17 mars 2012
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
Anne-Laure Mereau, « Les dents animales perforées au Magdalénien : nouvelles perspectives fonctionnelles. Etude de quatre sites pyrénéens : Isturitz, le Mas d’Azil, Arudy et Gourdan », HAL-SHS : archéologie, ID : 10670/1.9o5pkx
In hunting societies, hanging objects of animal origin is considered as universal. In fact, the discovery of the first teeth drilled in prehistoric sites was not surprising and their role was intuitively perceived and confirmed by the discovery of bodies buried with their own adornment. However, the scarcity of the Magdalenian burials and the limitation to few species (deer, fox) and a single mode of suspension (perforation) were not representative of the diversity of the pieces found in the habitat's context. However, the objects from the burials served as a reference to determine more general definition criteria (presence of a means of suspension, reduced dimensions, lack of practical utility) even though other objects with a practical function also presented a fastening system and reduced dimensions. The aim of this work was to reduce this ambiguity by undertaking a systematic traceological study on objects found on 4 sites of Pyrenean habitat (Isturitz, Arudy, Le Mas d'Azil and Gourdan).The first step in our work consisted of defining the methodological framework of our study and adapting the precepts of the analysis of hard animal materials to our corpus. Secondly, we focused on the historiography of the sites in order to address questions of stratigraphic validity and representativeness of the pieces. Then, we carried out the traceological analysis in taking into account the different stages related to the production of the teeth (choice of supports, techniques used).The results has distinguished two main categories : the ornamental function, already well identified, and the practical function, poorly or even unknown. If the punch function was foreseen, it was validated and clarified by the traceological analysis (perforation of flexible materials) and the button function was highlighted, and it was completely new for Magdalenian. We also highlighted that, for most of the teeth with ornamental function, the wide availability of supports, the low level of technicality and the technical homogeneity suggested that their manufacture was done by a large number of individuals. Although the prerogatives are the same for the majority of teeth with a practical vocation (buttons), the choice of supports was more restricted whereas one could have assumed that the teeth with an ornamental vocation, supposed to hold a strong symbolic potential, do subject to a more drastic selection.The results enabled us to distinguish two main categories of use: the ornamental function, already well identified, and the practical function, poorly or even unknown. If the punch function was foreseen for certain teeth, it was validated and clarified by the traceological analysis (perforation of flexible materials) and the button function was highlighted when it was completely new for teeth. Magdalenian. We also highlighted that, for most of the teeth with ornamental function, the wide availability of supports, the low level of technicality and the technical homogeneity suggested that their manufacture was done by a large number of individuals. Although the prerogatives are the same for the majority of teeth with a practical vocation (buttons), the choice of supports was more restricted whereas one could have assumed that the teeth with an ornamental vocation, supposed to hold a strong symbolic potential, do subject to a more drastic selection.