Craft specialization and exchanges during the sou-thern chassey culture: an integrated archaeological and material sciences approach

We present a new project developed in the framework of the ANR program entitled “Processes and environments of the heat treatment of Barremo-Bedoulian flints in the southern Chassey culture”. Our goal is to address questions concerning craft specialization and exchange through an integrated archaeological and material sciences approach. The heat treatment of flint, which plays a major role in the Chassey technical system, is a key element in the characterization of the skill implied in the manufacturing of the specialized lithic industry emblematic of this period. While much is still unknown, we believed it would be useful to present our methodology and the first results obtained through this project.