les modalités d'occupations de l'Arc Liguro-Provençal (ALP) au cours du Paléolithique moyen. Sur ce site, la découverte de matériel lithique en surface, appuyée par des observations stratigraphiques et une première étude géoarchéologique, renseigne le premier témoin direct d'une occupation moustérienne dans la région des Préalpes nord-varoises. L'étude de la collection montre une exploitation de matières premières essentiellement locales, dans le cadre d'une production dominée par un concept Levallois dans une modalité unipolaire. L'ouverture vers les sites du littoral, au sein desquels les silex nord-varois sont régulièrement retrouvés, ouvre finalement une discussion sur la nature des organisations territoriales et des structures techno-économiques au Paléolithique moyen dans cette région.

The site of « Chapelle Sainte-Pétronille » (Bargème, France), presence of a mousterian settlement within the north-Var Prealps abstract.– This study is part of a broader research perspective dealing with the question of Middle Palaeolithic settlement patterns within the Liguro-Provençal Arc. The discovery of surface lithic material at the site of La Chapelle Sainte-Pétronille (Bargème, Var), together with in situ artefacts and a preliminary geoarchaeological study, provide first direct evidences of Mousterian occupations within the north-Var Prealps. The study of the lithic collection shows that Mousterian groups mostly exploited local flints following an unipolar Levallois reduction sequence. The integration of coastal sites, wherein north-Var flints are regularly found, opens a broader discussion on the nature of the territorial organization and of the techno-economic structures during the Middle Palaeolithic in this region.

During the LGM, Europe starts being split in two main large cultural entities: the Epigravettian ... more During the LGM, Europe starts being split in two main large cultural entities: the Epigravettian complex and the Western Europe sequence. In this paper, we focus on the end of the Upper Palaeolithic and more precisely on the period between the Allerød and the beginning of the Holocene. This period is particularly marked by several climatic changes and is thus a perfect “laboratory” to study the interactions between societies and paleoenvironment. Our paper essentially focuses on lithics. This material allows to study the socio-economic system of a society by analyzing an assemblage in a globalDuring the LGM, Europe starts being split in two main large cultural entities: the Epigravettian complex and the Western Europe sequence. In this paper, we focus on the end of the Upper Palaeolithic and more precisely on the period between the Allerød and the beginning of the Holocene. This period is particularly marked by several climatic changes and is thus a perfect “laboratory” to study the...

A georeferenced database of the main flint-bearing formations of Southern France is currently bei... more A georeferenced database of the main flint-bearing formations of Southern France is currently being finalised. It offers a tool
to all prehistorians that is essential for the development of studies regarding raw material circulation and selection criteria. This database
results from the collaborative work of various actors involved in the optimisation of flint source determination. It groups together
the results of their surveys — whether these are systematic or targeted — carried out in six regions (Aquitaine, Auvergne, Languedoc-
Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Rhône-Alpes). This database also incorporates recent studies on registering
the properties of palaeoenvironmental changes recognisable on flints. Each of the registered formations is catalogued in a simplified
note describing the country rock and the flint type(s) present. These descriptive and explanatory notes also contain photographs taken
on all scales ranging from the geological formation to the microfacies of the sample. Each note is completed by geological and archaeological
bibliographic references. This approach extends beyond data compilation and can be positioned within cognitive approaches
of human/environmental interaction in the dynamic field related to the collection and distribution of the flint “geomaterial”. We have
opted for a dynamic representation of each primary formation with regard to all the superficial formations which it provides. This new
mapping shows the main primary and secondary flint-bearing formations not in the form of distinct unities but as stages of a palaeogeographic evolution. These successive states of residence of a same type of flint represent as many potential sources for raw-material
collection. They make it possible to define dynamic polarities with regard to the distribution of genetic types (primary and subprimary
sources) and of types of deposits (secondary sources). This approach requires partial reorganisation of the lithothecae. Indeed, once the
distribution areas of each genetic type and its derivative have been mapped, the existing samples have to be attributed to the various
routes that were evidenced. It is then possible to identify the domain exploited by prehistoric men by recognising on the archaeological
flint objects the associations of characteristic stigmata stemming from the different stages of distribution routes of each geomaterial.

