Set of four bifaces found in Acheulean level, dating back at least 300,000 year. Image: © David Hérisson, Inrap300 000 year old flint tools found in Northern France
The deposits at Etricourt Manancourt in the Picardie region of France documents the history of early European settlements, revealing at least five prehistoric levels, ranging between 300,000 and 80,000 years old.
Excavating the Early Middle Palaeolithic levels (between 190 and 240 000 years). © David Hedgehog Inrap
This discovery resulted from the archaeological work carried out prior to construction of a large canal. Archaeologists from Inrap looked at 17 hectares in 2010, which revealed a Palaeolithic level. More evidence was found in 2012, when 3,200 square metres were excavated over a 4 month period.
The most recent occupation comes from the Middle Paleolithic (80,000 years old) and belongs to the Neanderthals. Twenty sites of this period are already known in northern France.
The next two levels are also Neanderthal and belong to the early phase of the Middle Paleolithic during an interglacial period – the Saalian – between 190,000 and 240,000 years old. The discoveries of sites from this period are rare and, in the north of France, only excavations in 1999 (around Beauvais) and Biache St. Vaast in 1976 (Pas-de-Calais) have produced such well preserved contemporary deposits.
Finally, the oldest level is exceptional. Dated to at least 300 000 years, it belongs to the Palaeolithic, Acheulian culture. The flint tools found at this level were shaped either by the last Homo heidelbergensis or by early Neanderthals.
Acheulean biface. © David Hedgehog Inrap
Several hundred flints found in the 300 000 year old layer
Seven metres deep, the excavation revealed three major climatic cycles through successive glacial and interglacial periods (the Holsteinian the Saalian and Weichselian).
The contents of the 300,000 year layer are perfectly preserved in moist soil conditions and has produced so far several hundred flints including the biface.
The numerous bifaces found today would have been imported by hominids to the site, then left behind after use. They may have served as a butchering knives but that hypothesis has to be confirmed by traceological analysis.
The organic remains (bones and wood) have unfortunately not been preserved due to soil acidity. However, the distribution of remains and lithic studies will provide key elements to reconstruct the behaviour and lifestyle of these early Europeans.
Source: INRAP
More Information
- Lower Palaeolithic technology, raw material and population ecology – This visual and metric database is the data component of a project funded by a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Board. The project was designed to examine Lower Palaeolithic technology and raw material and to use the findings to discuss aspects of population ecology during the period. The time range is from 1.5Myr to 300Kyr and includes material from Africa, Europe and the Near East. The database contains 10668 digitised images of 3556 bifaces, as well as information on provenance, raw material and standard measurements.
but but but …. Jebus tells me that the universe is only 6,000 years old ! you mean the christianist CULT lied to me?