Les pointes d’Isturitz sont-elles toutes des armes de chasse ? (original) (raw)

In the context of my PhD research on the characterization of Gravettian societies through their osseous productions, I devoted particular interest to a study of the Isturitz point, which characterizes the Gravettian period, and more particularly its middle phase with Noailles burins. My study is based on the eponymous site of Isturitz points, which yielded the richest corpus in France (N=190), composed of more than 70% of the recorded pieces. At sites other than Isturitz cave (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), and to a lesser extent, the abri Pataud (N=22), Isturitz points are generally poorly represented and mainly fragmented. The uniquely large proportion at Isturitz provides a statistically representative corpus that allows us a detailed analysis of these objects, which are so particular in many ways. Since its discovery, the Isturitz point has generated several hypotheses related to its function (weapon or tool) and its mode of use, with the aim of determining if the striated end was the proximal or the distal part of the tool. The morphological, technological and functional study presented here reveals that these various hypotheses were not inevitably contradictory. In addition, I propose a first typology for this object category, for which I retain one main criterion of distinction: the localization of the striated end, which testifies, in my opinion, to different functions and modes of use according to whether it is on the proximal or distal part. Due to the diversity of the morphology, and probably the function, of Isturitz points, I propose the use of a more neutral term, such as “pieces with Isturitz-type modifications”.