Abstract: The Trifacial lithic system is a concept combining flaking and shaping, mainly identified in Southwestern France, and characteristic of the Southern Acheulean. The Southern Acheulean was initially defined by F. This lithic facies was considered to be different from the Acheulean from the North of France Bordes, , mainly because of the core-like biface morphology and the presence of flake cleavers.
Since then, the initial definition of this techno-complex has been widely debated, with particular emphasis on raw material availability and a reappraisal of the presence of flake cleavers Villa, , ; Mourre, ; Mourre and Colonge, ; Turq et al. Thus, the presence of Trifacial production appears to be an important criterion. The triface can thus be considered as a core and a tool named combined matrix. The flakes produced are generally similar to those from algorithmic systems SSDA.
The trifacial concept was first described by E. The site of Petit-Bost Neuvic, Dordogne is an open-air site in the Isle valley, excavated in during a preventive archaeology operation. Tools on flakes are poorly represented, and consist mainly of side scrapers some with Quina retouch. Faunal remains were not preserved and solifluction processes affect the layer. As a consequence, the strict contemporaneity of the lithic concepts is uncertain, even though some artefacts were refitted.
Here, we performed a new technological analysis, with particular focus on cores and tools. The aim was to identify the lithic concepts used and to reconstruct the reduction processes and their production goals.
Shaped or retouched tools were analysed following a techno-morphological method, comprising a detailed description of edge morphologies and the relationships between supposed cutting edges and prehensile parts.
