Geological formation processes of the site of Isturitz (South-western France)

Archaeological implications

Bibliographic Data

ID15041576
AuthorsArnaud Lenoble (0000-0001-9023-9741, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Jean-Pierre Texier, Jean‐pierre Texier (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
Year2016
Volume27
Pages235-252
Publication date2016-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePaléo (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1145-3370 • E-ISSN: 2101-0420
PublisherOpenEdition (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4000/paleo.3273
OpenAlexW2890418620
LanguageEN
References cited21

This paper reports on geoarchaeological work conducted at the site of Isturitz during the 1996-1997 and the 2000-2005 excavations. The study of geomorphological context and sedimentary deposits both outside and inside the karstic block permit the main evolutionary phases to be described.The karstic system comprises three stepped levels, which are linked to downcutting stages of the Arberoue valley. Special attention has been paid to the upper level of the karstic system, i.e. the Saint-Martin-Isturitz level, in which excavations were conducted. Here, sedimentation was initially associated with high-energy flows (torrentially-flowing river followed by an intermittently active underground stream), and later by runoff and rockfall processes. In the upper part of the karstic filling, a sedimentary hiatus, contemporaneous with a very cold phase of OIS 2, has been identified in the rockfall deposits. This climatic episode is characterized by a cryosol that has notably deformed former sedimentary levels. The sequence ends with a flowstone that accumulated during the Holocene.The Proto-Aurignacian and Aurignacian levels are buried in runoff and rockfall deposits of the upper part of the fill. They were the focus of a detailed taphonomic study, which demonstrated that 1) freezing has had only minor effects on preservation of these levels compared to the role played by runoff, 2) the presence of artefacts in unit II is the result of reworking processes and, 3) archaeological levels identified in unit III represent either sets of reworked pieces or intact artefact assemblages admitting the assumption of a good preservation. Implications of this study are discussed and it is suggested that refitting analyses should be performed to confirm the site’s proposed archaeostratigraphic sequence

Archaeology · Aurignacian · Cave · Debris · Geography · Geomorphology · Karst · Landslide · Rockfall · Sedimentary rock · Stratigraphic unit · Taphonomy · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology · Paleontology

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