TOMASSO A. et al. (2016) ‒ Le référentiel Matières Premières de l’Arc Liguro-Provençal (MP-ALP) :... more TOMASSO A. et al. (2016) ‒ Le référentiel Matières Premières de l’Arc Liguro-Provençal (MP-ALP) : ressources siliceuses entre Vallée du Rhône et Apennins, in A. Tomasso et al. dir, Ressources lithiques, productions et transferts entre Alpes et Méditerranée, les séances de la SPF, Nice, Société Préhistorique Française, p.11‑44.

TOMASSO A., PORRAZ G. (2016) ‒ Hunter-gatherers’ mobility and embedded raw material procurement s... more TOMASSO A., PORRAZ G. (2016) ‒ Hunter-gatherers’ mobility and embedded raw material procurement strategies: a critical view from the Mediterranean Upper Paleolithic, Evolutionary Anthropology, 25, 3, p.p. 164‑174.

TOMASSO A. (2016) ‒ Une unité de façade. Évolution des systèmes techniques tardiglaciaires entre ... more TOMASSO A. (2016) ‒ Une unité de façade. Évolution des systèmes techniques tardiglaciaires entre l’Allerød et le Dryas récent en Europe méditerranéenne, Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, 113, 2, p.p. 241‑264.

Une synthèse sur les paléoenvironnements de l’abri Pié Lombard et les climats ayant régné vers le... more Une synthèse sur les paléoenvironnements de l’abri Pié Lombard et les climats ayant régné vers le milieu du Pléistocène supérieur et du Tardiglaciaire est proposée à partir de données inédites issues d’études anciennes ou récentes, calées sur une archéoséquence originale. Un panel d’informations nouvelles en provenance de la palynologie, de la malacologie, de l’étude des micromammifères et de l’avifaune, auquel vient s'ajouter la description de restes dentaires néandertaliens, est ainsi mis à la disposition de la communauté scientifique 40 années après le début des fouilles de ce site du Paléolithique moyen implanté à l’interface des Alpes les plus méridionales et de l’étroite bande côtière liguroprovençale. A synthesis on the paleoenvironments of Pié Lombard rock shelter and the related climates during the middle of the Upper Pleistocene and the late Glacial is suggested from unpublished data originating from ancient or new studies in line with an original archaeosequence. A pa...

During the second half of the Upper Paleolithic, Europe seems to have been divided in two vast te... more During the second half of the Upper Paleolithic, Europe seems to have been divided in two vast
techno-cultural entities with their particular chronological sequence: the Western Europe “classical
sequence” and the Epigravettian sequence in the South. Essentially because of an imbalance of data
and differences in methodologies between these two regions, their Upper Paleolithic sequences have
rarely been compared. Thanks to the development of lithic technology in Europe and a recent active
research about the Late-Glacial, it is today possible to attempt such a challenging exercise of
comparing these two long sequences. In this paper, we solely focus on the Late Glacial. If the rare
existing attempts of comparison focused on typology of lithic assemblages, our paper aims for a more
global approach of lithic industries, based on recent technological studies. This approach allows
highlighting key elements in term of human behaviors. Our data suggest a similar process of change
between Western Europe and the Epigravettian during GI-1 (BøllingeAllerød). All the criteria of the
so called “azilianization process” are actually present in the Epigravettian evolution sequence. This
similar trend within both evolution sequences stopped abruptly, during the GS-1 (Younger Dryas).
During this period and the very beginning of the Holocene (Preboreal), a massive return of blades and
bladelets with high qualitative standards occurred in Western Europe while the simplification process
is still in course in the Epigravettian region. In this paper, we attempt to compare the various
responses of vegetation to the major climatic instability of the Late Glacial across Europe using a
critical survey of the available environmental data. Considering the boundary that could have represented
the Alps between Epigravettian and the Western Europe sequence, two high-resolution
environmental sequences from north and south of the Alps are especially examined. Are the differences
in terms of environmental changes between these two areas significant? Did they play a role in
human behaviors and motivate technological changes? The comparison of palaeoenvironmental data
with archaeological results tends to comfort some hypothesis of environmental determinism proposed
by scholars, but also provide new elements moderating regional models that cannot really be
applied at a continental scale. Climatic correlations with socioeconomic changes highlighted in this
paper are no more than one possible way of investigation that will need to be tested and discussed in
further research.

