From the block to the blade: The contribution of lithic technology of the Villazette site (Creysse, Dordogne) to understanding the early stages of blade production in the Middle Magdalenian

• Villazette site reveals the first open air occupation from the Late Middle Magdalenian. • The early stages of long blade production have been documented. • Refitting enabled interpretations of two distinct lithic concentrations production. In southwestern France, blades attributed to the Late Middle Magdalenian are occasionally found in the form of batches of finished objects in particular contexts such as painting cave like Labastide or Enlène in the Pyrenees. The lack of first stages of production, absent or poorly documented in “consumption” sites, represent a key obstacle to fully understand the chaîne opératoire . As such, investigating a lithic assemblage from “production” sites through refitting and technological analysis raises questions about technological segmentation of blade production. Located in the Aquitaine Basin, the site of Villazette (Creysse, Dordogne) is situated on the low terraces of the Dordogne River, in an area rich in high-quality ‘Bergeracois’ flint. Excavations have revealed a series of open-air occupations, including one layer related to the Late Middle Magdalenian phase showing evidence of blade production. The analysis of cores and other products confirms the presence of blades exceeding twenty centimeters, along with the production of smaller blades for toolmaking. Refitting studies provide insight into the early stages of blade production: raw blocks were collected on-site and shaped through the preparation of anterior and posterior crests, ensuring an efficient reduction sequence. Furthermore, the spatial distribution analysis reveals two concentrations with distinct functions, raising questions about the organization of the occupation. The discovery of this site underscores the archaeological potential of the Dordogne’s riverbanks for exploring the organization of Magdalenian groups.