Evolutionary Anthropology 25:153–163 (2016) ARTICLE Time and Space in the Middle Paleolithic: Spatial Structure and Occupation Dynamics of Seven Open-Air Sites AMY E. CLARK The spatial structure of archeological sites can help reconstruct the settlement ces were exploited. For example, how dynamics of hunter-gatherers by providing information on the number and length are we to make inferences about what of occupations. This study seeks to access this information through a compari- behaviors occurred at a site and how son of seven sites. These sites are open-air and were all excavated over large strategies of resource procurement spatial areas, up to 2,000 m2, and are therefore ideal for spatial analysis, which were organized if we do not know was done using two complementary methods, lithic refitting and density zones. whether the analyzed assemblage Both methods were assessed statistically using confidence intervals. The statis- derives from a single long-term occu- tically significant results from each site were then compiled to evaluate trends pation or many short occupations? that occur across the seven sites. These results were used to assess the Reconstructions of human mobility “spatial consistency” of each assemblage and, through that, the number and based on raw material proveniences duration of occupations. This study demonstrates that spatial analysis can be a also run into the same problem when powerful tool in research on occupation dynamics and can help disentangle the we attempt to define territory or many occupations that often make up an archeological assemblage. home-range size for an archeological assemblage. This paper demonstrates that the Hunter-gatherer mobility is a popu- gatherers is such an intrinsic part of spatial patterning of artifacts can be lar subject among archeologists.1–6 Its their livelihood that it is difficult to used to assess the temporal character- popularity can perhaps be partially study any other part of their economy istics of an assemblage. The organiza- attributed to a romantic impression of and culture without understanding tion of artifacts and features relative a mobile lifestyle in contrast to the the underlying physical movement.7,8 to one another can indicate whether concretely (and, some may argue, Archeologists traditionally address an assemblage was the result of a sin- increasingly) sedentary life with which mobility by sourcing raw materials,3,4,9,10 gle or multiple occupations, as well as we are familiar. More importantly, assessing the degree of site provisioning the relative duration of occupations. however, the mobility of hunter- with raw materials,1,11–13 and deter- This is particularly the case when the mining the season(s) of occupation and sites are open-air and were excavated occupation intensity through faunal at very large scales, as was the case analysis.5,14,15 Each of these methods for the sites in this study. Because the gives a slightly different perspective on duration of occupation and the num- Amy E. Clark is a recent Ph.D. graduate of the mobility of groups occupying a site ber of occupations occur along a con- the University of Arizona. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at INRAP, l’institut and can provide some insight into the tinuum, such a study should take national de recherches archeologiques number and duration of occupations. place in a comparative format. preventives , in Campagne, Dordogne, However, differentiating between many The sites included in this study France. Her main research interests in- clude hunter-gatherer mobility and settle- short-term occupations and one long range in occupation intensity, meas- ment dynamics. Email: aeclark@email. occupation, or any combination of the ured in artifact density and assem- arizona.edu two variables, remains a major obstacle blage size, from sites located directly in the reconstruction of mobility and on raw-material sources to a low- land use patterns. density site on a floodplain. The two Key words: mobility; spatial analysis; Middle The number of occupations, the interrelated analyses used to deter- Paleolithic; France; lithic refitting size of the group, and the duration of mine the spatial structure of each site the time spent at a site is not only partition a site into density groups VC 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. salient to any discussion of hunter- and refitting groups based on where DOI: 10.1002/evan.21486 gatherer mobility,16 but also pertinent they are located relative to the general Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). to our understanding of how resour- distribution of materials, as well as to 154 Clark ARTICLE Figure 1. A map of France showing the location of all seven sites. