Ioton (Gard) 30 years later: new technological and techno-economic considerations on the Mousterian industry

New insights regarding the lithic assemblage from the rock-shelter of Ioton (Beaucaire, Gard) based on technical and techno-economical studies have allowed us to discuss its previous attribution to the "Atypical Charentian" facies. The Levallois core reduction technique largely prevails demonstrating diversified modes of exploitation (mainly recurrent centripetal or unidirectional knapping, sometimes the preferential flake technique at the end of the core exploitation). Levallois end-products, knapped in situ on local raw materials, were frequently exported, while cores already exploited seem to have been introduced into the site. The retouched tool kit is dominated by sidescrapers, but the blanks as well as their modification by retouching do not seem to be linked with the Quina Charentian facies: on the contrary, all the blanks are the result of the Levallois technology and the classical Quina retouch is quite rare. In this case, clearly the idea of a specific facies called "Atypical Charentian" must be abandoned.