FOSSIL SUBMERGED SHORELINE DATING (-100 M ) WEST OF COSQUER CAVE (MARSEILLES, FRENCH-MEDITERRANEAN)

Sediments from a fossil shoreline have been cored at 100 m water depth near Planier Island, west of the Cosquer cave near Marseilles (France ). Gravels and sands found there are associated with shallow water lam ellibranchs. Among them, Mytilus galloprovincialis shells have provide d a C-14 age of 13,850 years BP. This age is consistent with other dat ings of shallow water sediments recovered in similar water depths in t he western Mediterranean. This fossil shoreline is posterior to prehis toric Cosquer cave paintings (about 18,500 years BP for the earliest p eriod). This dating provides us with a better knowledge of the postgla cial sea rise especially around this now well-known prehistoric site.