Roches gravées et dalles façonnées dans la partie Occidentale du Massif des Maures

Abstract

Surveys in the western part of the Maures massif have revealed the existence of some fifty sites with transformed lithic elements, i.e., shaped and/or engraved rocks, grand and little slabs. The substrate is schistose, and the supports used seem to be largely extracted from rocky ridges known locally as balanco. These sites were selected in function of parameters very similar to those known for schematic painting shelters from the second half of the Neolithic. However, apart from the specific context of the Gotteaubry dolmen in the same area, no material has been found to date these schist transformations precisely. In view of the traces of debitage and shaping observed on the grand and little slabs, we envisaged an experiment to approach the chain of operations. Finally, we put forward some hypotheses on the hermeneutics of the resulting forms.