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Dating French and Spanish Prehistoric Decorated Caves in their Archaeological Contexts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2016

H Valladas
Affiliation:
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
E Kaltnecker
Affiliation:
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
A Quiles
Affiliation:
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
N Tisnérat-Laborde
Affiliation:
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
D Genty
Affiliation:
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
M Arnold
Affiliation:
Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS-IRD-Collège de France, UM 34 CEREGE, Technopôle de l'Environnement Arbois-Méditerranée, BP80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence, France
E Delqué-Količ
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Mesure du carbone 14, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
C Moreau
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Mesure du carbone 14, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
D Baffier
Affiliation:
CREPS, 07150 Vallon Pont d'Arc, France
J J Cleyet Merle
Affiliation:
Musée National de Préhistoire, 24620 Les Eyzies de Tayac, France
J Clottes
Affiliation:
11 rue du Fourcat, 09000 Foix, France
M Girard
Affiliation:
342 Boulevard des Horizons, 06220 Vallauris, France
J Monney
Affiliation:
Centre National de Préhistoire, 38 rue du 26ème R.I., 24000 Périgueux, France
R Montes
Affiliation:
Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de Altamira, Spain
C Sainz
Affiliation:
Universitad de Cantabria, dpto. Sciencias Historicas, 39005 Santander, Spain
J L Sanchidrian
Affiliation:
Universitad de Cordoba, Area Prehistoria, Departamento de Geografía y Ciencias del Territorio, Plaza Cardenal Salazar s/n, 14071, Cordoba, Spain
R Simonnet
Affiliation:
28 allée de la Limagne, 31300 Toulouse, France

Abstract

The Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE) research program on prehistoric art conducts chronological studies of parietal representations with their associated archaeological context. This multidisciplinary approach provides chronological arguments about the creation period of parietal representations. This article presents chronological investigations carried out in several decorated caves in France (La Grande Grotte, Labastide, Lascaux, La Tête-du-Lion, Villars) and Spain (La Garma, Nerja, La Pileta, Urdiales). Several types of organic materials, collected from different areas of the caves close to the walls and in connection with parietal art, were dated to determine the periods of human presence in the cave, a presence that may have been related to artistic activities. These new radiocarbon results range from 33,000–29,000 (La Grande Grotte) to 16,000–14,000 cal BP (Urdiales).

Type
Radiocarbon Dating and the Paleolithic
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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