INRAP, TRACES, University of Toulouse, 561 rue Etienne Lenoir, 30900 Nîmes, France.
J Hum Evol. 2011 Nov;61(5):538-48. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.05.009. Epub 2011 Jun 22.
In this paper, we present a critical analysis of the distribution of Paleolithic sites between the Massif Central and the Pyrenees (southwestern France) to understand the settlement patterns during the last climatic deterioration of the Quaternary period. This analysis used recent stratigraphic and archaeological data from thousands of systematic test pits conducted for rescue archaeology in different geomorphological contexts. Our analysis addresses crucial questions about the role of the Garonne alluvial plain in this territory during the Upper Paleolithic. The implications are discussed in the context of this region of Europe, which was considered to be a favorable zone for human occupation during glacial periods. The conclusions reveal a division of this territory into two parts separated by a large unoccupied or rarely occupied zone. We discuss perspectives not only concerning the territoriality of the prehistoric groups who lived on the margins of this no man's land, but also the cultural endemism that could have led to this geography, influenced by climatic conditions clearly more rigorous than previously recognized in this region.
本文对法国西南部中央高原和比利牛斯山脉（Pyrenees）之间的旧石器时代遗址分布进行了批判性分析，以了解第四纪最后一次气候恶化期间的定居模式。这项分析利用了数千个系统探坑的最新地层和考古学数据，这些探坑是为不同地貌环境下的抢救性考古而进行的。我们的分析解决了有关加龙河冲积平原在上旧石器时代在这一地区所扮演角色的关键问题。在讨论这些结论时，我们考虑了该地区作为冰川时期人类居住的有利区域的背景。结论揭示了该地区的划分，分为两个部分，中间隔着一个无人居住或很少有人居住的大片区域。我们不仅讨论了生活在这片无人地带边缘的史前群体的领土性问题，还讨论了可能导致这种地理现象的文化特有现象，这种地理现象受到的气候条件比以前在该地区所认识到的要严格得多。
