Bladelet Production in the Aurignacian of La Ferrassie (Dordogne, France)

Abstract

This paper presents a technological analysis of bladelet production at the Aurignacian site of La Ferrassie, France. It is argued that busqued burins, Vachons burins, and muzzled endscrapers were the cores off of which bladelets were produced. The typological variability is the result of the adaptation of the same method of bladelet production to flakes of varying thickness. These results along with similar studies by Lucas of bladelet production at the site of La Flageolet demonstrate the importance of technological analysis for understanding the sources of lithic variability found in the early Upper Paleolithic.