Reconsidering prehistoric chert catchment sources: new data from the Central Pyrenees (Western Europe)
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Reconsidering prehistoric chert catchment sources: new data from the Central Pyrenees (Western Europe) Marta Sánchez de la Torre 1,2
&
François-Xavier Le Bourdonnec 1 & Bernard Gratuze 3
Received: 18 October 2017 / Accepted: 28 November 2017 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2017
Abstract In the framework of a postdoctoral project to geochemically characterise Pyrenean cherts, a new marine chert outcrop in the Central Pyrenees has been defined. This new discovery, called the Buala outcrop, and its flysch chert type, provide new information about marine chert sources in the Pyrenean chain, leading us to reconsider prehistoric chert procurement in this area. Until now, two geological formations from the Central Pyrenees were considered as potential sources for a type of marine chert usually appearing in the Magdalenian record of several Pyrenean sites: Montgaillard flysch cherts and Montsaunès cherts. With both formations presenting similar characteristics, it was only through the use of geochemical methods that differences were recently established as reported by Sánchez de la Torre et al. (STAR 3:15–37, 2017b). This paper presents the new marine flysch chert outcrop of Buala. The visual, micropalaeontological and geochemical characterisation of this chert has permitted the definition of a new potential source for this marine chert type, which is common in several Palaeolithic sites in the Pyrenees, as Cova del Parco (Alòs de Balaguer, Spain), Forcas I Shelter (Graus, Spain), Montlleó open-air-site (Prats i Sansor, Spain), or Caune de Belvis (Belvis, France) (Sánchez de la Torre 2015). Geochemical characterisation of the three potential sources was carried out using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Results show that Buala flysch cherts are clearly different from the previously known chert types in terms of major, minor, and trace elements. Keywords Lithic procurement . Provenance . Geochemistry . ED-XRF . LA-ICP-MS
Introduction Chert provenance studies provide valuable data about past human groups, specifically regarding their mobility and procurement strategies. These kinds of studies have traditionally * Marta Sánchez de la Torre [email protected] François-Xavier Le Bourdonnec [email protected] Bernard Gratuze [email protected] 1
IRAMAT-CRP2A (UMR 5060), CNRS-Université Bordeaux Montaigne, Maison de l’Archéologie, Esplanade des Antilles, Pessac Cedex, France
2
SERP, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
3
IRAMAT-CEB (UMR 5060), CNRS-Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
been based on visual and petrographic descriptions. Nevertheless, non-destructive geochemical methods have recently been incorporated into classical studies, obtaining promising results and resolving doubts generated during primary visual and petrographic descriptions [e.g. recently published works by (Gurova et al. 2016; Moreau et al
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