Tracing Palaeolithic human routes through the geochemical characterisation of chert tools from Caune de Belvis (Aude, France)

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Caune de Belvis (Aude, France) is located in the northern slopes of the eastern Pyrenees, in south-east France. Excavations at the site during the final decades of the past century identified several human occupations from the Late Mousterian (Maroto et al. 2003) and the Magdalenian periods (Sacchi 1993). The archaeological remains are mostly composed of faunal bones and a rich bone and stone industry. In this paper, we focused on the analysis of stone remains recovered in the Magdalenian levels. The goals of this study are to determine the territorial behaviour of Magdalenian groups settled at Caune de Belvis and to identify their lithic procurement strategies. To do so, we applied a range of techniques for analysing stone remains from the Magdalenian levels and geological samples from the geological formations that may have been used. First, macroscopic studies were carried out to determine the textural and micropalaeontological content; then, geochemical analyses were conducted to quantify the elemental chemical composition. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) was used to quantify major and minor elements and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was then used to quantify trace elements. The results show that the Magdalenian groups from Caune de Belvis exploited a range of geological formations in the northern and southern Pyrenees. They also highlight the relationship existing between the two sides of the Pyrenees during the Upper Palaeolithic and bear witness to the inhabitants’ thorough knowledge of the Pyrenean area.