Socio economic significance of stone tools recycling, reuse and maintenance at the end of the Lateglacial in Northwestern France

Abstract : This paper gives an overview of stone tool management processes identified from the techno-functional analysis of two Northwestern France sites attributed to the end of the Lateglacial. Investigating recycling, secondary use and maintenance processes on these two sites which are very different regarding both site status and raw material availability gives an interesting contrast in how people use their equipment during this period. One of the most significant results is that according to circumstances, the long, large, and regular blades frequently transported from site to site are either specific butchering tool used quite expediently or highly curated tools employed in a variety of tasks. These analyses give food for thought about technological organization changes during the Lateglacial. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.