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Assessing the Integrity of Older Archeological Collections: an Example from La Ferrassie

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Abstract

Initially excavated in the early twentieth century, La Ferrassie is one of the most important sites for the Middle Paleolithic of Western Europe. Aside from the numerous Neanderthal remains found there, the stone artifacts recovered from the site are featured prominently in discussion and debates of Mousterian variability. Recent renewed excavation of the site, however, suggests a considerable preference in the kinds of stone artifacts saved during the initial excavation. Here, we assess the nature and extent of this selection and its effects on the final collection. Results indicate that large, complete, retouched pieces were preferentially retained by the original excavators, and that the artifact collection available for study represents only 2–3% of the original lithic assemblage present in the deposits. This has significant implications for early interpretations of Mousterian industries that were based on such collections and their potential analytical value.

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Acknowledgements

Aylar Adbolahzadeh and Marcel Weiss helped with the analysis of the Peyrony collection. We also wish to extend thanks to the Musée National de Préhistoire for permission to carry out the new excavations and for allowing access to the Peyrony collection.

Funding

Funding for the new excavations came from the National Science Foundation (BCS-1219301), the Leakey Foundation, the Service Régionale de l’Achéologie, and the Conseil Générale de la Dordogne.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Harold L. Dibble

  2. Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany

    Harold L. Dibble

  3. Institute for Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Harold L. Dibble

  4. Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

    Sam C. Lin

  5. Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

    Sam C. Lin

  6. Department of Archaeology and Human Evolution Studies Program, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

    Dennis M. Sandgathe

  7. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Dennis M. Sandgathe

  8. Musée National de Préhistoire, Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, France

    Alain Turq

  9. Universit́ de Bordeaux/CNRS, PACEA UMR-5199, Talence, France

    Alain Turq

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  1. Harold L. Dibble
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  2. Sam C. Lin
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Correspondence to Sam C. Lin.

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Dedication

We would like to dedicate this paper to our very good friend and colleague, Harold Dibble, who unexpectedly passed away in June 2018.

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Dibble, H.L., Lin, S.C., Sandgathe, D.M. et al. Assessing the Integrity of Older Archeological Collections: an Example from La Ferrassie. J Paleo Arch 1, 179–201 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41982-018-0010-1

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