TOMASSO A., BEYRIES S., BINDER D., MEIGNEN L., NAUDINOT N. (2014) - Les matériaux lithiques comme... more TOMASSO A., BEYRIES S., BINDER D., MEIGNEN L., NAUDINOT N. (2014) - Les matériaux lithiques comme marqueurs de mobilité. Présentation orale in N. Naudinot, L. Meignen, D. Binder, G. Querré et C. Moatti (dir.), Les systèmes de mobilité de la Préhistoire au Moyen Âge (XXXVe rencontres d’histoire et d’archéologie d’Antibes), Antibes, 14-16 octobre 2014

Lithic industries as mobility tracers
The study of lithic industries is a good tool to investigate on past hunter-gatherers societies mobility. Even if this material is not the only one bringing this kind of information, its good conservation, its capacity to clearly records gestures, the opportunity to study lithic raw materials provisioning strategies, the possibility to identify the various reduction and tool management strategies, make stone tools one of the best markers to study land use patterns. The techno-economic study of lithic industries, integrating various types of analysis (petro-archaeology, technology, and functional analysis) in a “systemic” approach, is getting more and more popular. This approach allows dealing with the various scales of mobility from intra-site mobility to migration or colonization. This paper presents an assessment in a discipline experiencing a rapid evolution: we try to both present a short update of the benefits of the last years and identify some actual difficulties of this approach.

TOMASSO A. (2014) - Se déplacer moins ou se déplacer autrement. Que disent les assemblages de l’É... more TOMASSO A. (2014) - Se déplacer moins ou se déplacer autrement. Que disent les assemblages de l’Épigravettien dans l’arc liguro-provençal sur les changements dans la mobilité à la fin du Paléolithique supérieur ? Présentation orale in N. Naudinot, L. Meignen, D. Binder, G. Querré et C. Moatti (dir.), Les systèmes de mobilité de la Préhistoire au Moyen Âge (XXXVe rencontres d’histoire et d’archéologie d’Antibes), Antibes, 14-16 octobre 2014

Move less or move differently. What can we learn about changes in mobility patterns during the late upper Paleolithic based on Epigravettian industries from south-eastern France and the Ligurian arc.
One of the best ways to analyze mobility during the Paleolithic is to study lithic industries from a techno-economic perspective. The liguro-provencal arc is a particularly relevant area for this problematic, as raw material is discretely and irregularly distributed in a compartmentalized geologic context.
The techno-economic study of Epigravettian industries puts forward changes in raw material provisioning from the end of the Pleniglacial to the beginning of the Holocene. We notice decreasing distances of circulation and contrasted strategies of provisioning. This mutation is coherent with other contemporaneous contexts, notably in Italy.
This important change in provisioning modalities is necessarily linked to socio-economic mutations. The difficulty is to recognize them precisely. Do they correspond to changes in mobility patterns (modification of scale and/or organization), social networks, or management of lithic implements? We will try here to discuss these different aspects in order to estimate their relative influence and to test the intuitive hypothesis that this period of the late upper Palaeolithic corresponds to a major change in mobility patterns in this part of Europe.

ProgrammeSéance spécialisée de la Société préhistorique française, 2021

Actualités de la recherche en Préhistoire dans les Balkans Environnements, chronologies et dynami... more Actualités de la recherche en Préhistoire dans les Balkans
Environnements, chronologies et dynamiques culturelles du
Dernier Maximum Glaciaire au début du Néolithique (ca. 23 000 à 6000 ans cal. BC)
Recent research in the Prehistory of the Balkans
Environments, Chronologies and Cultural Dynamics from the
Late Glacial Maximum to the beginning of the Neolithic (ca. 23,000 to 6000 cal BC)
Séance spécialisée de la Société préhistorique française
4-5 octobre 2021, Nanterre Université

Annonce de la campagne 2015 de fouilles au Prés de Laure (Comps-sur-Artuby, Var)

