Saint-Illiers-la-Ville and the Micoquian of Weichselian sequences of the Paris Basin

The excavation at Saint-Illiers-la-Ville revealed an archaeological level which contained one Micoquian biface, of a kind known in the vicinity and across the Paris Basin since the 19th century beginning of Palaeolithic archaeology, and through the doctoral research of François Bordes. As the stratigraphy of these old collections appears similar to that of Saint-Illiers-la-Ville, this geographical and chronological proximity raises questions about the possible technical unity of these groups. In this view, the technical characteristics of Saint-Illiers-la-Ville industries are presented and compared in this paper with the old series of the Paris Basin, as well as with other series subsequently attributed to this Micoquian entity. It emerges that the Micoquian biface is not suitable to define a group because it constitutes one technical solution among others, present in various moments and places of prehistory. However, when inserted into its wide geographical, chronological and technical context, this type of biface is able to define a techno-cultural reality. Accordingly, it is suggested that the term Micoquian should be abandoned and that a new name be chosen to designate these industries of the beginning of the last glaciation in the Paris Basin.