麻豆淫院

The oldest workshop for making shell jewelry has been unearthed at the Paleolithic site of La Roche-脿-Pierrot in Saint-C茅saire, Charente-Maritime. Dating back at least 42,000 years and accompanied by red and yellow pigments, this unique assemblage in Western Europe has been linked to the Ch芒telperronian culture, which marks the transition between the last Neanderthals and the arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe.

A study of the find, conducted primarily by scientists from the CNRS, the l'universit茅 de Bordeaux, the minist猫re de la Culture and l'Universit茅 Toulouse 2 Jean Jaur猫s, is in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This major discovery allows us to discuss the mobility of prehistoric populations and possible contact between different human groups during this significant period of prehistory.

Between 55,000 and 42,000 years ago, Europe underwent a profound transformation, with the last Neanderthals being gradually replaced by groups of Homo sapiens arriving during their most recent migration out of Africa. The Ch芒telperronian, a prehistoric culture attested in France and northern Spain during this period, occupies a central place in research. Recognized as one of the earliest industries of the Upper Paleolithic in Eurasia, the identity of its artisans鈥擭eanderthals or Homo sapiens鈥攔emains a matter of debate.

During new excavations at La Roche-脿-Pierrot, conducted by scientists working at the De la Pr茅histoire 脿 l'actuel: culture, environnement et anthropologie laboratory (CNRS/Minist猫re de la culture/Universit茅 de Bordeaux), the research team uncovered pierced shells and numerous pigments attributable to the Ch芒telperronian period.

The absence of wear marks on some of the perforations and the presence of unpierced shells indicated that this was a genuine workshop for the manufacture of jewelry. Analyses revealed that these shells came from the Atlantic coast, at that time located about 100 kilometers away, while the pigments came from an area more than 40 kilometers away, providing evidence of long-distance trade networks or significant human mobility.

Other remains found at the site include typical Neanderthal tools and the remains of hunted animals (bison, horses), highlighting the diversity and complexity of human occupation at that time.

These exceptional discoveries mark the first documented instance of an early Upper Paleolithic industry and associated shell beads in Western Europe. The jewelry and pigments identified bear witness to the explosion of symbolic expression during this period鈥攎arked by practices of ornamentation, social differentiation and identity affirmation鈥攎ost generally associated with Homo sapiens.

They also shed new light on the cultural variability of the time, suggesting that the Ch芒telperronian people were influenced by, or even belonged to, an early wave of Homo sapiens who arrived in the region at least 42,000 years ago.

Occupied by various human groups for nearly 30,000 years, Saint-C茅saire remains a unique laboratory for understanding the dynamics of prehistoric settlements and the interactions between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Since 1976, excavations at this site have continued to yield valuable information, not least due to the revision of old collections and new methods of analysis and excavation implemented since 2013.