The site of Ormesson – Les Bossats (Seine-et-Marne, France) around 31 ka cal. BP: Contribution of the Lithic Industry to the Understanding of Site Function and Occupation of the Paris Basin during the Early Gravettian

Within a complex stratigraphic sequence, the open-air site of Ormesson – Les Bossats yields a relatively well-preserved Gravettian occupation containing numerous faunal remains, both fossil and non-fossil and sometimes transformed, as well as various remains related to spatial organization. This contribution aims at characterizing the abundant lithic industry associated with these remains. We define the main principles of a laminar production dedicated to the extraction of rectilinear and rather narrow blades, associated with a multimodal bladelet production which comprises solutions that are integrated into blade production, as well as autonomous productions. The retouched tools are characterized by an overwhelming proportion of burins and microgravettes, the latter corresponding to the lithic components of hunting weapons. The comparison of the data drawn from the examination of the lithic material with the other categories of remains makes it possible to reconstruct a residential camp occupied during several weeks at least, and dedicated in part to the acquisition of a potentially very significant quantity of animal resources. After a decade of research, the site of Les Bossats allows for very precise observations of the functioning of hunter-gatherer societies during the Early Upper Palaeolithic.