Exploring the Role of Climate and Other Environmental Factors in the Distribution of Paleolithic Sites in France Between 34 and 21 cal ka BP: A GIS Analysis

This study explores the role of various environmental factors in the distribution of Paleolithic sites in France between 34 and 21 calibrated kiloanni before present. We compiled a database of occurrences of Gravettian, Solutrean and Badegoulian technocomplexes and then analysed the distribution of archaeological sites for these various cultural periods via a Geographic Information System and statistical methods. These examinations took into account a number of different parameters, such as current land use, altitude, latitude, exposure, hydrology, geology and archaeological survey coverage. For all parameters considered, the analysis shows that the distribution of archaeological occurrences deviates significantly from random. Although the parameters related to climate (altitude, latitude, exposure) clearly indicate that they played an important role in settlement, the analysis also highlights positive or negative relationships between other factors and the distribution of archaeological sites, particularly locations of lithic raw material sources, sand deserts, and major rivers. These correlations can be explained either by a bias in the archaeological record or because these factors were favourable or, conversely, unfavourable to the settlement of Paleolithic groups. Ultimately, this study suggests that approaches based solely on the outputs of paleoclimatic simulations alone may not satisfactorily explain late Paleolithic settlement.