FLINT CHARACTERIZATION BY MICROFACIES ANA LYSIS APPLIED TO THE PREHISTORIC SETTLEMENT OF AUVERGNE (FRANCE)

Microfacies analysis has been made on a sample of siliceous raw materi al from both natural deposits and archaeological sites from Auvergne. The objectives were twofold: to make precise mineralogical characteriz ation and obtain new data on the geographical origin of archaeological flints. The results confirm the hypothesis on the foreign origin of t he 'silex blond' (blond flint, Upper Cretaceous levels localized in th e southern part of the Paris basin). In addition, the precise characte rization of local local flints enables the rectification of old denomi nations such as 'jasper' and demonstrates that these raw, materials be long to the Upper Oligocene lacustrine or swampy levels. (C) Academie des sciences/Elsevier, Paris.