A Day in the Life of an Aurignacian

Habitat and dwellings of the Aurignacians

It is important to distinguish habitat from dwelling. The dwelling is the place where life takes place, whereas habitat is the context.

The dwelling of the Aurignacians had many different forms. Our ancestors frequented cave porches and deep caves. They also lived outdoors in camps or below a rock shelter. To these two major types of habitat, we must add hunting stops and stone tool production sites.

The habitat is established by the environment.

An area with rock shelters allowed the Aurignacians to leave some structures in place for later use. On the other hand, in an open environment, they had to transport all their equipment, including the dwelling itself.

In general, in order to optimize the habitat, and to conserve energy as well, people seemed to prefer sites protected from prevailing winds and located near a river and trees.

At the heart of the dwelling

The home is a fundamental part of the dwelling. It is what brings together the individuals of the group, promoting social cohesion. The habitat is centered on the home, a fundamental element of group survival. A fire pit and energy source is a major element of the home for working on materials, providing light, and eating, as well as bringing the group together.

The fire pits found in the cave reveal different morphologies. Large or small, often filled with red ocher, and placed on the ground or buried, their structure is complex. For example, the edges of some fire pits may consist of quartz pebbles or slabs of shale or limestone. Some Aurignacian habitat floors are sometimes completely or partially covered with platelets, slabs, or pebbles to isolate and ensure the circulation of heat.

Some archeological sites contain large amounts of flakes. This can attest to the existence of standardized production and storage of these versatile tools. The production of these flakes in large quantities is a likely sign of anticipation of the technical needs of the entire group.