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Radiocarbon chronology for the Early Gravettian of northern Europe: new AMS determinations for Maisières-Canal, Belgium

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

R.M. Jacobi ,
T.F.G. Higham ,
P. Haesaerts ,
I. Jadin  and
L.S. Basell
R.M. Jacobi
Affiliation:
1Department of Prehistory and Europe, Franks House, The British Museum, London N1 5QJ, UK and Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
T.F.G. Higham
Affiliation:
2Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, RLAHA, Dyson Perrins Building, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
P. Haesaerts
Affiliation:
3Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
I. Jadin
Affiliation:
3Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
L.S. Basell
Affiliation:
2Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, RLAHA, Dyson Perrins Building, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
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Abstract

The authors explore the arrival of the earliest Gravettian in north-west Europe, using new high precision radiocarbon dates for bone excavated at Maisières-Canal in Belgium to define a short-lived occupation around 33 000 years ago. The tanged points in that assemblage have parallels in British sites, including Goat's Hole (Paviland). This is the site of the famous ochred burial of a young adult male, confusingly known as the ‘Red Lady’, now dated to around 34 000 BP. The new results demonstrate that this British ‘rich burial’ and the Gravettian with tanged points may belong to two different occupation horizons separated by a cold spell.

Keywords

EuropeMaisières-CanalUpper PalaeolithicGravettiantanged pointsGS 6radiocarbon dating
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 84 , Issue 323 , March 2010 , pp. 26 - 40
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd 2010

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Footnotes

†Deceased 2009

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