Adornment in the early Mesolithic: Analysis of marine shells from La Baume de Monthiver (Jabron, Var, France)

• We analyzed shell beads from a Sauveterrian occupation in South-Eastern France. • The traceological analysis at a macro- and microscopical scales indicated the way it was perforated, worn and the type of thread used. • Despite a shared choice in raw material on a very large scale, some regional dynamics can be outlined. The widespread distribution of the Sauveterrian complex across Europe suggests the presence of networks connecting distant groups, facilitating the dissemination of concepts and techniques on a large scale. This hypothesis is largely based on the analysis of lithic tools in terms of provisioning, knapping techniques and the typology of tools produced. However, to gain a detailed understanding of the social dynamics of early Holocene groups, it would seem necessary to include other aspects of Sauveterrian societies. In particular, ornamental practices played an important role in social relations, due to their function in the construction and expression of personal and collective identities. Through the study of ornaments, we aim to unravel the interactions between Sauveterrian groups. The study of the ornaments from La Baume de Monthiver (Var, France) has enabled us to address both the diachronic and synchronic dimensions of ornamental practices. Here we analyze the entire biography of ornamental objects, from the collection of raw materials, the methods of manufacture, to the mounting of the ornamental composition, revealing a certain stability in practices at the beginning of the Holocene. Several dynamics seem to be intertwined, between the shared choice of raw material on a very large scale and possible regional dynamics visible especially in the type of ornamental compositions adopted.