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at wileyonlinelibrary.com.] pieces that belong to the same refit- give basic site details. Two of the sources near the city of Bergerac.19 ting set. These two analyses provide sites, La Doline de Cantalouette II Like Bossuet, the exploitation of flint information about how the sites were and Champs de Bossuet, are located at this site was concentrated within organized, as well as how long they directly on raw material sources and, a depression in the landscape, this were occupied, and the relative num- accordingly, boast assemblage sizes time within a doline. ber of occupations. In this paper, of more than 15,000 lithics. The other Fresnoy, Bettencourt, and Villiers “occupation” refers to any period of sites are located further from raw Adam are located in the loess belt of time spent at a site, whether that material sources, but all of them have northern France.20–23 All three sites time be minutes, hours, days, or high-quality flint sources within rela- are situated within paleosols on a months or, potentially, years. There- tively close proximity. None of these northeastern facing slope. Fresnoy fore, “occupation” should not carry sites contain preserved bone. La Folie, and Bettencourt contain dense any connotations of “home” in the a small site located on a floodplain, is patches of artifacts, but also areas of sense that a site was used as a living the only site to contain a preserved low and medium density. The depos- place; instead, “occupation” implies fire feature. its at Bettencourt are divided into only that a space was occupied by the The general spatial structure of three sectors by channels of erosion. physical presence of at least one these sites presents a range of varia- Villiers Adam is a very large site that human at one point in time. tion (Fig. 2). Cantalouette and Bos- contains many small clusters, but suet, the quarry sites, have uniformly has a low density over all. THE DATA SET dense accumulations. At Bossuet, Le Prisse de Bayonne and La Folie lithic nodules were exploited within have the smallest assemblage sizes in The sites used in this study were a partially filled paleo-channel on a the data set; both contain two princi- excavated as rescue or contract proj- terrace of the Isle River, northeast of ple clusters of high-density accumu- ects by l’institut de recherches arch- Bordeaux.17,18 Because the lithic lations. La Folie, outside of Poitiers, eologiques preventives (INRAP). All nodules were exploited where they is arguably the best preserved site in sites were excavated over large spatial were found, the site follows the con- this sample, with evidence of a extents and therefore are well suited tours of the paleo-channel. La Doline hearth, a nonpedogenic organic hori- for a study of spatial organization. de Cantalouette II is one of a series zon (likely bedding), and postholes Figure 1 provides a map of site loca- of several sites set atop the high- that may have been used for a wind- tions within France; Tables 1 and 2 quality and prolific Bergeracois flint break (they enclose an area thought ARTICLE Time and Space in the Middle Paleolithic 155 TABLE 1. Basic Information on the Seven Sites Landscape Position General Spatial Structure Le Prisse Plateau near the confluence of two major rivers Two closely spaced clusters, large area of low density scatter Bettencourt Northeast facing gentle slope, forest soil Three sectors separated by erosion, sev- within loess deposits eral very high density clusters Bossuet Paleo channel on river terrace Extremely high density distribution, follows contours of the drainage Cantalouette Doline (sinkhole) Extremely high density distribution with some more concentrated clusters La Folie Floodplain Small site with two clusters connected by many refits. Evidence for windbreak and bedding (excellent preservation) Fresnoy Northeast facing moderate slope, forest soil Large scatter over large area, refits con- within loess deposits nect the entire area Villiers Adam Northeast facing gentle slope, forest soil Many small, distinct clusters over a large within loess deposits area to be too large for a covered struc- medium-, and low-density areas. The are placed into refitting group 1, ture).24–26 Le Prisse is located on a artifacts are then organized into the lithics within 2 meters of that group plateau outside of the city of three density groups based on where into group 2, and lithics more than Bayonne.27 While this site has two they are located. This analysis 2 meters from group 1 into group 3 distinct concentrations of material, excluded the two quarry sites, Canta- (Fig. 4). Group 1 is determined by like La Folie, the majority of the louette and Bossuet, because they do locating the smallest area where site’s area is made up of very low- not have technological data associ- the highest concentration of lithics density scatter. ated with each coordinated artifact. occurs. This area most likely corre- The data sets were simply too large; sponds to the location where they METHODS thus, the artifacts were segregated into were knapped.