Combe-Cullier (Lacave, Lot) : une séquence exceptionnelle du Magdalénien au bord de la Dordogne lotoise

The Combe-Cullier site (Lacave, Lot) is one of the few sites with a Magdalenian archaeosequence investigated using modern excavation methods. Its exceptional archaeological fill covers the entire Magdalenian period between 21,000 and 14,000 cal. BP. The cave was excavated in the early 20th century under the aegis of A. Viré, yielding remains of occupations for which no contextual data are available. Then, at the end of the 1960s, J.-F. Flies began a new operation on the slope in front of the cave, and carried out meticulous excavations using modern methodology until the mid-1970s. Most of the artefacts unearthed in the nearly five-metre-thick stratigraphic sequence are still unpublished to this day. Following academic work on elements of this collection, a multidisciplinary team was formed to re-examine all the remains in a revised chronostratigraphic framework. The results of this work are presented here by archaeostratigraphic unit (AU) and according to the different analysed artefacts (siliceous materials, bone industry, adornments, fauna). It is thus possible to track evolution at the site over nearly 7,000 years, highlighting continuities and changes. A comparison of the results obtained at Combe-Cullier with other sites in south-western France backs up the recent proposal for a new evolutionary scenario for the Aquitaine Magdalenian.