Prehistory
Palaeolithic inferior - Middle Palaeolithic
- Palaeolithic superior
- Mesolithic age
- Neolithic age
Palaeolithic
superior
The Palaeolithic superior marks the entry of the modern man: Homo
sapiens. The evolution of the tools will be very fast during this
period, the Palaeolithic superior is divided into various cultures.
Aurignacian
Aurignacien, of the site of Aurignac in Haute-Garonne is the first
culture allotted to the modern man. The first aurignacians traces are
about - 42 000 years in the East from Europe. About - 37 000, this
culture becomes very widespread in all Europe. The man of Cro-Magnon
belongs to this period.
The tools are typical there, composed of thick scrapers, of blades to
the particular final improvements, tools on glare. The bone is largely
used there and art is yet very elaborate.
This period is recognized in several places of Brittany. In the country
Léon (Finistere Northern) three stations were the subject of
studies: Beg-ar-C'hastel (Kerlouan), Enez-Amon-rear-Ross
(Kerlouan) and Beg-pol. (Brignogan).
Gravetian
The Gravetian term comes from the site of Gravette in Dordogne. This
period ranges between -29 000 and -22 000 years. In Brittany, it
coincides with one period of intense cold, making the land hostile for
the human occupation.
The excavations of the Plasenn-Al Lomm site on the island of
Bréhat in the Côtes d’Armor show a seasonal camping. The
tools, mainly out of flint, present many gravetians characters. The
stratigraphic position of the layer would place its occupation between
-25 000 and -20 000 years, confirming the Gravetianeperiod.
Solutrean
From the same named site of the rock of Solutré, this period
starts towards -22 000 years to end in the neighbourhoods of -18 000
years.
One currently did not discover any site of the solutrean times in the
point of Brittany.
The most Western camping currently listed comes from the valley of Erve
in the department of Mayenne where about thirty double-side points of
an exceptional quality were discovered in some caves.
It is also in one of these caves that was discovered the decorated cave
the most western. The drawings of horses and mammoths correspond to a
period going from the solutrean the the old Magdalenian.
The points clovis discovered in New Mexico (North America) have many
affinities with the solutreans points. Some current assumptions suggest
that the man would be arrived in America from Western Europe, (Iberian
peninsula, France) crossing the Atlantic.
Magdalenian
The small troglodyte village of the Madeleine is located at cliff-side
along the Vézère in Dordogne. Downwards the layer
characterizing the Magdalenian was discovered. This period extends from
-18 000 to -12 000 years.
Just like Solutrean, the Magdalenian period is not recognized in
Brittany. But in Mayenne, the valley of Erve provided some tools of the
magdalenian. More in South-west, the excavation of Bégrolles in
Loire-Atlantique is a station in full air which also belongs to
Magdalenian.
The Palaeolithic superior of Brittany, although recognized in many
points remains not very abundant. Many discoveries will certainly come
to fill the gaps, but the climatic conditions of the time are probably
the reasons for the little occupation in Brittany. The climatic
improvement which will follow will allow its colonization.
The Paleolithic is ending and one return into a transitional period as
well climatic as cultural: Mesolithic age.
