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<p>During the Recent Solutrean (Middle and Upper phases), chert heat treatment in southwestern France reflects a significant yet unevenly applied technical innovation within Upper Palaeolithic societies. A combined analysis of macroscopic traces, experimental replication, and techno-economic data from over twenty lithic assemblages reveals that heat treatment was primarily associated with the production of laurel-leaf points and applied selectively to specific chert types, <i>i.e</i>. Tertiary lacustrine varieties. While heating improved knapping efficiency – particularly for pressure flaking and bifacial thinning – its rare and context-specific occurrence suggests a high-cost process integrated into a complex <i>chaîne opératoire.</i> The presence of heat-treated artefacts at just a few sites, and their association with advanced production stages, supports the hypothesis of spatial and functional segmentation in lithic production and circulation. Beyond its technical role, heat treatment may reflect social or symbolic aspects of craft specialization and form part of shared technological traditions within Solutrean groups. These findings refine our understanding of technological innovation, resource management, and socio-economic organization among Upper Palaeolithic groups in western Europe.</p>

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New insights into a Solutrean innovation. Understanding technological behaviour and socio-economic organization of Upper Palaeolithic groups through lithic heat treatment studies and experiments

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月23日

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  • Julie Bachellerie

摘要

During the Recent Solutrean (Middle and Upper phases), chert heat treatment in southwestern France reflects a significant yet unevenly applied technical innovation within Upper Palaeolithic societies. A combined analysis of macroscopic traces, experimental replication, and techno-economic data from over twenty lithic assemblages reveals that heat treatment was primarily associated with the production of laurel-leaf points and applied selectively to specific chert types, i.e. Tertiary lacustrine varieties. While heating improved knapping efficiency – particularly for pressure flaking and bifacial thinning – its rare and context-specific occurrence suggests a high-cost process integrated into a complex chaîne opératoire. The presence of heat-treated artefacts at just a few sites, and their association with advanced production stages, supports the hypothesis of spatial and functional segmentation in lithic production and circulation. Beyond its technical role, heat treatment may reflect social or symbolic aspects of craft specialization and form part of shared technological traditions within Solutrean groups. These findings refine our understanding of technological innovation, resource management, and socio-economic organization among Upper Palaeolithic groups in western Europe.