A review of the Gravettian collections from the excavation of Maisières "Canal" (Prov. of Hainaut, Belgium). A combined study of fossil and non-fossil animal resources for alimentary and technical exploitation

The Palaeolithic site of Maisières ‘Canal’ (province of Hainaut, Belgium), is a vital reference for the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic in Northern Europe. The abundant archaeological record from the site enables us to approach the complexity of the human, technical, and economic dynamics accompanying the disappearance of Aurignacian technocomplexes and the emergence of the first Gravettian technocomplexes in Belgium, and more generally in North-western Europe. This is a key site due to its specific characteristics and its excellent preservation. It thus appears crucial to document another aspect of the economy: the alimentary and technical exploitation of animal resources and their possible complementarity. To this end, we collectively undertook a revision of the old collections, previously published as part of a mainly paleontological study (Gautier et al., 1973). Because of the seemingly anthropogenic introduction of mostly non-transformed marine fossil resources, as well as the peculiar way in which ivory was worked and the processing of small game, this site holds a singular position in the ‘cultural mosaic’ of the Early Upper Palaeolithic in Western Europe. The present study resulted in an increase in previous counts, a comparative taphonomic analysis of the different categories of remains and lastly, paved the way for the first interpretations of the activities carried out at this site. The unique informative potential of the site of Maisières ‘Canal’, which is still largely unexplored, makes it a major site for our understanding of hunting strategies and the processing of hard animal materials of the Early Upper Palaeolithic. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356791060_A_Review_of_the_Gravettian_Collections_from_the_Excavation_of_Maisieres_'Canal'_Prov_of_Hainaut_Belgium_A_Combined_Study_of_Fossil_and_Non-Fossil_Animal_Resources_for_Alimentary_and_Technical_Exploita

Lacarrière J., Goffette Q., Jadin I., Peschaux C., Salomon H. & Goutas N., 2021. « A review of the Gravettian collections from the excavation of Maisières "Canal" (Prov. of Hainaut, Belgium). A combined study of fossil and non-fossil animal resources for alimentary and technical exploitation ». In : Touzé O., Goutas N., Salomon H. & Noiret P. (éd.), Les sociétés gravettiennes du Nord-Ouest européen : nouveaux sites, nouvelles données, nouvelles lectures. Gravettian societies in North-western Europe: new sites, new data, new readings. Actes du colloque international « Le Nord-Ouest européen au Gravettien : apports des travaux récents à la compréhension des sociétés et de leurs environnements » (Université de Liège, 12-13 avril 2018), Liège-Bruxelles, Presses universitaires de Liège, ERAUL, 150 – Société royale belge d’Anthropologie et de Préhistoire, Anthropologica et Præhistorica, 130/2021 : 19-47. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356791060_A_Review_of_the_Gravettian_Collections_from_the_Excavation_of_Maisieres_'Canal'_Prov_of_Hainaut_Belgium_A_Combined_Study_of_Fossil_and_Non-Fossil_Animal_Resources_for_Alimentary_and_Technical_Exploita