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Roc de Combe

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Site type:
Cave
Lat/Long:
44.75, 1.35
Country:
France
Classifications:
Homo neanderthalensis
Cultures:
Chatelperronian, Mousterian
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The cave of Roc de Combe is a prehistoric site in the commune of Payrignac, in the Lot.

Roc-de-Combe was the only "proof", now refuted, of the coexistence of the Châtelperronien and the Aurignacian.

Roc-de-Combe was the only site on which François Bordes relied to support the hypothesis of a parallel or even joint evolution of the Châtelperronian and the Aurignacian.

According to F. Bordes, the stratigraphic sequence included starting from the base of the Mousterian, the Châtelperronian, the Aurignacian then again the Châtelperronian and the Aurignacian, and finally the Gravettian. For a long time, the stratigraphy of the site was considered as proof of the contemporaneity of the Châtelperronian and the Aurignacian, with what this implies knowing that the first facies is attributed to Neanderthals and the second to anatomically modern humans.

However, recent studies have shown that the supposed interstratifications result from post-depositional reworkings or problems reading the stratigraphy. There is currently no evidence that Neanderthals and modern humans met or frequented each other directly.