Libre accès / open access Abstract The characterisation of lithic sources exploited for the prod... more Libre accès / open access

Abstract
The characterisation of lithic sources exploited for the production of lithic assemblages plays an essential role with regard to a techno-economical approach. This kind of approach focusing on cognitive and socio-economical aspects is currently favoured in order to understand prehistoric social practices: mobility and territorial systems, exchange and networks, technical traditions or intercultural relationships. The comparison and the pooling of reference collections and databases and the interoperability of the methods used at various levels are still essential for the development of our knowledge in order to meet the requirements of material-culture and geomaterials specialists. From this perspective the meeting " Lithic resources, productions and transfers between the Alps and the Mediterranean " primarily aimed to present the state of research on the siliceous raw materials between the Rhone valley and the Apennine chain. Reference collections and databases as well as advances in archaeology were discussed. In addition, the latest developments with regard to the methods were addressed and their dissemination within the scientific community put into perspective. More particularly, the meeting aimed to present the state of current knowledge on lithic raw materials on the southern side of the Alps in France and in Italy, to report on and discuss significant results obtained over the last few years through studies based on these reference collections and to identify the research problems and perspectives in these field for the coming years.The session, hosted by the French Prehistoric Society, was held on 28-30 March 2013 at the " Maison des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société Sud-Est (Nice) ". Almost eighty participants – speakers and audience –from various regions of France, Italy and Switzerland attended the meeting. The proceedings published in this volume collate most of the papers presented at the conference. The first day of the session was devoted to the presentation of the reference collections that were built up or are still in progress, whereas the second day was dedicated to the archaeological results related to their use. These contributions encompass a large geographic area, stretching from the Rhone River to Corsica, from Provence to the Marches and from Tyrol to the Salento Region, and they relate to a great part of the prehistoric periods, from the Palaeolithic up to the Copper Age.

Résumé
La caractérisation des géoressources exploitées pour la constitution des assemblages lithiques joue un rôle fondamental pour une approche technoéconomique intégrée. Dans une perspective à la fois cognitive et socio-économique, cette démarche est aujourd'hui privilégiée pour aborder les pratiques sociales préhistoriques : systèmes de mobilité et territorialité, transferts et réseaux, traditions techniques ou interculturalités. La confrontation et la mutualisation des référentiels et des bases de données, l'interopérabilité des méthodes mises en oeuvre à différentes échelles, restent cruciales pour un développement des connaissances qui satisfasse à la fois aux exigences des spécialistes de la culture matérielle et des géomatériaux. Dans cette perspective, les rencontres « Ressources lithiques, productions et transferts entre Alpes et Méditerranée » avaient pour objectifs principaux de dresser un état des connaissances sur les ressources siliceuses entre Rhône et Apennins, aussi bien pour ce qui concerne les référentiels et bases de données que pour ce qui concerne les développements archéologiques, mais aussi de prendre acte des évolutions méthodologiques les plus récentes et mettre en perspective leur dissémination au sein de la communauté scientifique. Il s'agissait plus précisément de diffuser une présentation générale des connaissances actuelles sur les matières premières lithiques au Sud des Alpes en France et en Italie, de présenter et échanger autour des résultats importants obtenus ces dernières années dans le cadre des études prenant appui sur ces référentiels et d'identifier les verrous et perspectives de la recherche dans ces domaines au cours des prochaines années. La séance qui s' est tenue du 28 au 30 mars 2013 à la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société Sud-Est (Nice) sous les auspices de la Société Préhistorique Française, a réuni près de quatre-vingts participants – intervenants et auditeurs – provenant de différentes régions de France, d'Italie et de Suisse. Le présent volume restitue la plupart des communications orales présentées, avec une première journée consacrée à la présentation de référentiels constitués ou en cours de constitution et une seconde journée dédiée aux résultats archéologiques liés à leur exploitation. Ces contributions embrassent un large espace géographique, du Rhône à la Corse, de la Provence aux Marches et du Tyrol à la Toscane ; elles concernent une grande partie des périodes de la Préhistoire, du Paléolithique à l'âge du Cuivre.