The Côte Chalonnaise (Burgundy) in the late Middle- and early Upper Palaeolithic as a gateway between Western and Central Europe: Diachronic and spatial analysis of newly tapped archaeological and palaeo-environmental archives of the Oxygen Isotope Stage

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Situated at the geographic gateway between Western and Central Europe, Southern Burgundy is a unique Palaeolithic region. Within the framework of a vertical (diachronic) and horizontal (spatial) approach, newly available archives of the Oxygen Isotope Stage 3 present opportunities for renewed approaches to this record. The comparison of late Middle and early Upper Palaeolithic assemblages in the Côte Chalonnaise (greater area of Chalon-sur-Saône, France) lies at the cnter of the proposed project. This region is recognized to be rich with archaeological assemblages of late Neanderthals and early modern Humans. Industries produced by both groups are, within the Côte Chalonnaise, stratigraphically superimposed at the same sites, or located at sites in close geographic proximity. Assemblages of intact layers of the Grotte de la Verpillière I (known since the 19th century) and the Grotte de la Verpillière II (known since 2006) are particularly promising and the primary focus of this project. The aim of the project is to better understand the differences between and changes in technology, mobility, and subsistence strategies over time during Oxygen Isotope Stage 3 (or the late Middle Palaeolithic, Châtelperronian, and Aurignacian), with reference to climatic and environmental data. A broad spectrum of methods will be employed in the re-examination of the archaeological archives and reinterpretation of the palaeohistorical and palaeoethnological records (with consideration of taphonomical processes). The application of direct dating methods will place these interpretations in a more secure chronological framework.The proposed project would contribute to research on evolving modes of life (technology, mobility and subsistence) in the successively changing environments inhabited by late Neanderthals and early modern humans in the Côte Chalonnaise (Southern Burgundy). As such, it still fills the considerable research gap between the heavily studied neighbouring regions of the Swabian Jura, Rhineland, Paris Basin, Aquitaine, and Rhône Valley.